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SIXTY-SECOND VOLUME

THE LIFE OF THE DUCHESS OF
FERIA

PRINTED AT ST. ANNJi'S fRESS
PERCY STREET LONDON VI

[AU rights reserved]

THE LIFE OF JANE DORMER
DUCHESS OF FERIA

HENRY CLIFFORD
Transcribed from the Ancient Manuscript in the possession
of the Lord Dormer
by the late •
CANON E. E. ESTCOURT
AND edited by THE
REV. JOSEPH STEVENSON
OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS

LONDON
BURNS AND OATES
limited
GRANVILLE MANSIONS W
1887

PREFACE.

The following pages contain an interesting
sketch of the life of Jane Dormer, Duchess of
Feria, extending from the time of her birth
during the reign of king Henry the Eighth to
that of her death in the reign of James the
First. It contains many interesting details
respecting the personal character and social
condition of various individuals with whom it
is instructive to become thus familiarly acquain
ted. Its author commands at once our atten
tion and our confidence by reminding us of his
own personal knowledge of most of the inci
dents which he has here recorded. He was
an inmate of the family of the Duchess ; he
had resided for many years in her household ;
he possessed her confidence, he witnessed her;
death and assisted at her funeral. We feel

PREFACE.

that we may trust his statements without hes
itation. He writes with a quiet simplicity
which recommends what he has here chronicled ;
and we gladly, accept his story, homely as it is,
as more than a compensation for that lack of
artistic skill which the reader cannot fail to
detect in the structure of the following narra
tive. Our chronicle opens with a sketch of the
history of the noble family of Dormer, the
accuracy of which, in some of its earlier
details, may possibly be questioned. But the
attention of the reader is speedily arrested by
the precious details with which it furnishes
him respecting the life, sufferings and death of
Father Sebastian Nudigate, who takes his
place along with Cardinal Fisher and Sir
Thomas More among the noble army of mar
tyrs who died for the faith under Henry the
Eighth.^ Several interesting particulars as to
the private character and domestic virtues of
Queen Catharine of Aragon next claim our
notice. We learn that she rose at midnight to
1 P. 13.

PREFACE.

be present at the Matins of the Religious,
after which she heard Mass at five o'clock
in the morning. Under her royal attire she
wore the habit of St. Francis, " having taken
the profession of his Third Order." She fasted
on bread and water every Friday and Saturday,
and on all the eves of our Blessed Lady,
whose Office she read daily. On every Sunday
she received the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.
Most part of her morning was spent in the
Church at holy Service, and after dinner she
read the life of the Saint of the day to her
maids. And then she returned to the Church,
She was banished from the Court to Kimbol
ton, where -it was said that her days had been
shortened by the unwholesome air, while some
were of opinion that poison had been admin
istered, " for the lady Anne hated her extreme
ly." ^
Of Anne Boleyn a few characteristic sketches
are preserved. Her life was very different to
that of her predecessor, being passed chiefly in
masks, plays, dancing and such personal de-
> P. 73-78-

viii PREFACE.
lights, "in which she had a special grace.
Out- author has preserved a story, which he be
lieved to be true, of Anne having attempted to
poison Cardinal Fisher; and he states that the
agent in the plot " being discovered did confess
it and was publicly put to death for it."
Several other reports of a kindred nature
follow; which, be they true or false, show the
estimation in which Anne's morality was gene
rally regarded by her contemporaries.^
Edward the Sixth next claims at once our
attention and our sympathy. In order that the
new doctrine now introduced into England might
take the deeper root, we are told that apostate
priests and friars from foreign parts, with
their wives, were entertained in this kingdom,
and sent to be public preachers in the Univer
sities, where they taught heresies. If any
pious or learned Catholic gainsaid (as many
did) the doctrine of these outlandish apostates,
they were persecuted, put to silence, deprived
of their livings, imprisoned, or banished. The
calm firmness with which this iniquitous
' P- 76-85-

PREFACE,

attempt was resisted by a considerable number
of the English people is well illustrated by the
account here given of the conduct of the
Princess Mary and the family of the Dormers.
Of the little Prince himself some pleasing
reminiscences are here recorded, and they come
to us in a form which commands our accep
tance. Our Biographer writes as follows. " I
have heard them that were about the Prince
avouch it, that his inclination was of great
towardness to all virtuous parts and princely
qualities. He was a marvellous sweet child,
of very mild and generous condition. After
wards when his father died (he being but nine
years of age) mischievous and heretical gover
nors, contrary to his father's will, abused his
tender age; who ruling to effect their own
ends notoriously injured the natural good in
clinations of this gentle and noble prince.
For, when he was king, in passing by the
ruins of goodly monasteries, he demanded
what buildings were these ; it was answered,
that they were religious houses, dissolved and
demolished by order of the king his father for
a 2

PREFACE,

abuses. Edward replied; "Could not my
father punish the offenders and suffer so goodly
buildings to stand, and put in better men that
might have governed and inhabited them ? "
seeming to lament that lamentable course."
From the same authority we learn that the
Princess Mary, having gained some influence
over the little Edward, order was taken by his
tutors that the visits of his half-sister should be
very rare, upon the plea that they made him
unhappy and melancholy. It was intended also
that proceedings should have been taken against
Mary's officers and servants for violating tbe
newly made law, she having had public Mass in
her chapel ; but Edward refused to sanction this
prosecution, and strictly commanded that the
Princess should have full liberty to follow the
dictates of her conscience.*
The accession of Elizabeth was a turning-point
in the history of Jane Dormer. During the reign
of Queen Mary her sister, the Princess Elizabeth
had professed herself to be a zealous Catholic,
and as such had deliberately practised the duties
* P. 6i, 6i.

PREFACE.

required by the Church ; but when she found
herself safely mounted on the throne of England,
she appeared before theworid in her true character.
The marriage of Jane Dormer to the Count de
Feria, Phihp's trusted minister, rendered her
residence in England no longer possible ; and
accordingly she bid farewell to the land of her
birth, never to return. Her parting interview
with Elizabeth and her journey through Flanders
and France on her way to her new home in Spain,
are here recorded with some minuteness ; among
the more interesting details of which may be
specified the pleasing glimpse which it affords
us of the visit which she paid to Mary Stuart,
at that time Queen of France and wife of king
Francis the Second.
We cannot find space to trace step by step the
account here given of the life of the Duchess of
Feria during the years which she spent in Spain.
In every capacity in which we meet her she
appears to advantage ; as wife, as mother and as
widow ; at home and abroad ; as mistress of a
large household, amidst the temptations of a
brilliant court ; in her domestic relations with the

PREFACE.

society with which she mingled, and in her
pubhc and private devotions. Just and prudent as
well as kindly and generous, she seems to have
won the confidence and secured the affections of
all with whom she came into contact. While we
wish that the narrative of her biographer had been
somewhat more diffuse upon certain particulars,
we are grateful to him for the details which, but
for his loving care would have perished. We
treasure the lessons which her example teaches
us. Henceforward the name of Jane Dormer,
Duchess of Feria, takes its place in our memory
as one of that company of good women of which
Catholic England has cause to be proud ; and
we here cordially thank the present noble inheri
tor of her Name and her Creed, for the privilege
of at length becoming acquainted with the
virtues of his illustrious ancestress.
And now a few words must be devoted to the
insufficient details which have come down to us
respecting the author of the following narrative.
The little whieh we know about the history of
Henry Clifford, the biographer of the Duehess of
Feria, is derived from the Dormer manuscriptj

PREFACE, xiii
This narrative, as it stands at the present time, .
was written in the year 1643, and it was then pre
sented by the author to Charles Dormer, Earl of
Carnarvon and Lord Baron of Wing ; but it had
evidently been drawn up at a much earlier date,
while the incidents which are here recorded were
fresh in the memory of the narrator. In the Pre
face to the Life of the Duchess, as we now have
it, Clifford tells us that he had derived his in
formation partly from what he himself had seen,
known and heard ; and partly from the informa
tion of trustworthy authorities. From the way
in which he mentions an incident which occurred
at Oxford when he was a boy there in 1581 or
1582, we may infer that he was born somewhere
about the year 1570.^ He must have been in the
service of the Duchess for some time before 1605,
for in that year she bestowed upon him an an
nuity of twenty pounds, as well as the sum of
forty pounds due to the Lady Hungerford, lately
deceased.^ He had received information respect-
5 See the present volume, p; 38.
s She died 19th December, 1603. See Clifford's letter to Sir
Robert Dormer, dated Madrid, 14th December, 1605.

PREFACE,

ing the duchess from the Earl of Nottingham,
who had seen her when he was ambassador m
Spain in 1605.' But at this period Clifford had
been for some time in the service of the duchess
and had secured her confidence, as will appear
by. the extracts which will presently be given
from his correspondence. The narrative was in
process of composition, or perhaps of final re
vision, in 1616.8 From these indications we may
venture to believe that it was begun very shortly
after the death of the Duchess of Feria, which
occurred on 23rd January, 1613.^
During the course of the narrative its author
mentions circumstances which shew that he held
an official position in the ducal household, and
one moreover which brought him into frequent
and confidential intercourse with its head. By
the duchess he was made acquainted with some -
conversation of a private nature which had
passed between herself and her husband*"
We have already seen that he was in her
service in 1605, at which time he occupied
' p. 68. " P. 8.
» p. 200. 1" p. 132.

