directed to a bishop, this father's very friend, which I have here compiled and expressed, among other proofs, to verify the unfortunate accidents this disasterous King hath sustained, since he was taken prisoner by the great Duke of Tuscany, until the last day of the year past 1601. You may also find within this pamphlet two letters translat ed; one written by Don Raimond Marqueti, a Knight of the order of St. John, born in Messina in Sicily, to Don Sebastian; the other sent from the said king to Don Prospero Baracco, dwelling in Padua. By the two last letters, it will evidently appear unto you, that the prisoner, detained now in Naples, is not that Marco Tullio Catizzone, whom the Spaniards in their libels have so falsly proclaimed, but the very true King of Portugal, Don Sebastian. Immediately after these letters followeth a discourse, in the beginning whereof there is a preface written by Father Texere, manifesting the natural disposition of the Portuguese, and witnessing how constantly they address themselves in loyalty towards their governors that reign over them, according to the, sincere word of God, and the infallible rules of honour.

You may also behold a most ample declaration, about the end of this discourse, ministring four several points, wortby the reading and observing; to prove unto you assuredly, that the prisoner, for whom we travel so industriously with perseverance, is the true and lawful King of Portugal, Don Sebastian, whom God of his divine mercy will, I trust, restore to his former crown and dignity, for the good and propagation of the peace and welfare of all Christendom; which the eternal God effect, if it be his blessed will. Amen. The 26th of February, An. 1602.

POST acceptam Benedictionem. I wrote to your reverend lordship from Paris, to signify unto you the cause of my return from Lyons; where I received a letter from your lordship, dated the twentieth of March; in the which you gave me in charge, that, if I had occasion to travel into Italy, I should give you special intelligence of all the occurrents, that should be presented to my understanding in my journey. The sixteenth of April, in the same year, I departed from Paris towards these parts, passing through Campaigne; the very first day, the gout began to assail me, and ceased not, but accompanied me to Chalons, which was Wednesday, being a holy day; where I remained in my convent until the Wednesday after Easter.

The same day, after dinner, having urgent occasion, I was compelled, by means of my sickness, to use the benefit of a coach, and came the Friday following to Nantz. On Saturday following, I undertook to walk fair and softly, with much pain, to visit his Highness, and the lady sister to the King, and her husband, the Cardinal, the Count of Vaudemont, and the princess his sister. Believe me, I cannot express in words the consolation I conceived in beholding the inseparable bond of love and amity, wherein these noble princes seemed to be united and conformed; from whom, like one loaden and charged with honorable benefits, gifts, graces, and favours, I departed to Basil on Monday, being the seventh of May. Notwithstanding the great comfort

my entertainment gave me occasion of, yet a bitter spell of discontentment wounded me inwardly; for that, the Friday before, I had particular intelligence by the post, that the Calabrian, the false and counterfeit Don Sebastian, as they termed him, the pretended King of Portugal, was rendered into the custody of the governor of Orbitello, a town in Tuscany, bordering upon the Mediterranean sea, being a part of the King of Spain's territories, from thence to be conveyed to the viceroy of Naples: So swift were those bloody Spaniards in their cruel expeditions. The poor prince departed from that town the thirteenth of April, at eleven of the clock at night, passing by Sienne the twentyfourth, and was delivered the twenty-sixth. The manner of divulging these news was by intelligence, that came to Nantz by Milan, in less than eight days. The eleventh of May I came to Basil; the thirteenth I entered Soleure; where, because I was ill at ease, Monsieur De Vic, your lordship's dear friend, and worthy ambassador of his most Christian Majesty in affairs to the Switzers and Grisons, forced me to stay and repose myself with him until the sixteenth day; from whence, after the fruition of infinite courtesies, I departed; passing by the Switzers, Grisons, Valtoline, and (Valcamonica, I entered into Italy; the first town I lodged in was Bresse, the next Verona, Vicence, and Padua. The second of June I came to Venice, where, without delay, I hasted to visit Monsieur Villiers, ambassador of his excellent Majesty. This noble gentleman I found, in all respects, as your lordship had commended him to me, most reverend for honour, virtue, and wisdom, as the world can justly testify. From thence I retired myself, in his gondola, to a friend of mine, an honourable gentleman, by whom, with diyers others of my friends, that came to see me, I was confirmed in my former knowledge concerning the mishaps before rehearsed; understanding in like manner, how grievously the nobles and citizens of Venice took the troubles of the worthy distressed King, ascribing the blame to the negligence of the Portueguese, that undertook the managing of his liberty, into whose hands they had committed him safe and sound; forasmuch as, in those lords presence, they seemed to acknowledge him; under which pretence they pressed before the senate to signify unto them a truth, beseeching them to allow him some other solemnity in proceeding, than they use to a common or private person, and to respect him as a king. The fourth day, I returned to Padua ; the seventh I was at breakfast in Mantua, where I was well entertained by the reverend and virtuous prelate, the rare and honourable lord, father Francis Gonzaga, Bishop of the said city. And, soon after I had been in my convent, and received the chief prelate's benediction, I went to salute the Duke and the Duchess, to whom I carried certain letters; who received me with no less shew of account, than they could have made to an ambassador, that had been employed in the most Christian King's affairs.

