History of The Reign of Philip The Second King of Spain History of the Reign of Philip the Second, King of Spain Part 58

[251] "Were I to die this moment, want of frigates would be found written on my heart." The original of this letter of Nelson is in the curious collection of autograph letters which belonged to the late Sir Robert Peel.

[252] Philip's feelings in this matter may be gathered from a pa.s.sage in a letter to Granvelle, in which he says that the death of the young queen of Scots, then very ill, would silence the pretensions which the French made to England, and relieve Spain from a great embarra.s.sment.

"Si la reyna moca se muriesse, que diz que anda muy mala, nos quitaria de hartos embaracos y del derecho que pretenden a Inglaterra." Papiers d'Etat de Granvelle, tom. V. p. 643.

[253] "Tras esto veola muy indignada de las cosas que se han hecho contra ella en vida de la Reina: muy asida al pueblo, y muy confiada que lo tiene todo de su parte (como es verdad), y dando a entender que el Pueblo la ha puesto en el estado que esta: y de esto no reconoce nada a V. M. ni a la n.o.bleza del Reino, aunque dice que la han enviado a prometer todos que la seran fieles." Memorias de la Real Academia de la Historia, (Madrid, 1832,) tom. VII. p. 254.

[254] "Non manco bella d'animo che sia di corpo; ancor'che di faccia si puo dir' che sia piu tosto gratiosa che bella." Relatione di Giovanni Micheli, MS.

[255] "Della persona e grande, et ben formata, di bella carne, ancor che olivastra, begl'occhi, et sopra tutto bella mano, di che fa professione, d'un spirito, et ingegno mirabile: il che ha saputo molto ben dimostrare, con l'essersi saputa ne i sospetti, et pericoli ne i quali s'e ritrovata cosi ben governare.... Si tien superba, et gloriosa per il padre; del quale dicono tutti che e anco piu simile, et per cio gli fu sempre cara." Ibid.

[256] The Spanish minister, Feria, desired his master to allow him to mention Mary's jealousy, as an argument to recommend his suit to the favor of Elizabeth. But Philip had the good feeling--or good taste--to refuse. Memorias de la Real Academia, tom. VII. p. 260.

[257] "Dijo que convendria consultarlo con el Parlamento; bien que el Rey Catolico debia estar seguro que en caso de casa.r.s.e, seria el preferido a todos." Ibid., p. 264.

[258] "Paresceme que seria bien que el conde le habla.s.se claro en estas cosas de la religion, y la amonesta.s.se y roga.s.se de mi parte que no hiziesse en este parlamento mudanca en ella, y que si la hiciesse que yo no podria venir en lo del casamiento, como en effecto no vendria." Carta del Rey Phelipe al Duque de Alba, 7 de Febrero, 1559, MS.

[259] "Convendria que habla.s.se claro a la Reyna, y le dixesse rasamente que aunque yo desseo mucho este negocio, (y por aqui envanescella quanto pudiesse,) pero que entendiesse que si haria mudanca en la religion, yo lo hacia en este desseo y voluntad por que despues no pudiesse dezir que no se le avia dicho antes." Ibid.

[260] "Dijo que pensaba estar sin casa.r.s.e, porque tenia mucho escrupulo en lo de la dispensa del Papa." Memorias de la Real Academia, tom. VII.

p. 265.

[261] Ibid., p. 266.

[262] "Aunque habia recibido pena de no haberse concluido cosa que tanto deseaba, y parecia convenir al bien publico, pues a ella no le habia parecido tan necessario, y que con buena amistad se conseguiria el mismo fin, quedaba satisfecho y contento." Ibid., ubi supra.

[263] The duke of Savoy, in a letter to Granvelle, says that the king is in arrears more than a million of crowns to the German troops alone; and, unless the ministers have some mysterious receipt for raising money, beyond his knowledge, Philip will be in the greatest embarra.s.sment that any sovereign ever was. "No ay un real y deveseles a la gente alemana, demas de lo que seles a pagado aora de la vieja deuda, mas d'un mylion d'escudos..... Por esso mirad como hazeys, que sino se haze la paz yo veo el rey puesto en el mayor trance que rey s'a visto jamas, si el no tiene otros dineros, que yo no se, a que el senor Eraso alle algun secretto que tiene reservado para esto." Papiers d'Etat de Granvelle, tom. V. p. 458.

