| 30th July.
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34. The Marquis Of Denia to Charles, King Of Spain.
[Archivo General de Simancas. Estado. Castilla. Legajo 5. folio 339.
Autograph.]
A su Magestad.
lo que Pedro de Arues mi secretario ha de
dezir al Rey nuestro señor es lo siguiente.
que yo me he escusado de dar enojo a su Magt. creyendo
que la marquesa e yo bastavamos a ordenar y corregir
estas mugeres que sirven a la Reyna Nuestra Señora pero
como ha tanto que estan desordenadas en la verdad ya no
se puede escusar que su Magest. no lo sepa y mande
remediar. y lo que mas es entre las otras cosas que hazen
es las salidas que hazen de palacio a la villa tan continuadamente
que no ay boda ni vautismo ni mortuorio
que les toque en la quarta generacion a que no van y esto
me ha sydo ynposible estorvalles porque hasta mandar a
los monteneros que no les dexen salir he hecho y no
aprovecha syno a agraviarse ellas mucho dello. y deste
salir suyo nacen muchas cosas bien descusar. y lo uno
quellas no pueden dexar de hablar a sus maridos y debdos
y amigos y comadres cosas que no conviene saberse porque
en la verdad en todo lo de aqui conviene secreto y cosas
me an enbiado a dezir a mi del consejo que no se pudieron
saber sino del licenciado Alarcon relator del consejo ques
marido de una destas mugeres que llaman Leonor Gomez
que tiene condicion de parlero. y a todos deve ser secreto
lo de aqui y mucho mas a los del consejo. lo otro es que
traen de la villa tantas nuevas y tantas cosas que hablar
que hablando las unas con las otras llegan a oydos de Su
Alteza y ningun provecho traen sino a desasosegarla. lo
otro es que en lo quellas han de hazer alli dentro ponen
muchas vezes tanta dilacion escusandose con su parecer que
se dexa de hazer lo que conviene mas tarde o mas tenprano
de como conviene y mas vezes. y sobresto vyno a que agora
dixeron a la marquesa claro que solo el Rey tenia poder
para despedirlas. y sin duda yo conosco que ha sydo yerro
questo no lo aya sabido antes su Magestad de mi porque
a my siempre me parecio que no convenia mugeres casadas
para esto y mucho menos alguna dellas que tiene su marido
en el consejo. y aun no es esta de las mas templadas syno
harto desordenada y estando alli y hablando a su marido
y a otros no se como se pueda escusar que no diga lo que
no convyene y que dexe de traer otras nuevas escusadas.
yo mande a dos mugeres destas que desacataron a la marquesa
por reprehendelles estas cosas que no saliesen de su
aposento hasta que yo se lo mandase. y aunque lo han
cumplido no han dexado de juntarse y hazer motin como
soldados diziendo que lo que ha de ser de una ha de ser
de todas. todo esto viene de pensar ellas que aunque hagan
gran yerro no las puedo despedir. suplicaras a su Magt.
que mande dar una cedula en que diga que quando alguna
destas hiziere lo que no deve o no cumpliere lo que la
marquesa e yo les mandaremos de parte de su Magt. que
la puedan quitar y poner otra en su lugar. y questo no se
puede escusar porque de otra manera ni la marquesa ni yo
podriamos cunplir con lo que somos obligados ny su Magestad
podria syno recebir mucho deservicio y enojo. y que su Magt.
crea que esto bastara para corregirlas y que quando yo
despidiese alguna ha de ser con tan gran cabsa que su Magt.
lo terna en servicio que se aya hecho. y aun que podria ser
tal que antes de hazerlo yo lo haria saber primero a su
Magt. pero no se entiende que la cedula ha de traer ninguna
condicion syno que la marquesa e yo les mandemos lo que
an de hazer y quando de aquello ecediere alguna la podamos
quitar y poner otra. y puedes dezir que maria de cartama
no es del cuento destas antes syrve mucho y muy continuo.
y creeme que si esta cedula no viene que ni nosotros
podremos servir a Su Magestad ni en lo de aqui avra ningun
secreto ni se puede hazer lo que conviene. y diras a Su
Magestad que en todas ellas no ay persona de suerte ni
criada mas de avellas tomado per hazelles merced y limosna.
el marques. [Rubrica.]