The self-same day, to accompany this my glorious entertainment, the despiteful gout made a return into my feeble limbs, and there sojourned with me seventeen or eighteen days, in the same city. In which space I drew a tree with branches, expressing the genealogy of the house of Gonzaga; wherewith the Duke seemed so well pleased,

VOL. II.

that he gave me a great present in gratification. I protest I should never have dreamed, that Mantua had been honoured with a prince so noble for virtue, so rare for honourable courtesy, so peerless for bounty, so familiar in histories, so conversant in languages, so great a lover of rare properties, so intire a Christian. I sifted divers of his court as narrowly as I might possibly, and I discovered them to be true and faithful well willers to our country of France.

On the feast-day of St. John Baptist, somewhat late, I set forward in my journey towards Ferrara through Bologne: On the eight-andtwentieth day of the last month I came to Ferrara, being St. Peter's eve: The next day, being the feast-day, after my morning repast, I went to the honourable Duke, delivering him certain letters, which he received with a smiling countenance, and made very fair weather to me by his honourable and courteous entertainment; so did likewise bis Duchess. All this while making no mention to me of the King, nor of the Calabrian, nor I to any man: The Duke and Duchess severally demanded of me what news I heard of France or Lorrain? And so sleighted me off with licence to depart, saying, we will take another day fitter to handle these causes more at large: So I departed for that time. The next day following, the Duke came into our convent of St. . Mark, where I remained; and our prior intreated me to bear the provincial company to entertain his Highness at the church-porch, where the Duke took notice of me, and talked with me all the way passing through the entry; and, at his departure, said, I will choose'a more convenient time to talk with you more at large. After breakfast, I went to the archbishop of Pisa, and delivered him a letter from a very friend of his, in regard whereof he did me many kind offices. And I telling him, I had undertaken this journey for the dispatch of business that concerned my order, and myself particularly (for so was the tenor of my pasport) and to acquaint myself in the families of the Princes of Italy: After long deliberation, and pausing for the space of an hour, he demanded of me, if I had not heard any speech of a Calabrian, that named himself Don Sebastian, King of Portugal? To whom I answered, that, being in the court of Lorrain, I understood by letters sent from Milan, that there was such a counterfeit, and abuser, and that . therefore I would not meddle neither with him nor his affairs. And he replied unto me, that he thought it not amiss for me to know what passed, and was done in that business. When I found his purpose, I prepared myself to hear him as patiently as I could, and he very pleasantly began this invective which followeth :

This man, that would be called Don Sebastian, &c. is a Calabrian, a merchant, whose name is Marco Tullio Catizzone, that hath both wife and children alive, which have been compelled to come from Messina to go to Naples, to justify the truth. And the same Calabrian hath had access to Portugal for matters of traffick, where some religious professors of our order have persuaded him to call and proclaim himself Don Sebastian, King of Portugal: and the monk hath burned and branded him with hot irons, in the same places, with the like marks that Don Sebastian had; and the scar, which he carrieth in his arm, was forced by a gash given of purpose with his own hand, and the monk

