TO satisfie my promise, and to giue answere to your letters, requiring my aduertisement of these present occurrences, I pray you vnderstand, that this yeere 1598. the Royall Maiestie of our Lord Don PHILIP the third, being then but Prince, was vpon S. Iohns day, in the market place at Madrill, to beholde the Bullbaytings and other pastymes which were there, at which sports the King his father (which is now in heauen) was not present by reason of the paine of the gout which sore troubled him. His Highnes being returned from the foresaid place, discoursed vnto his father all that he had seene, whereupon his Maiestie answered, I am [Page] right glad to see thee so pleasant, for thou shalt neuer so long as I liue see me haue any ease or comfort in this my painfull disease. And there­upon commaunded preparation to be made for his remouing to Escuriall. Doctor Marcado one of his ordinarie Phisitions tolde him, he ought not to stirre, least the extremitie of his paine should increase. The King answered, see­ing I must be carried thither when I am dead, I had rather be carried thither being aliue. So that in the end to satisfie his desire, his footmen tooke him vp vpon their shoulders, & spent sixe daies in going those seauen miles, where after that he came, he was better for some few daies, though he was not able to stand, but was for­ced either to sit or lie. But presently the goute reseasing him, accompanied with a feuer, made him far sicker then he was before, his Phisitions shewed all the skil they could to giue him some ease, but the extremitie of paine so increased, that presently he entred into consideration of his soule by shriuing and confessing himselfe, and receiuing the sacrament, at which instant he commanded Garcia de Loyaza to be con­secrated [Page] Archbishop of Toledo, which was per­formed by the Popes Nuntio with all the so­lemnities and rites accustomed. There happe­ned also to this good King vpon his right knee, a bile so angrie and swelling, that he could take no rest, his Phisitions being amazed thereat, one Elias a Phisition of Toledo, by whose ad­uice and direction of others, one Vergara a licentiate Surgeon hauing applied al fit meanes to ripen the sore, opened it, and let foorth all the bad matter therein contained: soone after the which, there arose fower other biles vpon his brest, which likewise were ripened, opened and cleansed. This corrupt matter bred a great companie of lice, which were very hard to bee killed, he remaining in this mean time so weake that he was faine to be turned in sheetes, and lift vp with fower men, whilest two other made all things plaine, soft, and cleane vnder him. Ten daies before he died, he fell into so great a traunce (lasting fiue howers) that it was easily perceiued, that his life and vitall powers began to faile, which caused diuers Lords in Madrill to prouide mourning garments. Being retur­ned [Page] to himselfe, he said to the Archbishop and to those of the chamber there present: My friends and subiects, your sorrowes are of no force to recouer my health, for no humane re­medie can profit me. The chiefe matter of your care ought to be to prouide in time all necessa­ries for my funerals, and in the meane time I commaunde you to call hither your Prince, which shall be your future King, and fetch hi­ther vnto me my coffin that I shall be laide in, and place here vpon this little cupboord, a dead mans skull crowned with my imperiall crowne, all which was foorthwith done. The Prince and the Infanta his sister being in presence, the King called for Iohn Ruyz de Valasco, putting him in minde of a cofer which he had committed to his custodie, willing him to fetch it, the cofer was very little, yet when it was brought he cau­sed it to be opened, and taking foorth a preti­ous stone of an infinite value, caused it to be deliuered to his Daughter, speaking thus vnto hir. My daughter Izabella Eugenia Clara, re­ceiue this Iewell brought vnto me by your mo­ther, the which I bestowe vpon you for my last [Page] farewell. And then turning him to the Prince, said, are you contented with this that I giue vn­to your sister? Who answered, yea sir, although you gaue her all that I haue. This answere ly­king the King very wel, he willed them to looke in the cofer for an other paper, and giuing it to the Prince, he tolde him, that therein he should see the forme how to gouerne his kingdome. Then they tooke out of the said cofer, a whip with bloudie knots, which the King holding vp said, This bloud is mine owne, and yet not mine but my fathers, who is in heauen, who made vse of this kinde of