[264] The minister in London was instructed to keep up the same show of confidence to the English. "Todavia mostramos rostro a los Franceses, como tambien es menester que alla se haga con los Ingleses, que no se puede confiar que no vengan Franceses a saber dellos lo que alli podrian entender." Ibid., p. 479.

[265] Ibid., p. 468.

"That the said Dolphin's and Queen of Scott's eldest daughter shall marry with your highnes eldest sonne, who with her shall have Callice."

Forbes, State Papers of Elizabeth, vol. I. p. 54.

It seemed to be taken for granted that Elizabeth was not to die a maiden queen, notwithstanding her a.s.sertions so often reiterated to the contrary.

[266] "Hablando con la reyna sin persuadirla, ny a la paz, ny a que dexe Calaix, by tampoco a que venga bien a las otras condiciones propuestas por los Franceses, paraque en ningun tiempo pueda dezir que de parte de S. M. la hayan persuadido a cosa que quica despues pensa.s.se que no le estuviesse bien, V. S. tenga respecto a proponerle las razones en balanca, de manera que pesen siempre mucho mas las que la han de inclinar al concierto."--Ibid., p. 479.

[267] See the treaty, in Dumont, Corps Diplomatique, (Amsterdam, 1728,) tom. V. p. 31.

[268] Garnier, Histoire de France, tom. XXVII. p. 570.

[269] "Mettez-moi, sire, dans la plus mauvaise des places qu'on vous propose d'abandonner, et que vos ennemis tachent de m'en deloger."

Gaillard, Rivalite de la France et d'Espagne, tom. V. p. 294.

[270] Garnier, Histoire de France, tom. XXVII. p. 567.

[271] "Pour tant de rest.i.tutions ou de concessions que revenoit-il a la France? moins de places qu'elle ne cedoit de provinces." Gaillard, Rivalite de la France et d'Espagne, tom. V. p. 292.

[272] Charles the Fifth, who in his monastic seclusion at Yuste, might naturally have felt more scruples at a collision with Rome than when, in earlier days, he held the pope a prisoner in his capital, decidedly approved of his son's course. It was a war of necessity, he said, in a letter to Juan Vazquez de Molina, and Philip would stand acquitted of the consequences before G.o.d and man.

"Pues no se puede hazer otra cosa, y el Rey se ha justificado en tantas maneras c.u.mpliendo con Dios y el mundo, por escusar los danos que dello se seguiran, forzado sera usar del ultimo remedio." Carta del Emperador a Juan Vazquez de Molina, 8 de Agosto, 1557, MS.

[273] "Il nous a semble mieulx de leur dire rondement, que combien vostre majeste soit tousjours este dure et difficile a recepvoir persuasions pour se remarier, que toutesfois, aiant represente a icelle le desir du roi tres-chrestien et le bien que de ce mariage pourra succeder, et pour plus promptement consolider ceste union et paix, elle s'estoit resolue, pour monstrer sa bonne et syncere affection, d'y condescendre franchement." Granvelle, Papiers d'Etat, tom. V. p. 580.

[274] "El Conde la dijo, que aunque las negativas habian sido en cierto modo indirectas, el no habia querido apurarla hasta el punto de decir redondamente que no, por no dar motivo a indignaciones entre dos tan grandes Principes." Mem. de la Academia, tom. VII. p. 268.

[275] "Osservando egli l'usanza Francese nel baciar tutte l'altre Dame di Corte, nell'arriuar alla futura sua Reina, non solo intermise quella famigliare cerimonia, ma non uolle ne anche giamai coprirsi la testa, per istanza, che da lei ne gli fusse fatta; il che fu notato per n.o.bilissimo, e degno atto di creaza Spagnuola." Campana, Filippo Secondo, parte II. lib. 11.

[276] The work of extermination was to cover more ground than Henry's capital or country, if we may take the word of the English commissioners, who, in a letter dated January, 1559, advised the queen, their mistress, that "there was an appoinctment made betwene the late pope, the French king, and the king of Spaine, for the joigning of their forces together for the suppression of religion, ... th'end whereof was to constraine the rest of christiendome, being Protestants, to receive the pope's authorite and his religione." (Forbes, State Papers, vol. I.

p. 296.) Without direct evidence of such a secret understanding, intimations of it, derived from other sources, may be found in more than one pa.s.sage of this history.

