On Wednesday the 18th of June, my husband had his audience of his
Catholic Majesty; who sent the Marquis de Malpica to conduct him, and
brought with him a horse of his Majesty's for my husband to ride on,
and thirty more for his gentlemen, and his Majesty's coach with the
guard that he was captain of. No Ambassador's coach accompanied my
husband but the French, who did it contrary to the King's command; who
had before, upon my husband's demanding the custom of Ambassadors
accompanying all other Ambassadors that came into this Court at their
audience, replied, that although it had been so, it should be so no
more; saying, it was a custom brought into this Court within less than
these twenty-five years, and that it caused many disputes, for which
he would no more suffer it. To this order all the Ambassadors in this
Court submitted but the French, whose Secretary told my husband, at
his coming that morning, that his Master, the Ambassador, said that
his Catholic Majesty had nothing to do to give his Master orders, nor
would he obey any of them; and so great was this work of
supererogation on the part of the French, that they waited on my
husband from the palace home, a compliment till that time never seen
before.
About 11 o'clock set forth out of his lodgings my husband thus:--First
went all those gentlemen of the town and palace that came to accompany
him: then went twenty footmen all in new liveries of the same colour
we used to give, which is a dark green cloth with a frost upon green
lace; then went my husband's gentlemen, and next before himself his
camaradoes two and two:
Mr.
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