exercise, and therefore to make knowne the value of it, and the trueth of it I thought good to reueale it vnto you. After this he commaunded a paper to be taken from vn­der his pillow, which being read by Iohn Ruyz, contained these words. We PHILIP by the grace of God, King of Castile and Lion &c. hauing gouerned this Realme 40. yeeres, in the 71. yeeres of mine age, giue ouer this King­dome vnto my God to whome it belongeth, and commend my soule into his blessed hands, to performe therewith whatsoeuer it shal please [Page] his diuine Maiestie. Commaunding that this my bodie so soone as euer my soule shall bee separated from the same, be embalmed: then apparelled with a Royall robe, and so placed in this brazen shrine heere present, and that the howers be kept, with all rites and ceremonies as the lawe requireth, and I commaund my fu­nerals to be solemnized in this manner. Before shall be borne the Archbishops banner, then the Crosse, the Monkes and the Clergie pre­sently shall followe, all in mourning garments. The Adelantado shall beare the Royall stan­dard trailing it vpon the ground. Adelantado is the Admi­rall of the Gallies. The Duke of Nayara shall carrie the crowne vnder a cano­pie. The Marquesse of Aguillar shall carrie the sword. My body shall be borne by eight of my chiefest seruants all in mourning weedes, with burning torches in their handes. The Archbi­shop shall follow the Nobles, and our vniuersal Heire shall follow on the one side all in dewle. When they come to the Church, my body shal be placed in the herse there of purpose erected. All the praiers and deuotions ended, the Pre­late shall place me in the vault, my last habita­tion [Page] which shall be giuen to me foreuer. All this performed, your Prince, and third King of that name, shall goe to S. Ierosmes at Madrill there to keep the holy ceremonies of the ninth day yeerely, and my Daughter with my sister her Aunt shall goe to the gray Nunnes bare­foote. Then speaking to the Prince he saide, besides all that which I haue heertofore spoken to you, I pray you haue a great care and regard to your sister, because shee was my looking glasse & the light of mine eies. Keepe the com­mon wealth in peace, placing there good go­uernors to rewarde the good and punish the bad. Let the Marquesse of Mondeiar be deli­uered out of prison, on this condition that he come not to the Court. Let the wife of Antonio Perez also be set at libertie, so that from hence­foorth shee liue in a monasterie, and let her daughters inherite the patrimonie which shee brought. Forgiue those which are prisoners for hunting, with all such as are condemned to die, (the Kings pardon wanting) and so I giue my last farewell to my children, commending them to all peace and safetie. Then the Prince asked [Page] Don Christofer de Mora for the Royall Key, commaunding him to deliuer it to him, who craued pardon of his Highnes, because it was the Key of all trust and confidence, which hee could in no wise deliuer without the leaue of his Lord the King. Well, said the Prince, it is ynough. And so went into his chamber, whilest Don Christofer returning to the King, whome he found a little cheered, said vnto him. Sir, his Highnes asked of me the Royall Key, which I haue denied him as hauing no leaue from your Maiestie. But the King told him he had done ill. Not long after he fell into another fit, where­upon he called for the extreme vnction, which was giuen vnto him by the Archbishop. Then he called for a Crucifixe which had beene kept safely in a chest, which was the very same his father held betweene his hands, when he died, with the which he desired likewise to die. Here­upon his Highnes returned to his father, at whose comming Don Christofer vppon his knees presented to him the Royall Key, which the Prince receiued, and gaue it to the Mar­quesse of Denia: whereupon the King saide to [Page] him. Remember I commend vnto you Don Christofer for the most faithfull seruant which I euer had, and so haue care of al the rest, which I commende vnto you. And so he tooke his leaue of him againe imbracing him, at which instant his speech failed. And in this sort hee continued two daies, and died vpon Sunday the 13. of September about three of the clocke in the morning. The body was buried vpon Munday the 14. of that moneth, about nine of the clocke in the morning, the Archbishop say­ing the masse. The new King came from Escu­riall the 16. of that instant, leauing his sister at the gray Nunnes, and so went to S. Ierosmes, the Court remaining in great mourning and lamentation, making prepa­ration for the great funerall.