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(Translation.)
34. To His Majesty.
What Pedro de Arues, my secretary, is to
tell the King, my Lord, is the following.
Hoping that the Marchioness and I were sufficient to keep
these women who serve the Queen our lady in order and
subjection, I have hitherto avoided giving annoyance to
His Majesty, but as they have now for so long a time
continued their irregularities, it is, indeed, no longer possible
to conceal it from His Majesty, who ought to remedy it.
Amongst other things, they go so continually out of the
palace, paying visits in the town, that there is no wedding,
no baptism, no burial [of people], to whom they are related
in the fourth degree, to which they do not go. It has been
impossible for me to prevent them from doing so, for even
my orders to the guards not to let them go out have had no
other effect than that they have much complained of me.
And out of these visits have arisen many things which ought
to be avoided. For instance, they cannot refrain from speaking
to their husbands, relations, friends, and gossips, of things
which ought not to be known, because in all that passes
here, secrecy indeed is necessary. Members of the Council
of State have told me things which they could not have
known, except from the licentiate Alarcon, Relator of the
Council of State, who is married to one of these women,
Leonor Gomez, who is very loquacious. All that passes
here ought to be a secret from all, and much more so from the
Members of the Council. Another inconvenience is this,
that they bring from the town so much news and so many
things to speak of, and that then, in consequence of their
speaking with one another about them, they come to the
ears of Her Highness, who derives no advantage therefrom,
and is deprived of her rest and tranquillity. Moreover, they
often delay what they are bound to do, excusing themselves
with their own opinions on the matter, or they do it too
early and too often. They have gone so far as openly to
tell the Marchioness that the King alone has the right to
dismiss them. I clearly perceive that I have committed an
error in not earlier informing His Majesty of this state of
things. I, for one, was always of opinion that it was inconvenient
to employ married women, and much more so
the wife of a Privy Counsellor, who, indeed, is not one
of the most moderate, but one of the most disorderly of them
all. Whilst she is here, and has an opportunity of speaking
with her husband and other persons, I do not know how
she can be prevented from telling what ought not to be
known, and from bringing news which are inconvenient.
I ordered two of these women who had shown little respect
to the Marchioness into my presence, in order to reprimand
them, and commanded them not to leave their rooms until
I should permit it, and although they have obeyed, they
have combined and mutinied like soldiers, saying that what
is done to one is done to all of them. The ground of all
this is that they believe that I cannot dismiss them, even
if they commit great faults. You are to supplicate His
Majesty to be pleased to give an order empowering me to
remove any of these women, and to give her place to another,
in case that she does what she ought not to do, or refuses
to obey what the Marchioness and I command. This is
necessary, for in no other manner can the Marchioness and
I fulfil our duties, nor can His Majesty avoid great injury
and annoyance. His Majesty may believe that this will
suffice to subject them. If I dismiss any of them, it will
be from such weighty reasons that His Majesty will thank me
for it. Although it may be ordered that before dismissing
[any of these women] I am to inform His Majesty of it,
yet the order must not contain this condition, but only state
that the Marchioness and I are empowered to command
what they have to do, and if any one of them does not
strictly execute our orders, to dismiss her, and give her
place to another woman. You can say that Maria de
Cartama is not one of them, but on the contrary serves well
and without interruption. I believe that without such an
order we cannot serve His Majesty, nor can the secret be
perserved nor that done which the case requires. You will
say to His Majesty that amongst all of them there is not
a single person of good position or education, but they have
been taken in order to do them a favour and charity.
The Marquis. [Sign manual.]