PREFACE. XV
a situation of trust and authority." He was
in close attendance upon her during her
last sickness ; ^^ he stood by her deathbed in
company with two Fathers of the Society of
Jesus, four Franciscan Friars, one Dominican
and her chaplain ;^^ and as she drew her last
breath she put into his hands the rosary which
she had used, " on which she meditated and had
often discoursed."^* And as the highest token
of their respect for his services, her family
entrusted him with the arrangement of her
funeral, of the details of which he has left us a
full account in the concluding pages of his nar
rative. The Manuscript at Grove Park which has
furnished the Biography of the Duchess of Feria
also contains copies of several letters addressed
by Henry Clifford to Sir Robert Dormer
(created Baron Dormer of Wing in 1615) the
following extracts from which will be read with
interest. 11 Pp. 154, 155. See also the extracts from his letters written
at this time to Sir Robert Dormer.
12 Pp. 185, 189. 18 P. 192. " P. 181.

xvi PREFACE. Madrid, Sth October, 1605.
"I thank God her Grace for her health passeth
reasonable well, although troubled often with
such infirm and diseaseful accidents as her age
is subject unto.
Of the duke of Feria his letters intended for
England, as I remember, I certified in my last,
and am glad they be received. It argues his
honorable disposition that finding by those things
he shall receive from you, and from hence, the
antiquity and nobility that he hath in his blood
from his mother will bind that love and respect
which so near affinity requires.
On the 23rd of July there died in Valladolid
Sir Thomas Palmer, a Western knight. I think
he was of the king's Privy Chamber. His sick
ness was the small-pox. He died a Catholic and
very Christianly." Madrid, 14 December, 1605.
"If you have not the pedigree ready I pray
trouble yourself no further in it, for I shall make
a perfect one here, having both the descents by
Dormer and Sydney, with their arms and matches,

PREFACE. xvii
under Clarencius' hand, as in part you may per
ceive by this note translated, which I wrote in
Latin for the duke. And when I have finished
the draft as I have devised and her Grace desireth,
against the truth of which no exception shall be
taken, I will send you a copy ; wherein you
shall see your house allied with all the great
houses of Christendom. Of the Herald's errors
in the Pedigree you sent I noted in my last,
which were much mistaken.
Her Grace passeth with her health in reason
able sort ; and I hope by God His preservation I
shall serve her yet very many years."
Madrid, 22nd March, 1606.
"I thank God her Grace passeth with indifferent
-health and beareth her age reasonably well, for on
Twelfth day last she made fully seventy-one years
of age, and yet hath her discretion, judgment and
memory as mature as ever ; and you would won
der to hear how ' well she discourses in her own
^language, with such fit terms and good words as
such English as came hither to visit her marvel
at it ; seeing since she left England the language

PREFACE.

hath been much altered and refined. But above all
her great virtue and admirable example of modest
and matron-like carriage give her the honour of
all the ladies I know, and without flattery may
term her the mirror of her sex and honour of our
nation. She hath been widow almost these thirty-
eight years ^^ and with those remarkable parts of
recollection and notable Christianity that all that
know her give her much respect and reverence."
Madrid, 17th January, 1609.
" Her Grace (I thank God) enjoys reasonable
health, although her many years and the absence
of the duque her son, and somewhat the affection
ate desire she hath to see your house advanced,
deprive her of much contentment ; and if she were
partaker of these latter she should pass the
former with much more ease and comfort.
Yet, sir, if you did know her memory, her
discourse, her government, having the manage
ment of all her son's estate, the labours that
she taketh, rising with the day and presently
entering into her oratory, where she remains two
i' But see p. 129 of the present volume.

PREFACE. xix
hours. Then her chaplain comes to say Mass,
which ended, if it be a Feast day she goes to
church, as every day she does this Holy Week
before Easter. If not she disposeth herself to
such affairs as are offered. Ever if she have
health, in business, for her diet (which is very
temperate) keeps the English order, at eleven
o'clock, or soon after. In the afternoon com
monly she visits, or is visited, by other ladies ;
but never goeth to sleep before she hath ended
her office and ordinary devotions, which are
many. You would say she were not only the
great honour of her house but the glory of her
country ; and herein she shews herself to be truly
the daughter of your noble grandmother, who
shewed herself a lady of worthy example in all
nobility and piety."
One more interview with the good duchess
and we bring these introductory remarks to a
conclusion. In the year 1596, James the Sixth, king of
Scotland, sent an embassy into Spain, under
Robert, fourth lord Simpill, to congratulate
king Philip the Third on his accession to the

PREFACE.

throne. The ambassador while at the Court
became acquainted with the Duchess of Feria,
whose letter to the king (dated at Madrid,
3rd June, 1600,) has been preserved in the
Advocates Library at Edinburgh.^^ She reminds
him of the dutiful affection which she bore
to that blessed queen his mother, as also
of the honour which she bears to his Majesty ;
in whom if she might also see her zeal in the
Catholic religion, she professes she would be
bounden to God for the hope she would receive
by him for the repair of her wracks, both spiritual
and temporal. She concludes with these words :
"Wherefore I cease not to beseech daily the
Almighty to illuminate your Majesty in that
behalf, and to make you as great a saint on earth
as was your blessed mother, to the advancement ,
of His glory and good of our country."
Under the same date the duchess forwarded
to King James certain " Reasons to intimate to
the king's Majesty of Scotland whereby it may
appear that his best way to obtain the crown of
England is to become Catholic, and to give
1" Numbered, MS. 33, i, 10.

PREFACE,

satisfaction thereof to the Catholics of Eng
land." She premises that in England there are three
sorts of men of different profession, namely.
Catholics, Heretics and men of no religion, she
continues her argument by remarking : that of
these the " Catholics exceed in number either of
the others ; and of the three the zealous heretics
are the most fervent ; for the greatest part of all
those that live in obedience to the Queen's laws
are either dissembling Catholics or men of no
religion, who would be as ready to follow a
Catholic prince as an heretic, if occasion served."
So then, argued the duchess, if the King's
Majesty of Scotland gained the Catholics, he
consequently would gain the greatest part of
those that are indifferent, or of no religion. For
although some of them may be moved with
particular affection to some pretender within the
realm, yet the greater number of them will ever
follow the strongest, which no doubt will be the
king's Majesty of Scotland if the Catholics adhere
to him; the other pretenders being divided
amongst themselves.

xxii PREFACE,
The paper concludes with the following words
of caution. "The Catholics, having noted His
Majesty's education in heresy, his many actions
conform to the same, the small satisfaction that
he hath given to such as have sought his con
version, ascribe his moderate course used hither
to rather. to policy than to any good inclination
to the Catholic Faith. Therefore they cannot
but think it dangerous to the Church of God
and themselves to advance his title except they
have assurance of his sincerity in religion ; so
that in the state that His Majesty now standeth,
he cannot make any assured account to have
any sufficient party in England." "
The text of the Life of the Duchess of Feria
which forms the basis of the present volume was
prepared for the press some years ago by the late
Rev. E. E. Estcourt, Canon of St. Chad's
Cathedral, Birmingham ; who also at consider
able e.xpense collected a large amount of valuable
material, illustrative of the incidents, persons
and places which are mentioned in the-narra-
" On Sempil's mission to Spain, see some additional details
in Burton's History of Scotland, v. 286, ed. 1876.

PREFACE.

tive.^^ The long illness and untimely death of the
learned Canon prevented the appearance of his
intended work in the form which had originally
been announced. Now at length, after the delay
of many years, the biographical narrative, as
prepared by Canon Estcourt, is here issued by
the present editor ; but he has unwillingly been
compelled to omit the many illustrative papers,
pedigrees, drawings and other supplementary
matter which had been brought together by the
research and industry of the original Editor. The
biography of the duchess as prepared by him for
the press is here printed from his own transcript ;
and this little volume is now given to the public
by the present Editor as a tribute to one whose
loss he laments and whose memory he cherishes.
JOSEPH STEVENSON, S.J.
12th September, 1887.
w Here the present Editor cannot refrain from mentioning
the existence at Grove Park of two admirable portraits of the
Duchess of Feria. The first represents her as a young woman,
in the pride of her beauty, and arrayed in all the splendour of
the Court of Spain. In the second she appears in the plain
and severe religious habit which she assumed on the death of
her husband, and which she continued to wear during the re
maining years of her widowhood.

AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HIS HONOURABLE
GOOD LORD, CHARLES DORMER, EARL OF
CARNARVON AND LORD BARON OF WING.
This treatise hath long lain by me, having dedicated
it to your honourable great-grandmother, my lady the
Lady Elisabeth Dormer, of happy memory. But
it having pleased Almighty God to take her to a
better world, where she enjoyeth the reward 'of her
virtuous life and her many good works, I did then
present it to your most noble and valiant father, who
in the penning of this Epistle died, to his eternal
honour and valour, in the service of his prince at
the battle of Newbury, this year 1643, professing his
happiness and content to die in the confession of the
Roman Catholic faith and performance to his duty
to his lawful king and sovereign. Your Lordship

AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

being kin of his house, and in confidence of his virtue
and valour, I should have forgotten my duty, to have
intituled it to any other, seeing the Lady Jane
Dormer, Duchess of Feria, whose life and death it
chiefly handleth, being so singular and renowned
an honour to your noble family, and sister to my
Lord Dormer your honourable great-grandfather .
In her Excellency your Lordship will behold a
lively mirror of true Nobility, christian Piety, and
illustrious Honour, an eternal worthy Pattern to
your House and Posterity. In this treatise is also
touched, as the course of the history occasioned, the
the life of her virtuous Grandmother, the Lady Jane
Dormer, and of her Saint-Brother, a Carthusian
martyr, both of blessed memory; of the Lady
Hungerford, Sister to my Lady Duchess; the life
of the most excellent and pious Queen, Queen Mary,
her Lady and Mistress; and the lives of both the
Dukes, her husband and son. What is written here
is out of approved histories, or from the relation of
such persons against whose worth and credit no
exceptions may morally be given ; or from that which
I myself have known, seen and heard. For my
purpose and intention is to tell truth. To flatter,

AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

is either to gain, or to deceive; this is of vile and
base negociants, the other of shifters and lewd com
panions, as Plutarch saith, the infamy of free men
and custom of slaves. Extreme is the folly to use
fiction where there- is no necessity nor occasion ; and
to illustrate the honour and worth of so renowned
and holy a personage with untruths, I hold it sacri
lege ; and to deprive her of right and due were
apparent injury.
This history deserves a better and more learned
pen ; but I trust your Lordship will pardon defects,
and accept in good part my good will in performing
the duty, and obligation I owe to the happy memory
of my most honourable good Lady and Mistress ;
and the serviceable respect and love I bear to your
most noble House and Family, and in particular to
your Lordship, whose life, health and happiness, may
God A Imighty bless with that prosperous increase of
honours; as desireth your Lordship's most humble
and affectionate servant,
H. CLIFFORD.

The Life of the Lady Jane
Dormer, Duchess of Feria.

CHAPTER I.
THE DESCENT AND BIRTH OF THE LADY JANE
DORMER.
The Lady Jane Dormer was born of parents,
whose progenitors have been of the most ancient
nobility of England, and of worthy esteem, both
in descent of blood, and effects of valour and
virtue. The Cardinal Nicholas de Peleve, Arch
bishop of Rheims, and first Peer of France, well
understood this, when, in the name of the Three
Estates of that Kingdom, he answered the oration
of the Duke of Feria, her son, who was Ambas
sador from Philip II. 2nd April, in the year 1593,
to the League at Paris. " I cannot refrain," said
the Archbishop " from mentioning your Mother,

THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

who descended from the most illustrious Famihes
of England, daily bestows her bounty to relieve
and cherish the afflicted exiles for religion in
Spain, who are English, Irish, and Scots."
The family of Dormer, (as I have seen in an
old Pedigree, which is confirmed by tradition),
was anciently seated in Normandy, at the time
when King Edward the Confessor took refijge
there from the tyranny of Harold Harefoot; son
of King Canute, who had usurped they^ingdom.
On being recalled from Normandy /by Harold's
successor, Hardicanute, Prince Edward brought
in his retinue Thomas D'Ormer among other
Norman gentlemen, all of whom he advanced to
great places and dignities. The old tradition
saith, that in the. wars which King Edward^iad
with the Danes and with EarTGoSwinTie was
much assisted with monies, which the said
Thomas D'Ormer lent him. And after a success
ful end of these wars D'Ormer invited the King
to his house to dinner; which done, he brought
the tallies in a dish that were evidences of the
money which he had lent to the King, saying,
that for the honour done his house, he had no
better dish to show his thankfulness withal, than
these wooden chips ; and so he cast the tallies in-

THE FAMILY OF DORMER.

to the fire. The King understood by the number
ofthe tallies the value of his debt, and the great
ness of the gift, replied, with allusion to the
Etymology of his name, " Well mayst thou be
called D'Ormer, thou hast a sea of gold, doing
what thou hast done." In memory whereof it
is said, the Arms of Dormer were altered ; for
whereas they formerly were a lion rampant, sable,
on a gold field, there was added, Azure, ten gold
Billets, and the lion placed in chief.^
Some may object, that neither the name of
Thomas Dormer, nor any such act of service is
found mentioned in any history ; and that at that
time the usage had not begun of bearing arms to
distinguish families. But Stow in his English
Chronicle (p. 94.) recordeth, that King Edward
brought many out of Normandy, whom he promo
ted to divers dignities, but nameth only two, who
were Churchmen. And of the many, why might
not Thomas Dormer be one ? And in memory of
this service of Thomas Dormer to his King, some
succeeding Prince might grant his arms to be
honoured, as it is ; divers Kings having done the

1 Clifford here cites as his authority " P. Ribadeneyra in su
Epistola del libro de los Santos Estravagantes, dedicada a la
duquesa de Feria."

8 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
like to the posterity of them, who by their noble
exploits have well-merited of their country.
The son of this Thomas was William D'Ormer,
who joined with the Normans his countrymen,
vvhen King William invaded England. His son
was likewise William, whose genealogy, in the
heir male hath continued in lawful succession
to this year 1616. The Lord Dormer that now
lives, being the only brother of the said Duchess
of Feria, among whose ancestors was Sir
William Dormer, who valiantly served King
Edward the Third in his wars against France
^about the year 1350. Another, Geoffrey Dormer,
in King Henry the Sixth his days, had twenty-
six children, and most of them sons. But for the
particulars of progenitors, it is not my purpose
to rehearse, but only to discourse of such as
were concerned in the birth, education, and life
of the said Jane Dormer.
Robert Dormer, who was afterwards Sir
Robert, the grandfather of our Lady Duchess,
married Jane the daughter of John Nudigate of
Harefield in Middlesex, and Dame Amphyllis
N evill of the house of Westmoreland. This Sir
Robert Dormer, a chief man of his country, a
great housekeeper, was beloved and honoured of

SIR ROBERT DORMER.

his neighbours. He was called by King Henry
VIII. to be Treasurer of his army, wherewith
the King went himself to Motterell in France.
He was so beloved that the King, respecting
his worth and valour, would have kept him at
his court ; but he returned into England
voluntarily, retired to his house. Here he
was contented to live among his neighbours,
as his ancestors had done before him. For
in those times good men of hospitality rather
fled than followed high and ambitious titles.
A further cause of his absence from the Court
was first, the power and ambition of such as
commanded, and afterwards, the King's disorder
in questioning the lawful marriage with his
good and virtuous wife Catharine. Proceeding
to worse, came the grief that good Catholic
men took for his departure from the obedience
of God's Church, together with his violent
persecution of such as constantly remained
in the profession thereof; wherein this good
knight shewed his zeal to God His truth.
For when he saw the course and purpose of
the King in his Parliament to carry all matters
according to his passion, (which to crop or
gainsay menaced utter ruin) he avoided by all

THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

means to be a Parliament man; for being
chosen by his County to be Knight of the
Shire, he refused it and resigned it over to
another, persuading the County that so it was
best for them. And when the King by Act of
Parliament took into his possession Abbey-
lands, which to make more plausible, in winning
the approbation of his subjects to this unchristian
act, Sir Robert gave to divers the said lands,
or sold them for little or nothing in respect of
their value ; and offered to many gentlemen, of
living and regard in their countries, such lands
at a very low price, i'n a sort forced them to
take them. This he did, for if they denied or
shrunk back, suspicion was presently taken of
their aversion from the King in this Act ; and
they came in danger to be questioned for their
allegiance. This Knight sought by all possi
bilities, to avoid the buying of any such lands,
which had been bestowed to the service of
Almighty God.
This being noted by some about the King,
they gave information to his Majesty to incense
him against Sir Robert Dormer, thereby to
question both his life and living. So by per
suasion of friends, he was in a sort compelled

LADY JANE DORMER'S BIRTH.

to buy Abbot's Aston, a manor not far from his
house. In lieu whereof, his house was a refuge
and entertainment to all distressed and perse
cuted Catholics, both priests and others, who
retired themselves not to subscribe to this
unheard of tyranny of a christian king.
With the like hospitality and works of charit}',
this good Knight did pass the time that he lived
in King Edward's reign ; who by no means
either by importunity, by threats, or by other
devices, could be brought to follow, flatter, or
yield to the disordered desires of those who
governed in that child-king's days. For Sir
Robert's son, having but two daughters, the
Lady Jane and her sister, then in appearance
to be heirs of his large domains, (their Father
remaining a widower nine years,) they were
sought by the greatest to be matched to the next
of their blood. But the old discreet knight,
albeit for the present their authority was mighty
and pretending shelter under their shadows, yet
doubting the fall would be as sudden of such
high climbers, or some unhappy result of am
bition without religion or respect to God's service,
could not be induced to hearken to those motions,
choosing rather to have those young gentle-

THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

women, the wives of gentlemen of christian
integrity, than of great ones, who were stained
with the foul spots of such ungodly carriage.
For to this end the Duke of Northumberland
himself came once to his house of purpose to
propound a match for one of his sons, and to
make Sir Robert Dormer, (much beloved in his
country,) a sure friend for his designs ; but
prevailed not.
This good knight, full of good works and
zealous of God's honour, changed this, mortal
life for the immortal, in the year 1552 ; leaving,
the Lady Jane his widow, with whom he had
lived forty years. It was she who was the
bringer-up of her granddaughter, the Lady Jane ;
and was really more noble by her virtue and
sanctity of life, than by birth, though descended
of the Nevills of the royal house of Lancaster.
She was grandchild to Sir John Nevill, her
mother being his daughter and heir; and thus
was descended of Thomas Nevill and Anne his
wife, who was daughter to John Holland, Duke
of Exeter, and EUsabeth his wife, the daughter
of John of Gaunt.
The mother of Jane Dormer was the Lady
Mary Sidney, eldest daughter of Sir William

FAMILY CONNEXIONS. ij

Sidney, Governor and High Chamberlain of
Prince Edward in the time of King Henry VIII.
his Father; one of the heirs of Charles Brandon,
Duke of Suffolk, being his cousin german.
Her brother was Sir Henry Sidney, who
married Mary, daughter of the Duke of North
umberland, and was Lord Deputy of Ireland
eight years. His daughter was the Countess of
Pembroke, mother of Sir Philip Sidney.
Of Sir Henry's other sisters one married the
father of the Lord Harrington ; the third Sir
William Fitzwilliams. The youngest, Frances,
married the Earl of Sussex, Lord Chamberlain
to Queen Elizabeth, and was the foundress of
Sidney Sussex College in Cambridge. There
were other two sisters, who died unmarried ;
both served the Lady Mary before she was
Queen, and were much beloved by her for their
rare virtue, and zeal in Catholic Religion.
Sir William Dormer by this his former wife
had but these two daughters, Jane the subject of
these memoirs, and Anne married to the Lord
Hungerford. By his latter wife he had a son
and three daughters, his son the now Lord
Dormer, married Elisabeth, daughter of Antony,
Viscount Montagu, and Magdalen his wife,

14 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

daughter of the Lord Dacre of the North,
through whom he allied his house with many
noble families.
Sir WilHam's eldest daughter by this wife was
married to the son aud heir of the Viscount
Montague, and is mother of Antony the now
Viscount, a very Catholic and religious noble
man. His second daughter, Catharine, married
the Lord St. John of Bletstoe ; and his youngest
daughter, Margaret, to Sir Henry Constable of
the North, a very ancient and noble gentleman,
whose son is the present Viscount of Dunbar,
and married the sister of the Countess of
Rutland.

CHAPTER II.
OF HER INFANCY AND EARLY YEARS. THE
HISTORY OF FATHER SEBASTIAN NEWDIGATE,
MARTYR.
Jane Dormer was born at Ethrop, not far from
Aylesbury in the County of Buckingham, in her
grandfather's house, on the 6th of January, the
year of our Lord 1538, being Sunday, and the
Feast of the Epiphany; therein presaging the
virtues of her after life by coming into the world,
when Christians were rejoicing in the birth of
our Lord.
In her baptism the name of Jane was given to
her after her grandmother ; and this name signi
fying grace, how well it did befit her will appear
in her life. When she began to speak and
discern, and learn her duty, her natural inclina
tions might easily be seen. She was apt, very
disciplinable, obedient, humble, awful, generous
in her condition ; so that she seemed a child only
in years. She was much beloved by the servants

i6 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA,
and gentlewomen, that were in her grandmother's
house,' (for there were many of noble descent,
commended by their parents, to learn good
education and virtue in that house), all presaging,
that so sweet conditions, in so tender years and
so graceful a countenance, gave hope to produce
answerable effects. So obedient a child was she
to her parents and so subject to her tutress, as
shewed plainly her good disposition and mar
vellous towardness. She was very forward to
kneel upon her knees, to bless herself, to learn
her prayers, to delight to go to the chapel, to
have books and beads in her hands ; and very
prompt with contentment to all holy things.
When she came to the age of four years, it
pleased God to take her mother out of this world;
that in her infancy the child might begin to taste
the troubles and inconstancy of the world by so
great a loss in a tender age. Her grandmother
then took upon her the charge of bringing her
up, and she was so rare and worthy a matron,
there were few like her; of whose life and notable
actions I shall record something.
The Lady Jane, daughter of John Nudigate,
was married to Sir Robert Dormer in the year
1512. Of this marriage was born only one son,

CHARACTER OF LADY DORMER. 17
Sir William. Before her marriage she was a
mirror of recollection and devotion ; as a wife,
of modesty, prudence, and charity ; as a widow,
of patience, piety, and holy exercises. She was
always a great friend of integrity ; an enemy to
vanity, very humble, severe to herself, fervent
towards God, full of pity and compassion to the
poor, and ever gracious and charitable to her
neighbours and tenants. If any was sick, they
were assured of her care and were cherished with
good meats, and what else was necessary. Not
only did she send daily to visit them, but she did
not leave to see them herself, and succour their
necessities ; especially women in childbed. Even
the poorest neighbour would she comfort with
her presence, and with liberal hand she relieved
them. Such was the entire, chaste and true affec
tion, wherewith she honoured and observed her
husband, as she hath been known to affirm, that if
he had died the very day of their marriage, she
would never have married again. Such was her
prudence, that he referred to her the govern
ment of his house and estate, which all his life
she governed with great discretion and notable
moderation. She brought up her son to fear God,
c

i8 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

she so ordered her family, so took account of her
servants, and had care that all did their duty, as
it seemed that she had set before her eyes for her
guide and example the portraiture of " the valor
ous woman " painted by King Solomon. AhVays
she had a special eye to her maid-servants, that
they should keep home, be modest, shamefaced,
honest in behaviour. Her whole life praised her
memory. Herein were everywhere seen her
usual alms to the poor; her great charity to
priests, religious, and other distressed persons,
whom the impiety of the time persecuted ; her
continual hospitality; her zealous counsels, and
Christian admonitions to her kin and friends
to persevere in the Catholic Faith ; and her
care and diligence to remove from them all
hindrances, that might cool this perseverance.
Her women servants were relieved with honest
portions, some to marry, others to enter into
religion. Here too should be noted her accus
tomed bounty to the Church for the advancement
of God's service ; her own labour and the labours
of her servants to work vestments, altar cloths,
and other ornaments forthe same; her devotion
and fervour to the Catholic Religion in the time
of schism and apostacy by sustaining priests, not

HISTORY OF SEBASTIAN NUDIGATE. 19
only for her own house, but for the assistance
and comfort of her neighbours ; her hate of
heresy ; her hours spent in prayer and recollec
tion ; her works, her words ; — all these things
praise her and record her memory.
This Lady's brother, Sebastian Nudigate, was
a gentleman of good parts, and of the Privy
Chamber to King Henry the VIIL, and not a little
favoured by him. This king too much carried
with his lustful appetites, began to be weary of
his virtuous wife, and sensually to affect others.
Hereupon this good Lady Dormer, fearing lest
the bad example of so great a king should also
corrupt her brother, invited him to her house,
(which they make ordinarily a day's journey from
London) ; discoursed with him of the alteration
of the court ; what was bruited in the country of
the dissolute behaviour of the Courtiers ; and the
infamous example of the king, in rejecting so
famous, noble and virtuous a Lady as the Queen
was. She advised him to take heed of the
deceits of the world, and the snares of the devil ;
to look to the duty of a Christian; and not to
stain his soul and honour with so dangerous and
pestilent contagions, as the bad example of so
potent a master did lead him to. He replying.

THE DUCHESS OF FERIA,

excused the king his master by saying that the
report and her opinion of the king were worse
than he demerited ; but, if the king should prove
so bad as the world suspecteth or speaks of him,
Sebastian promised his sister to have in memory
what she advised him. She answered, he should
do well to remember it, and to perform it. " I
shall," saith he. " I fear it," said she : At which
word pausing a while, leaning his head upon his
hand, he replied : " Sister, what will you say, if
the next news you hear of me shall be that I am
entered to be a monk in the Charter-house ? " "A
monk ! " she saith. " I fear, rather, I shall see
thee hanged. (Not many years after she saw both.)
I pray God keep thee a good Christian ; for such
perfection is fit for men of other metal than loose
Courtiers." So smiling her brother took his
leave and returned to thc Court.
The king went forward in his luxurious designs,
advanced to dignities, and the greatest offices,
corrupt and dissolute persons, such as flattered
him in his unchaste and violent proceedings, abas
ing and displacing the worthy and virtuous.
When Sebastian noted this with grief and trouble
of mind, perceiving the horrible mists and temp
ests that these courses of the king did threaten

HISTORY OF SEBASTIAN NUDIGATE. 21
to the kingdom and reflecting upon the discourse
he had with his sister, he resolved to deliver him
self from the snares of the Court, and the dang
ers of the world, and so as to betake himself in
time to a more secure harbour. Neither his
place in Court, nor the favour of the king, nor
his hopes of higher advancement did move him.
With a firm resolution he renounced all, and
entered Religion among the Carthusians in the
Charterhouse in London ; a Religion, that in
England had especial veneration.
When his sister understood this she wondered
not a little that her brother should make so sud
den a change, imagining it to be rather a delu
sion, and temptation of the devil ; first carrying
him to so high a pitch, and after to throw him
down. For this alteration on the sudden from
such delicateness, from such a place of ambition,
and liberty of conversation, to such austerity,
and despising of human glory, and recollection,
and strait silence, and perpetual clausure, bred
these fears in her mind. Albeit his inclination
was not of the worst, yet she held him no better
than others in the Court of honest name ; never
dreaming of any such perfection, as that he
should enter an order so different from his bring-

THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

ing up ; for in his life, he could never digest fish,
but if eaten, he would vomit it up again ; and
this order must never taste flesh.
Thus discussing with herself, she resolved to
ride to London, to see him, and inform the Prior
her opinion of it ; so she took her journey, and
came to the Charterhouse. She there desired to
speak with the Father Prior, who coming to her,
after due salutation, he heard her discourse of her
brother. She advised the Prior to consider
well the admittance of him into his order. For
it seemed to her a thing unlikely, that one having
to that time passed his life in wordly content
ments, should on the sudden be fit for so strait
and austere a religion. The Prior answered,
" Good Lady, thanks be to God, fit enough ; "
and that she should not trouble herself with this
care. Her brother had passed his youthful years
and was now a judicious man ; he had well con
sidered what he took in hand, and had already
given sufficient proof, that the grace of God had
moved and drawn him to this estate, and His
Divine Providence had guided him to this order ;
and that from having been a remarkable courtier,
he gave confidence to become a notable Carthu
sian. " If it be so," answered she, "blessed be

HISTORY OF SEBASTIAN NUDIGATE. 23
God, and blessed the day, in which he was born,
that hath made so wise choice, so contrary to my
opinion. I may then say, the happy lot is fallen
upon him."
With that, the Prior commanded Brother
Sebastian to be called ; who being come before
his sister, tears gave her not leave to speak. It
was not so much the alteration of his person and
habit which did move her, as his gesture, his
retired speech, his grave humility and modesty
astonished her ; he so demeaning himself, as if
he had been all his life in the monastery. With
this she rested so content, as she could wish no
more ; for this she reported herself. Growing more
tender with this unexpected joy, she took her
leave of the Father Prior, and the novice-monk,
her brother, commending to Almighty God his
perseverance in that happy estate, and herself,
and hers to their good prayers. Worthy Sebas
tian went so forward, and profited in his religion
and studies, as he took holy Orders, and was
made Priest.
The king blinded with his sensual humour,
made a quarrel against the Apostolic See, that
would not give allowance to his divorce. He

24 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

attempted an utter breach, and disclaimed all
obedience, rending himself and the kingdom from
the unity of the Catholic Faith, and making it
high treason to acknowledge obedience to the
Apostolic See of Rome. Holiness of life now
began to be suspected as dangerous ; religion
oppressed; good men evil entreated and afflicted;
and all things in a manner without term of reason
or justice in religious matters. When goodly
and virtuous men perceived and felt this, and
namely the Fathers of the Charterhouse ; who
began to bewail the evils and miseries of the
times, (which never standing at a stay daily
spread further) ; they therefore did shortly expect
some sorrow to fall upon themselves in particular.
For, when the king had published that profane
and sacrilegious law, — -commanding all to
acknowledge and to swear that he was the
Supreme Head of the Church within his Dom
inions, (a law that was never heard of before in
any Christian Commonwealth) supposing, that
it would seem harsh to wise and intelligent men,
— he advised with his counsel ; and resolved first
to draw to his will such as were of note, for
either their good life or learning. If these were

HISTORY OF SEBASTIAN NUDIGATE. 25

once gained, on whom the eyes of others were set,
others might the more easily be brought and
drawn to pretended submission.
Upon this device, having found by trial that
fair promises and sweet persuasions prevailed
nothing upon men constant in God's service, the
king determined by violence and cruelty to force
them to it. Whereupon, his wicked and sacri
legious ministers, set first upon the Fathers of
•the Charter House of London, in which mon
astery at that time were two other priors of the
Carthusians, about business of the convents of
their order; namely, Father Robert Lawrence,
Prior of Beverly; and Father Augustine Webster,
Prior of Hexham ; with the Prior of the same
house of London, Father John Haughton. All
of these were very grave men, known to be men
prudent, virtuous, and learned. With these three
they first began by propounding to them the
published edict of the King's Supremacy, to
swear and subscribe to it. The venerable fathers
answered : " This is a strange question to us,
and unheard of before ; " for that they had not
read nor known the like example in the Church
of God ; which, in spiritual causes, is first to be
heard, being the Spouse of our Lord Jesus Christ,

26 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

guided and directed by His Holy Spirit; to which
the laws of men ought to be subordinate. Sir
Thomas Cromwell (who was Vicar General for
the king in spiritual matters, and chief com
missioner in this business)^ replied, reviling them
with very base and scurril terms, calling them
Knaves and Traitors in refusing it ; and pressing
them to swear entirely and distinctly to all that
was demanded, whether the Law of God per
mitted it, or not permitted it. The Fathers
excused it, saying : " that they were priests and
sons of the Catholic Church, whose doctrine
they must follow and obey Her precepts." The
impious Vicar answered, " I have nought to do
with your Church ; if you will not submit your
selves to the king's law, I will persecute you, and
your order, nor will I leave until I have destroyed
you all." But these good Fathers, choosing
rather to displease the king than God, were with
two other priests, carried to prison ; where after
much vile entreaty, and divers examinations,
they were brought after five days to the bar, and
condemned to death. On the 4th of May in the
year 1535, they were in their religious habits
drawn to Tyburn, there hanged, cut down while
they lived, and quartered, and their quarters were

HISTORY OF SEBASTIAN NUDIGATE. 27

set upon the gates of the City, and those of the
Prior of London, upon the gates of his own
monastery. Three weeks following, on the 25th of May,
when these cruel ministers of justice saw that
this savage handling of the foresaid fathers
availed nothing to quail or lessen the courage
and constancy of the rest, they took other three
prisoners of the house of London, Father Sebas
tian Nudigate, Father Humphery Middlemore,
Vicar of the convent, and Father William
Exmew, Procurator, both of them learned in the
Greek and Latin tongues, and greatly respected
in their order. Although they were not very
aged in years, yet they were ancient and reverent
in their deportment and of a gravity and holy
conversation. These three fathers they drew
out of the cloister with inhuman violence, led
them to the Marshalsea, where they kept them
fourteen days bound to pillars, standing upright,
with iron rings about their necks, hands, and
feet. This cruel usage was caused to force them
to yield to the king's pleasure, and to subdue
them, if possible, to subscribe to the law of his
supremacy. When the king understood their
constancy, supposing he had some interest in

28 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

Father Sebastian, he went disguised to the prison
to speak with him. He called for him, gave him
to understand the care he had of him, seeing he
came in person to visit him, and to advise him
not wilfully to destroy himself, knowing the
danger of the law, and what others of his pro
fession had suffered for their contempt and
disobedience. He added the many graces and
favours he had done him ; his ingratitude to be
of the number of those few, who, like traitors,
denied to conform themselves, as many others
both religious and all of the nobility had done ;
which obstinacy could not be excused. He told
him that he was like to suffer greater torments
if he did continue in his folly and would not
apply himself to what he demanded, being bound
to obey his Lord and King, and do what he
commanded; "which, (saith the king) if thou
wilt do, thou shalt see that I have will to do thee
all favours, and power to accomplish them." A
mighty temptation and great encounter.
The good Father answered : " I must ac
knowledge this for a special and great honour,
yea far greater than my unworthiness can
deserve, that your Majesty hath vouchsafed, in
so undecent a lodging, to visit your poor servant.

HISTORY OF SEBASTIAN NUDIGATE. 29
and so poor a Religious. I confess I have
received many great favours of your Majesty.
God Almighty reward you, which I daily ask of
His Divine Majesty; and I shall, while I live,
pray for your health and prosperity, and for the
happiness of your kingdom. I am a Religious
man, and therefore more obliged sincerely to
speak the truth. The desire to save my soul,
which our Lord Jesus Christ redeemed with so
great cost as the price of His Life, and the
shedding of His most precious Blood, insinuating
and dictating to my soul the hazards and dangers
of the world, to retire myself from them (other
wise my demerits might suddenly have overthrown
me) to this port of Religion, wherein I daily
commend, as all of our order do, the welfare
and life of your Majesty to Almighty God, to
multiply His graces towards you, and prosper
you with all desired felicity; taking the same
our Lord Jesus Christ for witness, that it is
neither contempt, nor obstinacy, nor discontent,
nor intent of gainsaying, nor counsel of any that
hath power to withdraw my submission to the
law, or to make me not to yield to the oath
propounded, but the doctrine of the Holy Church
and the Law of God, the offence whereof I may

30 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
not incur." The king would have no more ; but
went away in a great rage threatening and
cursing. After fourteen days that these good fathers had
suffered this cruel torture, they were brought
before certain Lords of the Privy Council, ex
amined apart, and again demanded concerning
this new Law of Supremac)', which, they said,
had banished all foreign authority. Their
answer was, " that the authority of the Church
was not foreign in any Christian country ; and
that in no sort could they yield to any thing not
agreeable to the Law of God, or contrary to the
doctrine of our holy Mother the Church."
After divers examinations, promises and
threats, finding them still constant, and that
they could not be brought to any consent in
this matter, they were sent as prisoners to the
Tower of London, where they remained some
eight days. The king being there, set again upon
Father Sebastian, not with mild speeches as
before, but with menaces and injurious words.
Notwithstanding, this undaunted Confessor hears
him with patience, and answereth : " When in
Court I served your Majesty, I did it loyally
and faithfully; and so continue still your humble

