deliver what they have to say upon their Knees: Philip V. never makes any other Answer, than I will see, I will consider it. After such Audience is ended, the Person who officiates as Master of the Ceremonies gives Notice with an audible Voice, when there is to be a private Audience. The Grandees then retire, and the Doors are shut, and I had my Audience in the manner following: I found the King alone in his Chamber, made my Three Obeisances to him, and when I came near to him fell on my Knees: I then said to him, that having heard his Majesty’s Piety and his Zeal for the Catholic Religion highly extoll’d in all Places where-ever I had been; I thought I could not do better than to come and prostrate myself at his Feet, and to offer him my most humble Service; that I had incurr’d the Displeasure of my Sovereign, and lost all Expectation of ever being able to serve with Satisfaction in my own Country, because I had embrac’d the Romish Religion, whereof I shew’d his Majesty a Testimonial, sign’d by the Cardinal de Noailles: I also shew’d him a Letter from the King of Prussia, with the Grant of the first Pension annex’d to the Office of Gentleman of the Bedchamber, which I had still no doubt enjoy’d, had I not alter’d my Religion: The King took the King of Prussia’s Letter, and the Testimonial of the Cardinal de Noailles, look’d upon both of them, and return’d them to me, saying, I will consider your Request, and will soon dispatch you: I then presented a Memorial to him, which he put in his Pocket, after which I arose, and went backwards out of the Chamber, repeating my Three Obeisances.
From the King’s Audience I went to that of the Queen, to which I was introduc’d by her
chief Major-Domo: This Princess was dress’d in the Amazons Habit, because she was going a Hunting with the King; her first Lady of Honour and some of the Ladies of the Bedchamber were present: I also saw in the Door-way between the Chamber of Audience and the Queen’s own Chamber the Prince of Asturias, who dy’d King of Spain in 1724, the Infantes his Brothers, and the Infanta Maria-Anna Victoria. I deliver’d myself to the Queen in very near the same Words as I had just before to the King, and she return’d me a gracious Answer, that She should be always glad to serve me as far as lay in her Power: I withdrew, hugely delighted with so obliging an Answer.
This, Madame, was my first setting out at the Court of Spain: It was natural, in the first Place, to look after the Main-Chance; for, as I have had the Honour to acquaint you, I had but little Cash; and what was worse Luck than all, no Effects, from which I could hope to raise any, so that if I had thrown myself ever so little into Company, I should have run the Risque of being soon a Beggar: The obliging manner in which the King and Queen had been pleas’d to receive me, was a reviving Cordial to my drooping Spirits: I began to entertain fresh Hopes, and thinking myself already in some Share of Favour, I went abroad among my Acquaintance, I found old Friends, and made new ones, and I had good Success at Play, which I thought a happy Omen, and enabled me to frequent the Court with that Ease and Freedom, which Persons seldom discover whose Finances are out of Order.
I am now to give you a short Account of the Court, and of those who made the greatest Figure
at it; I need not treat of the King, all Mankind knows, and the late Wars sufficiently prov’d, that Lewis, Dauphin of France, Son to Lewis XIV. was his Father: He marry’d to his first Wife Maria-Louisa Galeriela of Savoy, who dy’d at Madrid the 14th of February, 1714, and whose Memory is still dear to the Spaniards; they greatly miss the Savoyard, as they call this Princess; The King of Spain had several Children by her; the Eldest was Don Lewis, Prince of Asturias, afterwards King of Spain, by the Resignation of the King his Father in 1724, but this young Prince dy’d the same Year: The Name of the second was Don Philip, who was born at Madrid in 1712, and dy’d in 1721; and the third Don Ferdinand, now Prince of Asturias.
After the Death of that Princess the King marry’d Elizabeth Farnese, Niece and Daughter-in-Law to the Duke of Parma: By this Princess the King has also had several Princes and Princesses: The Eldest Prince is Don Carlos, and was destin’d by the Quadruple Alliance to the Succession of Tuscany and the Duchies of Parma and Placentia: The second is Don Philip, who was born the 15th of March, 1720.
The Queen is tall and handsome, well-shap’d, but slender, and much pitted with the Small-Pox. She has a vast and enterprizing Genius, which no Difficulties can terrify. She made it very plain as soon as she set her Foot on Spanish Ground, that she would not suffer herself to be led by the Nose: For before she had even seen the Face of the King, she banish’d the Princess of Ursins, both from the Court and Kingdom, because of the Ascendant she knew that Princess had over the King. She thought also of removing
the French from about him, and endeavour’d to put his Majesty out of Conceit with his own Countrymen. The Spaniards were at first well enough pleas’d with all these Alterations, and hop’d that at length one of their own Nation would be singled out for Prime Minister; but they had the Mortification to see themselves govern’d by a Foreigner. The Abbot (afterwards Cardinal) Alberoni, by Birth a Parmesan, was advanc’d to the chief Dignities both in Church and State, and govern’d Spain with such seeming Success, as made the Subjects entertain great Hopes of him. He gave the Queen a Glimpse of mighty Fortune that was to befal her Son: But a more refin’d Set of Politics knock’d all those vain Projects on the Head; and the Queen was so prejudic’d against him, that she was the first who persuaded the King to remove the Cardinal; which happen’d in the Manner that I have already had the Honour to acquaint you. The Credit of the Queen herself, however, suffer’d some Shock by this Alteration; for the King was for a while undetermin’d what Measures to take, but at length he replac’d all his Confidence in the Queen, and ’tis she that still governs, tho’, indeed, she is supported by Ministers who have great Talents for Government.
The Person who had the Charge of Foreign Affairs when I arriv’d at Madrid, was the Marquis Grimaldo, who had the Reputation of a Man of the strictest Honour and Probity. I had the Favour to see him more than once, and he always receiv’d me with very great Civility. I have been told, that he thorowly knows the King’s good Pleasure with regard to such private Men as make their Court to him; and that