All the Road from Pampeluna to Madrid is quite disagreeable, there being nothing to be seen but rusty Fields, here and there a ragged Village; and what was still more vexatious, Houses of Entertainment, where there was scarce any thing to be had: But ’tis much worse when we leave Navarre, and enter Castile, there being nothing at all to be had in their Public-Houses: You are accommodated with a Chamber indeed, and that’s all; for if you want to eat any thing, you must send out your Domestics to buy it, and dress it yourselves: But, however, the Necessaries of Life may be easily had any where, and at a moderate Price: I travell’d thro’ the whole Country without meeting with any Disaster, which is not a little astonishing, Murders and Robberies being very common in Spain.
I arriv’d on a Sunday-Night at Alcala, a City in New-Castile, famous for its University: This City is oblig’d for its Magnificence to the Cardinal Ximenes, who, being Prime Minister under Ferdinand of Arragon, and Isabel of Castile, spar’d no Cost to render this City one of the most beautiful in Spain: The first thing that he did was to build very fine Colleges; and when he became Regent of Spain, after the Death of Ferdinand, he founded an University here.
’Tis but Seven Leagues from Alcala to Madrid, but this Capital is not to be seen till one comes just upon it, because it stands in a Bottom on the River Mancanares: The Entrance into Madrid has a feint Resemblance for a little way, with the Entrance into Rome, thro’ the Gate del Popoli: Three Streets, in the Shape of a Goose’s Foot, lead to the Centre of the City: I went into
that on the Right Hand, which carry’d me to the Square of St. Domingo, where was a French Inn, to which I had been recommended: When I alighted out of my Chaise, I was heartily embrac’d by a Man whom I had formerly seen in the Service of King Stanislaus of Poland, and afterwards at Paris, but he was oblig’d to fly from that City, for Fear of falling into the Hands of Justice.
This Man was accus’d of being One in Three who had robb’d and murder’d an Abbe: Tho’ he was run away, the Trial took its Course, and he was condemn’d in Outlawry to be broke alive on the Wheel, which Sentence was executed accordingly in Effigie: After several Tours he came at last to Madrid, where all that come from France are receiv’d with open Arms: He had chang’d his Name of Le G—— for that of the Baron D——. I recollected him perfectly the very Moment that he embraced me, but his Affair in France was still so fresh in my Memory, that I did not think fit to make a very affectionate Return for the Civilities of this new Baron, but ask’d a great many Pardons that I could not call him to Mind: The Man seem’d still very eager to be known to me, and said, Pray, are not you the Baron de Pollnitz? Don’t you remember to have seen me at Berlin, then at Hanover, &c. I still pretended Ignorance; but my Gentleman proceeded to rub up my Memory, and talk’d a great deal to me of his Journey to Paris, and mention’d several Circumstances: Being at last fatigued with all this long Detail, I thought it would oblige him to give him some Glimpse that I knew him; and therefore mention’d the Names of several People that we had been with together, to make him believe that I was in
Quest of his; and at length seeing him overjoy’d to think that I was like to find out his Name by beating the Bush, I chose to give him that Satisfaction, and said to him, tho’ with an Air of great Uncertainty, Pray, Sir, Was not your NameLe G——? At the very Mention of this Name my Friend chang’d Countenance, turn’d from red to pale, and retir’d at last without giving me an Answer, or, at least, ’twas with such a low Voice, that I could not understand a Syllable of what he said. For my own Part, I thought of nothing but calling to my Landlord for a Room; and after I had rested myself a little, I went down at Night to sup at my Landlord’s Table, where some of the Company happen’d to be the very same Officers that had seen me talking with Le G——. They ask’d me, if I was acquainted with the Gentleman that accosted me, and what was his Name: I made no Scruple to satisfy them, and not knowing that he had alter’d his Name upon his leaving France, I said, without thinking any Harm, that ’twas Le G——, I had no sooner pronounc’d his Name, but one of the Company cry’d out, Ah! Morblieu! the very Man that assassinated the Abbe V. How durst such a Villain come hither to sollicit an Employment! I plainly saw that I had committed an Oversight, in discovering a Name to those Strangers, which had put the Person who bore it so much out of Countenance; but I thought at the same time, that Le G—— had been guilty of a much greater, in putting me under that Necessity: I endeavour’d to set all to Rights again, by saying, that perhaps I was mistaken, and that the Baron D—— was not Le G——: but they would not admit of it; they all exaggerated the Baseness of the Murder that had forc’d him to
fly from France; and, in short, the Story was so toss’d about in an Instant, that the pretended Baron was oblig’d to leave Madrid: I have been told since, that he retir’d to Portugal, where Fortune has been pretty Favourable to him.
I had not been long at Madrid before I met with several of my Acquaintance: The very Day after my Arrival I receiv’d Visits from above a Score of Officers, French and Germans, whom I had seen at several Courts: At my Quarters I also found the Baron de Montbel, who had taken so much fruitless Pains to inquire after my Health when I was a Prisoner in the Citadel of Bayonne: To be short, in a very little time, I found as many, and even more Acquaintance than I wanted, especially at my first coming to Madrid, where I did not aim at keeping any Company more than was necessary to my obtaining an Employment: I thought immediately how I should be introduc’d to the King and Queen: The Person who procur’d me Audience from his Majesty was one la Roche, a Frenchman by Birth, who was the King’s chief Valet de Chambre, Secretary of his Dispatches, and likewise Introducer of Ambassadors.
’Twas in a private Audience that I had the Honour of waiting on his Majesty: This is different from a public Audience, in that the latter, which is generally for common People, is granted with the Doors open, and in Presence of the Grandees, who are standing on both Sides of the Hall, and cover’d: The King is then seated in a Chair of State, plac’d under a Canopy: From the Entrance of the Audience Room to the King’s Chair Three Genuflections are made; and when the Persons, who are honour’d with the Audience, are advanc’d near his Majesty’s Person, they