HISTORY OF SEBASTIAN NUDIGATE. 31
servant, although kept in this prison and bonds.
But in matters that belong to the Faith and
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the
doctrine of the Catholic Church and the salva
tion of my poor soul, your Majesty must be
pleased to excuse me." The King replies :
"Art thou wiser and holier than all the Eccle
siastics and Seculars of my kingdom ? " He
answered : " I may not judge of others ; nor
do I esteem myself either wise or holy, being
far short in either ; only this I assure myself
that the Faith and doctrine which I profess is
no new thing, nor now invented, but always
among the faithful, held for Christian and
Catholic- We must obey God rather than
man." The king, having this resolute answer, would
not use further discourse, but called him traitor ;
and, marvellously enraged, told him he should
suffer for such a one. No device or battery
could make any entrance into that valourous
breast armed with the Spirit of God, resting
immovable like a firm rock^ remembering the
Divine counsel of the Psalmist: "Put. not your
trust in princes nor in children of men, in whom
there is no salvation : " and like to that immortal

32 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA,

Macchabee who did not fear to say even to the
face of King Antiochus : " We will not obey the
king's precept, but the law of the Lord which
is given unto us."
On the i8th of June, these three fathers were
brought to Westminster to be tried before the
Judges ; where being indicted of high treason
for refusing to subscribe and swear to the new-
exacted oath of the King's Supremacy, they were
again examined and demanded whether they
would relent, and shew their obedience as other
subjects did. They answered alike, that in that
case, they neither could, nor would, nor ought
to do it ; citing and alleging divers authorities
of the Divine Scripture, of the ancient Fathers,
and of the Sacred Canons ; proving and con
firming that no temporal Prince can lawfully
arrogate to himself the Church's government
which the King of kings and Supreme Lord
Christ Jesus gave and granted only to St. Peter
and his Successors. They understanding and
confessing this to be commanded by the Word
of God, it were temerity and sin to go from this
Faith, or to oppugn it. They were ready to have
declared this with a grave and learned discourse
if they had been permitted ; still showing a firm

HISTORY OF SEBASTIAN NUDIGATE. 33

resolution and valorous constancy in this doctrine.
The Judges seeing no remedy, proceeded against
them according to the form of their Laws, re
mitting them to a Jury of twelve men, by whom
they were judged Guilty and convicted of high
treason. But before the Judge would pronounce
sentence of death, he used many reasons and
persuasions now at last to yield and conform
themselves; assuring them, upon submission,
of the king's mercy, and withall wishing them
to consider of the loss of so many good parts
which might be serviceable to God and beneficial
to their country. He spoke of the hastening of
their end with an infamous death ; the grief of
their friends ; the scandal of their kindred. In
particular he addressed himself to Father Sebas
tian, repeating to him the nobility of his blood,
the honourable allies he had in that kingdom,
the duty he owed to his Majesty having been
his servant ; the many favours he had received
from him ; which if they would consider and be
submissive, he did assure them there was place
for mercy and pardon. But no persuasions could
m.ove minds so generous and so fixed in the love
of God ; who desired nothing more than to die
for His cause, and to shed their blood for the

34 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
Catholic Faith. They made little reckoning
of these vain and worldly considerations, and
with great courage and constancy expected the
sentence, which then was given in this manner :
That they were found guilty of high treason,
were to return to the place from whence they
came and from thence to be drawn to the place
of execution, where they were to be hanged ; and
then presently to cut the halter ; their bowels
to be pulled out ; their bodies to be quartered
and the quarters to be set up where the Justice
should dispose them.
The Reverend good Fathers heard and received
this cruel sentence, answering with alacrity of
countenance "Deo Gratias," giving praise to our
Saviour Jesus Christ for this gracious favour to
make them worthy to suffer for His Faith and
the defence of His Church. So they were-
returned to the prison : and the next day (the
19th of June) the sentence was executed. These
blessed Fathers were then taken out of the
prison, were laid stretched along bound upon
hurdles and so drawn with horses through the
streets of London to Tyburn, the place of execu
tion. It was a lamentable spectacle to see
innocent Religious men in their venerable

HISTORY OF SEBASTIAN NUDIGATE, 35
habits, for profession of the ancient Catholic
Faith to be thus handled by such as professed
themselves Christians.
Being arrived at the place of execution, they
praised Almighty God. They were patient to
perform what the officers commanded ; willingly
and joyfully offering their bodies to that cruel
and inhuman death for the honour of the Faith
of Christ and the unity of His holy spouse the
Church. No reason (for many were used and
urged) availed to make any change in their minds
or wills to obey the king's law. They untied
Father Sebastian from the hurdle with the rope
about his neck, put him in the cart ; there he
commended himself to the prayers of the good
assistants ; prayed for the king that God Almighty
would give him long life and health, and His
grace to have care of his salvation and of the
good of his kingdom that had flourished so long
in Christian Religion, and in the unity and obe
dience of Christ's Catholic Church. He intimated
his own innocence both to the King and all the
worid, and that his death was only for the
testimony and defence of the CathoHc Faith, as
their judges could do no less than testify. And
so preparing himself to die said in Latin the

35 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA,
Psalm : " In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me
never be confounded," to the verse, " Into Thy
Hands I commend my spirit : Thou hast re
deemed me, O Lord, the God of truth." Then
the cart being drawn away he remained hanging
a very little or no space ; for both he and the
other two Fathers were cut down, being yet alive;
presently bowelled ; their bowels cast into the
fire, their heads cut off, their bodies quartered
and their quarters set up in the high ways and
upon the gates of London. And in executing
this barbarous cruelty upon such innocent persons,
also was added this inhumanity, the second that
was executed was made to stand to behold the
death and the bloody slaughter of the first ; and
the third of them both, and this tyranny to see
the bloody rending of their dear brethren.
This was the violent death but most happy
end of Father Sebastian, an approved valorous
gentleman, a perfect Religious, and a glorious
Martyr of Christ Jesus. He was a singular
honour of his house and an immortal renown of
his family. For in nothing that doth illustrate
the house of the Duchess (although descended
from great Princes) is her blood more honoured
than in this her kinsman and uncle, so illustrious

HISTORY OF SEBASTIAN NUDIGATE. 37
and famous a martyr, so worthy a Religious, and
so constant a servant of Christ Jesus ; who in
the first risings and oppositions against the
Catholic Faith in our country so valiantly stood
for it, and for the defence thereof sealed it with
his blood and life.
This gentleman, as he has been described to
me, was somewhat tall of stature, his body well
proportioned and comely, his aspect lively and
settled. He had great courage ; his behaviour
was pleasing, carrying it with a natural honesty
and remarkable modesty. But after that he
became a Religious, these parts of nature and
education were much magnified by those of grace.
and piety, as hath been showed.

CHAPTER III.
OF THE GRANDMOTHER OF JANE DORMER. SHE
enters into THE SERVICE OF THE PRINCESS
MARY.
The elder sister of this glorious martyr was the
virtuous lady we now treat of, the grandmother
of the Duchess. Another sister was married to
Sir Leonard Chamberlain of Oxfordshire, mother
to the Lady Stonor, renowned for her zeal in
Catholic Religion, whom I saw, (being a boy), in
Oxford, convented there before the Judges for her
recusancy about the 23rd or 24th year of Queen
Elizabeth.-^ Wlien she was reproved for her
constancy in the Catholic Religion, (which was
punishable by the laws of England,) she answered :
" I was born in such a time when Holy Mass
was in great reverence, and brought up in the
same Faith. In King Edward's time this
reverence was neglected and reproved by such as
1 That is, about a.d. 1581 or 1582.

OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY. 39

governed. In Queen Mary's, it was restored
with much applause ; and now in this time it
pleaseth the state to question them, as now they
do me, who continue in this Catholic profession.
The state would have these several changes,
which I have seen with mine e3res, good and
laudable. Whether it can be so, I refer it to
your Lordships' consideration. I hold me still to
that wherein I was born and bred ; and find no
thing taught in it but great virtue and sanctity ;
and so by the grace of God I will live and die in
it." This answer seemed to amaze the judges,
spoken with great confidence ; so they dismissed
her upon ordinary sureties. This lady was
generally noted for her rare devotion and marvel
lous abstinence, being widow even to her death.
Two other Sisters were Religious, one was
Abbess of the Monaster}? of Sion by Brentford in
Middlesex, who were of the holy order of St.
Bridget, and yet continues entire in Lisbon and
Portugal, brought out of England by the Lady
Duchess when she came thence into Flanders ;
and there placed for some years until they remov
ed to Spain. The other sister was of the order
of St. Dominic. Both of them were exemplars
for government and sanctimony of life. Two of

40 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
their brothers were Knights of Rhodes, of the
order and habit of St. John. In the year 1522
Rhodes was bravely besieged by Solyman, the
great Turk, and valiantly defended by the Chris
tian Knights of that Order, in which war both
these brothers spent their lives.
The wisdom and virtue of Jane Dormer's
grandmother were likewise well apparent in
what she did, in marrying her son. Sir William.
For when she saw the corruption of the state of
this kingdom, and that those who by their au
thority and greatness should have been defenders
of justice and religion, did seem to affect the
contrary, her desire was to marry him with
some virtuous gentlewoman answerable in
quality. Sir Robert Dormer, her husband,
liked it well, referring to her the charge of it,
and wished her so to dispose it before the king
should take notice of him, and hinder their
intention by his command. For being their only
child and heir to a great patrimony, many
courtiers sought to him to marry their daughters.
with him, amongst whom Sir Francis Brien, a
notorious favourite of the king; who much
pretended to have him for husband to his niece,
Jane Seymour. The power of this knight by

OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY. 41
his privacy with the king was great, whom to
gainsay, there was more use of prudence than
will, when he seriously treated the business of
this marriage with Sir Robert Dormer, the father.
In the interim that this treaty was entertained
between them two, the mother, detesting the
conditions of this knight, took her son and rode
up to London to Sir William Sidney's house,
having before made an overture to the Lady
Sidney, who was well pleased. There the two
ladies made up the match between the son of
the one and the eldest daughter of the other.
Which when Sir Francis Brien understood,
seeing his pretence deluded was ill-pleased ; but
the lady took the business and blame upon
herself, assuring him that she had treated the
matter before with the Lady Sidney and could
not go back. When he solicited the marriage
for his niece, he sent them word that they should
see his niece as well bestowed. For he, carrying
her up to the Court, placed her with the Lady
Anne Boleyn, the Queen, in whose service the
king affected her, for which there was often
much scratching and bye blows betweea the
queen and her maid. In the end queen Anne
Boleyn was imprisoned, condem.ned and beheaded

42 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

for foul adultery. The next day after, the king
married the Lady Jane Seymour, and had by
her the king his son. The Lady Dormer in
this prudent and valorous act shewing the
singular affection that she had to piety ' and
Christian Religion, and the respect she had
to chaste and honest conditions, to have her
son matched in a kindred of good farae, that
neither the power of so great a favourite nor
the gaining of so mighty a friend in Court, nor
the present possession of a great dowry, nor
the hopes of increase of honours, wealth and
advancement by his means, nor the fear of
inconveniences, that his displeasure might
procure, could move this lady to marry her son
with his niece who had made shipwreck of his
Faith and honesty.
After King Henry died, when the child King
Edward began to reign, the observance of
Catholic piety was put to flight and abolished, as
far as the public government could prevail, and
heresy and schism brought in place. In order
that it might take the deeper root, apostate
priests and friars from foreign parts, with all
their wives, were entertained in this kingdom,
and sent to be public Preachers in the Uni-

THE REIGN OF KING EDWARD. 43
versities, and to teach heresies. If any pious or
learned Catholic gainsaid (as many did) the
doctrine of these outlandish apostates, they were
persecuted, put to silence, deprived of their
livings, imprisoned, or banished. This good
lady, grandmother to the Duchess of Feria,
whose house was a refuge to such persecuted
men, gave them sustenance and security for their
bodies ; and received from them food and sus
tenance for the soul of herself, family, and
neighbours. Notice hereof being taken by the
Lady Mary, she did not a little favour her and
hers, who, when she came to be Queen, this lady
coming to her, she again remembered this hospi
tality, and very particularly thanked her for that
charity, calling her the sustainer of the Catholic
Faith. She, then commending to her Majesty
divers of those good men, the Queen provided
for all, entertaining some for her chaplains, and
gave to others bishoprics, and other dignities.
Such were the worthy persons to whom this good
Lady gave hospitality.
If I should enter into particular discourse,
what passed with this Lady in her charity and
hospitality, it would contain many leaves of
paper. For, wife and widow, being Lady of her

44 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
house the space of three score years, it was her
daily practice to give alms and to do pious works,
as is confirmed by that which happened in this
king's reign by the fame of her hospitality and
charity. For, many disgusted with this strange
change of Religion, and nothing yet estabhshed
for the common service of God (so long were
they hammering for five or six years a settled
'church-service and could not hit upon it, to the
iking of all these heads) the people were also
discontented with the political government. The
great ones banded against each other and sought
to destroy one another. Divers that had authority
and command in their country, took advantage of
the times and appropriated to themselves divers
grounds, that were common, and useful to the
public. Inferior gentlemen, who were rich and
had more power than their neighbours, following
the example of their great masters, took also
into their particular possession some fields and
pastures which had been common to the neigh
bourhood. The people in many places grieving
and complaining of their wrongs, as they termed
them, and hoping of no redress by authority, in
sundry shires took the matter into their own
hands to revenge themselves of these public

THE REIGN OF KING EDWARD. 45
injuries ; and seditiously growing together took
up arms, menacing and exclaiming against the
practisers of these evils. They made spoil and
havoc, wheresoever they came, pulling up hedges,
breaking down pales, filling up ditches, robbing
houses and committing other infinite disorders,
so that gentlemen were either forced to leave
their houses or with help of their neighbours so
to be guarded and strengthened as they might be
able to keep their houses and defend themselves
against the attempts of this fury.
To this Lady's house repaired many of all
sorts, from the villages round about, with their
wives and children, and the best moveables they
had ; but all, with arms offering to defend her
person and to guard her house. The good Lady
welcomed them with many thanks, knowing that
in such furious tumults there is little regard or
respect to law or justice ; and so fortified her
house with such strength and order as was con
venient. Which v/hen the rebels understood,
and the provisions she had made for her defence ;
they sent her this message. That her Ladyship
should have no pain nor fear, for that her charity
and good works, known to the whole country,
were a sufficient guard and preservation of her

46 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA,
person and family, being renowned for her hos
pitality and Christianity. They came not (as they
said) to spoil or do any hurt, but to restore to the
Commons that which was their own. Those
great fellows, who without justice, and those rich
ones, who without conscience, had appropriated
to themselves what belonged to the people in
common; these men were the marks they shot
at ; and they should suffer the penance of their
cruelties and oppressions. And, as they promis
ed, without doing any harm, more than going
through her grounds and treading the grass, they
marched forward, not doing nor offering the least
occasion of wrong or offence to any person or
goods belonging to her. Whereas in the parks
and lands of the gentlemen round about her they
made miserable spoil and committed many vio
lences. When it pleased God to take from this world
Sir Robert Dorm.er, her husband, having been
married about forty years, her son Sir William
Dormer had been married to a second wife, after
he had been widower nine years. He had by his
first wife (as hath been said) only two daughters,
and now had by this second a son, (who is now
the Lord Dormer) vvho was of the age of five

THE REIGN OF KING EDWARD. 47
months when his grandfather died. This Lady
now a widow, being, disburdened of the obliga
tions of a wife, did according to the counsel of
St. Paul, attend with more liberty to the service
of God. In both estates she showed herself an
imitable pattern for noble women to follow and
a mirror to behold. For, being married, she had
care, (as is shewed) to accomplish that which
appertained to the duty of a wife, by living
always in grateful love and due respect of her
husband ; by governing her house in good order,
by directing her family with praiseable discretion,
by bringing up her son and grand-children (who
had lost their mother) in virtue ; and in fine, she
behaved herself like a provident, wise and pru
dent lady and a careful good mother. In her
widow's estate, she retired herself somewhat
more from the encumbring of worldly affairs,
retaining some care yet, as one well experienced,
of her son's estate. She had her jointure and
living, severed from his, being sufficient and
answerable to the quality of the person, which
she well employed. She spent much time in
prayer and devotion, and never failed, (having
health,) at divine service. Her labours and

48 THE DUCHESS QF FERIA.
exercises were for the Church, and to do good to
such as were in necessity.
It was not long after the death of Sir Robert
Dormer, her husband, that King Edward died; to
whom succeeded the Catholic Princess, Queen
Mary, who obtained a renowned victory without
fighting or shedding much blood against the
Duke of Northumberland, who had set up his
daughter-in-law, the Lady Jane Grey.^ In this
noise and tumult of war, to put down the right
Queen and maintain the usurper. Sir William
Dormer, this Lady's son, called friends and
gathered strength to assist Queen Mary. Upon
occasion, he went with them to Aylesbury, under
standing that the Earl of Bedford would be there
with his adherents for the county of Buckingham
to proclaim the Lady Jane. Mr. Dormer encoun
tering him there, told him plainly, " My Lord;
we cannot hear of any Queen but the Lady
Mary ; and he that presumes publicly to name
2 A proclamation of Jane Grey as Queen requiring the
persons therein addressed to proceed in her behalf to suppress
the advancement of Mary's supporters in Buckinghamshire,
may be seen in Hare. M.S. 416. fol. 30. It is dated at the Tower
ofLondon, 18 July, in the firstyear of her reign. See the Chron
icle of Queen Jane by J. G. Nichols, p. 109.