[277] Brantome, who repays the favors he had received from Henry the Second by giving him a conspicuous place in his gallery of portraits, eulogizes his graceful bearing in the tourney and his admirable horsemans.h.i.+p.

"Mais sur tout ils l'admiroient fort en sa belle grace qu'il avoit en ses armes et a cheval; comme de vray, c'estoit le prince du monde qui avait la meilleure grace et la plus belle tenue, et qui scavoit aussi bien monstrer la vertu et bonte d'un cheval, et en cacher le vice."

uvres tom. II. p. 353.

[278] Ibid, p. 351.--De Thou, Histoire Universelle, tom. III. p.

367.--Cabrera, Filipe Segundo, lib. IV. cap. 20.--Campagna Filippo Secondo, parte II. lib. 11.--Forbes, State Papers, vol. I. p. 151.

[279] The English commissioner, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, bears testimony to the popularity of Henry.--"Their was marvailous great lamentation made for him, and weaping of all sorts, both men and women."

Forbes, State Papers, vol. I. p. 151.

[280] This pleasing antic.i.p.ation is not destined to be realised. Since the above was written, in the summer of 1851, the cloister life of Charles the Fifth, then a virgin topic, has become a thrice-told tale,--thanks to the labors of Mr. Stirling, M. Amedee Pichot, and M.

Mignet; while the publication of the original doc.u.ments from Simancas, by M. Gachard, will put it in the power of every scholar to verify their statements.--See the postscript at the end of this chapter.

[281] Sandoval, Hist. de Carlos V., tom. II. p. 611.

[282] "Una sola silla de caderas, que mas era media silla, tan vieja y ruyn que si se pusiera en venta no dieran por ella quatro reales."

Ibid., tom. II. p. 610.--See also El Perfecto Desengano, por el Marques de Valparayso, MS.

The latter writer, in speaking of the furniture, uses precisely the same language, with the exception of a single word, as Sandoval. Both claim to have mainly derived their account of the cloister life of Charles the Fifth from the prior of Yuste, Fray Martin de Angulo. The authority, doubtless, is of the highest value, as the prior, who witnessed the closing scenes of Charles's life, drew up his relation for the information of the Regent Joanna, and at her request. Why the good father should have presented his hero in such a poverty-stricken aspect, it is not easy to say. Perhaps he thought it would redound to the credit of the emperor, that he should have been willing to exchange the splendors of a throne for a life of monkish mortification.

[283] The reader will find an extract from the inventory of the royal jewels, plate, furniture, &c, in Stirling's Cloister Life of Charles the Fifth, (London, 1852,) Appendix, and in Pichot's Chronique de Charles-Quint, (Paris, 1854,) p. 537 et seq.

[284] Mignet has devoted a couple of pages to an account of this remarkable picture of which an engraving is still extant, executed under the eyes of t.i.tian himself. Charles-Quint, pp. 214, 215.

[285] Vera y Figueroa, Vida y Hechos de Carlos V., p. 127.

A writer in Fraser's Magazine for April and May, 1851, has not omitted to notice this remarkable picture, in two elaborate articles on the cloister life of Charles the Fifth. They are evidently the fruit of a careful study of the best authorities, some of them not easy of access to the English student. The author has collected some curious particulars in respect to the persons who accompanied the emperor in his retirement; and on the whole, though he seems not to have been aware of the active interest which Charles took in public affairs, he has presented by far the most complete view of this interesting portion of the imperial biography that has yet been given to the world.

[I suffer this note to remain as originally written, before the publication of Mr. Stirling's "Cloister Life" had revealed him as the author of these spirited essays.]

[286] Sandoval, Hist. de Carlos V., tom. II. p. 610.--Siguenca, Historia de la Orden de San Geronimo, (Madrid, 1595-1605,) parte III. p.

190.--Ford, Handbook of Spain, (London, 1845,) p. 551.

Of the above authorities, Father Siguenca has furnished the best account of the emperor's little domain as it was in his day, and Ford as it is in our own.

[287] See the eloquent conclusion of Stirling's Cloister Life of Charles the Fifth.