Here my
husband received another message from the Duke de Medina las Torres,
desiring him to meet him at Valdemoro the Friday following, his
Catholic Majesty being then at Aranjuez. This message was sent by a
gentleman of his own, the other that he sent to welcome us into this
country, being under-gentleman of the horse to her Majesty.
Upon Thursday the 29th of April, we took our leave of the Marquis and
his lady, giving one hundred and eighty pieces-of-eight among his
family. The night we lay at Yllescas, and on the 30th we came to
Ballecas, where we found a house provided for us. Here the King's
entertainment ceased, and we provided for all the accommodations of
our family, the bare house only excepted. We continued at Ballecas
till the 8th of June following, during which time there happened
nothing extraordinary; the Duke often sending his secretary to my
husband about business, and the Master of the Ceremonies about our
constant endeavour to get a house, though at last we were glad to go
to a part of a house of the Conde de Irvias, [Footnote: Query] where
the Duke of St. Germain had lived before. Here we received many
messages of welcome to the Court from all the Ambassadors and all the
Grandees, and I from the Ambassadors' ladies, the Duchess de Medina
las Torres, with great numbers of the greatest persons of quality in
Madrid. The men visited my husband, but I could not suffer the ladies
to visit me, though they much desired it, because I was so straitened
in my lodgings, which in no sort were convenient to receive persons of
that quality in, not being capacious enough for our own family, for
whose accommodation we took Count Marcin's house close by this.
Pages:
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180