that on his head. Besides, when he was first taken, he had only two crowns about him: and, as soon as the Venetians discharged him, the Portuguese consulted how they might embark him at Livorne, and send him presently into France: whereof the Great Duke being speedily advertised caused all the passages to be laid betwixt Florence and the sea-coast, that he could escape no way. And, as soon as he saw himself prevented and caught, he straightway discovered his legerdemain, saying, that he was no longer able to endure those torments and grievous imprisonments to maintain such foolish delusions and cosenage: presupposed that, before he made this confession, he indented to have his life assured him; which they ascertained him of, comforting him, that he should not die. And, after that he was detected in Naples by the presence of his wife, Donna Paula Catizzone, he was instantly sent into Spain, without any violence done unto him, and was there openly and generally shewed to all the world, to the end that the Portuguese should no longer abuse him, and that it might be published to the world, that he was a very impostor, a counterfeit, and a deluder. After I heard so many foolish and gross absurdities uttered so confidently, my very soul was so deeply plunged into extreme grief and vexation, that I was forced to crave pardon of that reverend lord for not answering, being sore perplexed, knowing assuredly, that that Marco Tullio Catizzone died in Portugal, while he endeavoured the dispatch of some business, the king sent him thither about; which is evident by a letter sent from one Don Raimond Marqueti, a Knight, dwelling in Messina, by whose means and persuasion the King sent this Marco into Portugal: which letter was sent by Marqueti to Venice, to have been delivered to Don Sebastian, which came to the Venetians hands, whereof the Lords of Venice caused a copy to be taken; and the original remains in the custody of one Constantine Nicoline, citizen and inhabitant of the same city, from whence a transcript was made, which I have about me to shew. This Constantine, seeing the agents of Spain to justify an untruth so impudently, without blushing, saying, that the prisoner was called Marco Catizzone, shewed this letter openly in St. Mark's church, to stop and confound their malice: which letter when they had seen and perused, they were never afterwards so bold as to prosecute the matter any further, but kept silence. Moreover, it appeared, that this prisoner could not be Marco Tullio, by another letter, written by the prisoner to Don Prospero Baracco, which he shewed me in Padua, which I craved earnestly to have delivered me to bring with me; but I could only obtain a copy thereof, which I have also in my custody. The same is likewise testified by an Italian gentleman attending the most Christian King. Whosoever is desirous to see the said letter, shall find it in the beginning of the book, called, Admirable Adventures, &c. which was printed in France, before I came from thence towards these parts. I have set down these proceedings in writing to your Lordship, to acquaint you with the forgery and devices of those detractors, called Castilians. Now to return to the Archbishop of Pisa, whom I cannot but charge with great abuse, to report that those natural marks were inseared with an hot iron, and to lay it upon a religious monk of my own order. But, to set aside many reasons and proofs, that might

easily confute his allegations, this one shall serve to satisfy all men, that have any spark of discretion or judgment: it is impossible, that any man should, by art, force, or skill, make a man's right arm and leg bigger, in all proportions, than the left; that is only reserved to God

that made him.

And further, this reverend lord would have persuaded me, that the religious man, that so marked him, was Don Sampayo; which was impossible to be true; for the said father never once saw the king, since he departed from Lisbon to go into Africa, until the eleventh of De cember last past, when he was set at liberty by the Venetians. Besides, this Don Sampayo never knew any privy marks of the King's body, until the year of our Lord 1599, when he went into Portugal to inquire of them. Hearing so many reports so much differing, and knowing how hardly this archbishop could hide his own error, and considering, that to answer him peremptorily might rather hurt than further my purpose, and to save myself from peril, being within his jurisdiction, I was fain to suppress my inward passion, but said unto him: My lord, seeing you understand, that the imprisonment of this man was the chief cause of my arrival in these parts, and as I understand the honourable knight came from thence, being four times sent for by letters from Paris, to the great Duke, since I was in Lorrain, whatsoever is, or shall become of his person or affairs, I resolve hereafter to take little care, but mean to follow the other employment, I recounted to your lordship. Notwithstanding, as one that hath some interest in the cause, I will render your lordship my censure and resolution in a word, and make you partaker of my inward and secret contemplations. Foras much as your lordship hath been acquainted with this impostor and deluder's confession, dissimulation, and trumperies, I can do no less than grieve thereat very much; and the rather, that he escaped without punishment, being, as your lordship assures me he is, so vile and so notorious an offender; marvelling you would suffer so pestilent and damnable a wretch to live, that hath been the cause of so many men's dis asters, confiscation of goods, ruins, and extinguishments, by undertak ing misadventures by sea and land, and what not indemnities for his sake; abandoning country, father, mother, wife, children, house and home, rest and safety. And I wonder it pleased God to suffer such an one to be born; that his mother, in his conception, before her delive rance, had not been transformed into a stone, or presently been dis solved into smoke, or air.

What unhappy man could have caused me to forsake my place in Paris, where I was well and quietly seated, to thrust my life into peril, but only he? That wicked and ungodly man. I have twice in this unlucky journey been afflicted with the gout; divers times almost over whelmed with snow, drenched in waters, tormented with clambering rocks and hills, sustaining all hazards that sea and land might present me, with thunder and lightning from clouds; and is it justice, think you, my good lord, that a man, occasioning so many troubles, should live unpunished? This man hath troubled me much, and grieved my very soul. This noble duke might, by the approvement of many, have caused him to have been indited, arraigned, and condemned, and have