I did not set out from Madrid to join my Regiment, but went a quite different Way, in order to touch some Money which I did not know how to come at in Spain: And that I did not, was surely no Fault of mine, for I don’t believe that ever any Courtier haunted Levees with so much Assiduity as I did, not only those of the King and Queen, but even the Father Confessor’s Levee, whose Protection alone would have done my Business, if he would but have honour’d me with it: I was therefore every Day either in the King’s Antichamber, or in the Reverend Father’s, if not in both; and I follow’d the Court to all the Pleasure-houses about Madrid: I saw the Escurial, a stately Building, which Philip II. caus’d to be erected in Memory of the Victory he gain’d over the French near St. Quentin: ’Tis impossible to see a finer Structure than this is. Philip II. intended at first to build only a Church and a Convent here, but afterwards he
thought of having a Mansion here for himself, which is a perfect one of the kind: The Escurial is the Place where the Kings of Spain are bury’d: The Vault in which their Bodies are deposited is a Master-piece of Architecture; every Place here shines with Gold and precious Stones.
Philip V. was at this time building a Palace, now call’d St. Ildephonso, the Plan of which I thought was magnificent: The Situation of it was very advantageous, and it was to be furnish’d with noble Gardens.
The Pleasure-house which I most frequented while I was in Spain is Aranjuez, situate Seven Leagues from Madrid, on the Banks of the Tagus, which runs round all its Gardens: The Neighbourhood of it is very magnificent: Charles V. caus’d Avenues to be made to it, which are now in their full Beauty: ’Twas at Aranjuez that I determin’d at last to take my Leave of his Majesty; for seeing there was no Possibility of getting any thing, I resolv’d to go to Holland, and from thence to Germany, in order to settle some Family Affairs: I thought once too I should not have had Leave to be gone, for the King did not seem inclinable to grant it: He was somewhat scrupulous upon this head, for fear I should change my Religion, till Father Daubanton, who was not so delicate in things of this Nature, said two Words to his Majesty, and then he consented to let me go: This was the only Obligation I ever receiv’d from that Reverend Father: When I took my Leave of the King, he order’d me to return as soon as possible, which I promis’d, and really design’d; but Fortune, which always thwarted my Undertakings, made me steer a quite contrary Course. Mr. Stanhope, who was always as generous to me as
possible, was also very serviceable to me at my Departure, for he lent me 40 Pistoles for my Journey.
I set out from Madrid in Company with a Nephew of M. de Seissan, who was going to see his Uncle at Bilbao: The Name of this young Gentleman was the Baron D’V——: It was not long before I had cause to repent of having taken such a Companion with me; for he was one of those young Officers who are always ready to clap their Hands on their Swords for the least thing in the World: He was moreover so hasty, or rather so stupid, that he never took time to hear what was said to him, for which Reason he very often imagin’d, that he was insulted when People had been at the Expence of paying him a Compliment: This, Madame, is a Part of the Character of the Spark with whom it was my Destiny to travel: He was so apt to enter into Conversation with every body he met upon the Road, that it had like to have cost us dear on the first Day of our setting out; for as we were travelling in the midst of a pretty thick sort of a Forest, I perceiv’d at a Distance Four Men well arm’d, advancing towards us in the main Road. As we could not avoid passing between them, I advis’d my Companion to be ready with his Pistols: Those Gentlemen seeing us well prepar’d, let us pass, but as we both took them for Frenchmen, the Baron D’V—— would needs stop our Chaise to enter into Discourse with them, and asked them who they were: They made Answer that they were French Officers, who had fled their Country for an Affair of Honour: They asked in their Turn what News from Madrid; during which I observ’d that they were coming a little too near our Chaise, whereupon I
broke off the Discourse, by ordering the Postilion to proceed with all the Haste possible, because we had Business: At the same time the pretended Officers doubled their Pace in order to keep up with us; but by good Luck for us we discovered from a little Eminence a Convoy of about 40 Mules, and several Persons on Horseback that were coming our Way: Our Pursuers no sooner perceiv’d them, but they turn’d about their Horses, and rode off with such Speed, as confirm’d me in my private Suspicion, that we had been talking with Highwaymen; which soon after appear’d to be past all Doubt by our meeting with several Alguasils or Messengers that were scouring the Country in quest of Four Men, who we could easily guess by the Description they gave of them must be the same that we had like to have been embroil’d with.
Upon the second Day’s Journey my Companion and I had some Words together about paying our Quota’s: As I was the Caterer, and in all my Life-time never car’d to pinch my Belly, the Baron thought that I was not frugal enough, and refus’d at first to pay his Shot. However, he comply’d at last, but, as the Expence always run in his Head, he never gave me one kind Look all the Way, and even affected not to speak to me: For my own Part, when I saw him in such a moody Disposition, I chose to be as silent as he, and since I could do nothing better, I fell quietly asleep, and ere I awak’d we had gone a good way: My Fellow-Traveller never open’d his Lips till we came to Burgos.
Burgos is the Capital of Old Castile, and was formerly the Seat of the Kings of Spain: It has nothing remarkable but a very great Square,
surrounded with Houses of an exact Uniformity, supported by Pillars, which form a Gallery round the Square. The Cathedral Church is a magnificent Structure, but intirely in the Gothic Taste.