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| 30th July (?)
|
35. Instruction of the Marquis Of Denia for his Secretary
Pedro De Arayz.
[Archivo General de Simancas. Estado. Legajo 5. f. 309. Written in the
hand of a secretary of the Marquis.]
La creencia del Marques de Denia con
Pedro Darayz. (fn. 1)
que la Reyna nuestra Señora esta buena de salud. y con el
calor no tan buena de la otra yndispusicion. y que esto suele
ser asy cada año en este tienpo porque el calor es contrario
para su yndispusicion.
que en lo de la misa se entiende cada dia y que se dilata
por ver si se podra hazer con su voluntad porque asy sera mejor
y que con ayuda de dios Su Al. la oyra presto.
que los lugares de la comarca estan muy dañados y que si
lo que Nuestro Señor no permita que aquella villa se dañase
Su Al. mande lo que se haga en tal caso, y que los lugares que
tienen salud e le parece donde su Alteza podria yr son arevalo
y madrigal y hontiveros y olmedo y çamora mandando su Al.
salir dalli la chancilleria, y que si oviere de yr a algun lugar
de los del Reyno d Aragon Su Al. lo concierte aqua y mande
la manera que en ello se tenga.
que Su Al. deve enbiar a vesitar a la Reyna y embialle
alguna cosa de oro o otra joya con que huelgue quel Rey Catholico
lo solia hazer asi y olgava Su Al. dello.
que se gastan en barreñones cada año para el servicio de
Su Alteza cl. :[symbol]. ducados y que en la camara ay mucha chaperia
de oro que no sirve para nada y que desta se podria hazer la
plata. que seran menester quinientos marcos de la facion de
los barreñones porque aya dos servicios porque son menester
de la manera que Su Al. se sirve y que se escusaran de gastar
cada año los cl. ducados y su Al. sera servida como es razon.
la marquesa comunica a Su Al. muchas vezes e huelga con
ella. y tanbien huelga Su Al. que las hijas del marques entren a
servir a la Señora ynfante.
lo de los bestidos de la Señora ynfante.
lo de las cosas de la camara.
lo de alonso cabeças.
lo del hijo del camarero Rivera.
una mula para la Reyna.
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35. The Instruction of the Marquis of Denia
to Pedro de Arayz.
The health of the Queen is good, but her other indisposition
is not very well during this hot weather. That is usually
every year the case, during this season, for the hot weather
is unfavourable for her indisposition.
As for mass, we are daily occupied in this affair. It has
been delayed in order to see whether it cannot be done with
her consent, for that would be much better. With the help of
God, her Highness shall, however, hear it very soon.
The towns of this province are very unhealthy, and if this
town, which God forbid, should be infected, his Highness
must order what ought to be done in such a case. The
places which are healthy, and where, it seems, her Highness
could go to, are Arevalo, Madrigal, Hontiveros, Olmedo,
and Zamora, if his Highness orders the Chancery to make
room. If it should be necessary to go to some place in
Aragon, his Highness can arrange it there, and order what is
to be done.
His Highness ought to send some one to visit the Queen,
and send her some object of gold or some jewelry to gladden
her. The Catholic King used to do so, and her Highness was
very pleased at it.
The expenses for the table plate of her Highness are one
hundred and fifty thousand (fn. 2) ducats a year. In the wardrobe
is a good number of ornaments of gold which are of no use,
and could be converted into plate. Five hundred marks
would be necessary, for, according to the manner in which
her Highness is served, two sets of plate would be necessary.
The one hundred and fifty ducats a year would thereby be
economized, and her Highness would be properly served.
The Marchioness converses sometimes with her Highness,
who likes her very much, and her Highness is also pleased
that the daughters of the Marquis should enter the service of
the Señora Infanta.
Dresses of the Señora Infanta.
The things in the wardrobe.
Alonzo Cabezas.
The business of the son of the Chamberlain Rivera.
A mule for the Queen.
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