THE REIGN OF QUEEN MARY. 49
any other, shall do it to his cost." This so
affrighted the Earl that he durst not attempt
what was enjoined ; and he retiring, Mr. Dormer
went with his friends and followers to attend
Queen Mary. This did he for his zeal to Right
and Justice, not respecting alliance or kindred,
for, his first wife, that was mother to the duchess,
was cousin german removed to the Lady Jane.
For this service and for the great charity of his
mother to Catholic learned men in King Edward's
days, (as hath been said) he was much favoured
by the Queen, who appointed him one of the six
Knights of the Bath in her coronation ; she also
had his daughter the Duchess in her service,
whom she much loved and esteemed, as hereafter
shall be more particularly declared.
In this Queen's reign, which was a few months
more than five years, this Lady remained with her
son, continuing her piety among her neighbours.
But when this virtuous and Catholic Queen
died, there died with her the upholding of piety
and religion in England. For in the year 1558,
Queen Elizabeth succeeding, altered the govern
ment, entertained heresies; the defenders of
them being her chief counsellors and com
manders. This good Lady seeing this lament-
E

50 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
able alteration, although full of years, such was
her zeal and love to the observance of true
religion, as she left house, son, country, and
friends ; choosing rather a banished life to serve
freely Almighty God than to remain in a kingdom
so perverted and corrupted. With this Christian
and zealous purpose in the year 1559, she passed
the seas with her granddaughter, the Duchess
of Feria, into Flanders. And a little before the
Duchess parted from Mechlin for Spain, she went
to Louvain, there to keep a house and settle
herself; where resided many worthy and learned
English priests, exiled for not conforming them
selves to the new and heretical injunctions of
England. There she lived the rest of her years
(which were about twelve) with so great fame of
virtue, piety, charity, and other Christian works,
as not only that town and university but the
country about did much reverence and honour
her; and she is yet among the old people that
knew her, remembered with renowned com
mendation. Yea, such were her works of
liberality and piety as the learned Doctor
Sanders in his book entitled " Visibilis monar-
chia Ecclesise," " praiseth her as an eye-witness
2 P. 708, ed. Lovan. 1571.

THE OLD LADY DORMER. 51
in these words : " The noble widow the Lady
Jane Dormer, grandmother of the most illustrious
Duchess of Feria, when she saw her country
overrun by heresy, willingly exiling herself, hath
so lived in Louvain for these twelve years as not
only she hath kept herself from all schism, but
also hath been a foot to the lame, an eye to the
blind, a staff to the weak, a true mother of
orphans, and a patroness of widows." Like
another Dorcas she made many coats and
garments for widows and poor people. When
the Duke of Alva was general in those countries,
his army was dispersed into divers towns, of
whom there was a garrison of many soldiers in
Louvain, who were pressed by necessity for want
of clothes and meat. This good lady had pro
vided in her house, a chamber which was fraught
with cassocks, doublets, hose, stockings, hats
and shirts, for poor soldiers, of whom, at a time,
she had clothed forty soldiers and thirty soldiers.^
Which, when the duke understood, he gratefully
acknowledged the great obligations to her love
and charity by giving her extraordinary privileges
and exemptions for herself, house, and company.
He esteemed her in that degree, that when the
3 So the original

52 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
magistrates of Louvain pretended any suit from
the duke, they took this readiest means and help
by her assisting commendations, naming her
their patroness and protectress.
Always in the Holy Week on Maunday
Thursday, this lady called together twelve
widows, or rather poor women, washed their
feet herself, gave every one a new gown, a smock,
a little purse with money, and her dinner that
day, and on Easter day following. Her house
was a refuge and harbour for banished priests
and Catholic gentlemen of her country; many
poor students were daily relieved by her, as of
this day some living, in my hearing have given
grateful testimony. People of all conditions
much respected her; the greatest of titles, lords
and ladies, often visited her, and had her in
especial regard. The university and town of
Louvain honoured her exceedingly, as the many
courtesies she received from them in life, and the
honour they did her after her death do well
testify. In the year 1571, the 7th of July, this lady
(being about eighty years of age), left this natural
life to live for ever with God Almighty. After
having received with great devotion the holy

THE OLD LADY DORMER. 53
Sacraments of the Church, she remained to the
last hour in good sense, and judgment, with great
quietness and security of conscience. She had
ordained her testament ; bequeathed large alms
to the poor, to colleges, to Religious, both men
and women, of sundry monasteries ; had left her
lands and rents to her son as heir of them, and
the goods that remained, absolutely to the dis
posing of the duchess, her grand-daughter, to
whom her affection was ever most particular ;
for naming her or writing to her, still used this
term : " My most dear and beloved daughter ; "
as appears in her will, the copy whereof I have.
Her soul she commended to Him Who created
and redeemed it ; which, so full of good works no
doubt and abounding with so many pious and
Christian deeds of exemplar charity, ascended to
Him without stay, as may morally be believed.
Her body when it was buried, was done with
the solemnity fitting her quality. Many orphans,
widows, and poor people according to her testa
ment, were clothed, who attended the funeral.
The prelatesj doctors, regents, and chief of the
university, the religious of all Orders, did go in
their places. The gentlemen and magistrates of
the town, accompanied likewise in their rank,

54 IHE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
with the rest of the mourners to the church of
the Charter-house, where she was buried. And
the next day following, a great number of the
poor of the town (an example seldom seen, and
worthy the consideration) assembled together at
this lady's house; and every one, a candle lighted
in their hands, went in orderly procession, the
way that her body was carried the day before, to
the Charter-house, bewailing their loss, and
praying for her soul. Which action of their
memorable love came from their own motive and
gratitude. She was buried, as I say, in the church of the
Charter-house (where she could not be admitted
in life by reason of her sex) in the middle of the
choir, just before the High Altar; where also
lieth buried with her, the body of the Lady Anne
Hungerford, her grand-daughter, only sister by
father and mother to the duchess, who thirty-two
years after died in the same town of Louvain,
and there both lie reconded under a fair marble
tomb, underset with marble pillars; their por
traitures cut very lively in alabaster at length
lying upon the top. Epitaphs and escutcheons
of their descent and matches were erected at
the cost of the duchess, with an annual rent for

THE LADY ANNE HUNGERFORD. 55
ever of a hundred .florins given by her to the
same Charter-house paid out of the Town house
of Antwerp.
This Lady Plungerford, the year that her
grandmother died, came out of England, being
over the seas, before she understood of her death,
whose Catholic piety and noble desires could not
content her husband. Sir Walter Hungerford ;
who albeit nobly descended, yet by base covet
ousness and disordered sensual living much
blemished his person and worth. He did not
entreat his lady as was due to his wife and a
gentlewoman of her rank, whereupon she pre
tended his leave to go beyond seas to her
grandmother, where she might have liberty of
conscience and serve God freely. In this he;
to have more liberty for his sensual appetites,
and to avoid the troubles for her conscience, net
unwillingly consented ; and so, as I say, she
passed to the Low Countries where she lived
thirty-two years, with great example of' true"
nobility and Christianity, much honoured for her
rare parts of valour, and discretion, the memory
whereof remains in Namur and Louvain, in
which places she for the most pait lived.
Madam Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Parma,

56 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
sister to King Philip II. of Spain, then Governess
of these provinces for her brother, took much
contentment in her conversation, knowing her to
be the duchess' sister, honoured her with very
special affection, invited her often, commending
to divers her noble behaviour and the worth of her
parts such as she knew in very few women ; as
the party who heard her highness speak it, told
rae. The governors and magistrates of the
towns where she lived in all imminent dangers
(for then the war in those parts was hot) took
particular regard to her, came to her house, pre
sented all the security they could for her person,
goods, and family ; thereby assuring the great
care they had of Her safety. Such was the merit
of her carriage. And when fears or dangers
occurred, her courage and magnanimity were
rare and generous. To gentleraen distressed and
poor students, her liberality was raarvellous,
alwa"'"'s compassionate, a great alms-giver. In
this 1 er exile she had the grief to lose her only
son in the flower of his youth, in the state to
marry, a gentleman of great hopes, very noble in
condition, discreet and virtuous. A chastisement
which Almighty God lays upon adulterers, from
which crime, I wish his father had been innocent:

THE LADY ANNE HUNGERFORD. 57
SO his house might have continued in his blood,
which now is dispersed.
This Lady Hungerford passed out of this world
on the 19th of December, 1603, full of good
works, imitating the steps of her worthy grand
mother.* In testimony of the worth and great merits
these two ladies, not only the ordinary but the
public voices of the country proclaim it, and
such as served them many years; but the
writings and assertions of the principal and most
learned of our nation, then beyond the seas, do
avouch the same; as for example that grave
and learned Prelate, Dr. William Allen, after
wards Cardinal, Dr. Owen Lewis, Bishop of
Cassano, Dr. Nicholas Sanders, Dr. Thomas
Stapleton, both great writers and public readers
of Divinity and others, to the number of fifty,
who were petitioners to Pope Gregory the XIIL, to
procure the duchess to be sent to the ,"-^ow
Countries. The}', when treating the bus ness
with Cardinal Morono, their patron in the Court
of Rome, and Protector of the English nation,
* The MS. here gives ten lines of Latin poetry, being a copy
of the verses engraven "at the fore-end of her tomb."

58 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
among other reasons that they allege in a com
mon letter, dated 28th Deceraber 1572, raention
divers ^ favours, received frora the duchess.

CHAPTER IV.
OF THE YOUTH AND EDUCATION OF JANE
DORMER.
Jane Dormer, brought up under so worthy a
raatron, in her infancy, beginning to be of under
standing, the first thing she learned was her
duty to serve God, and her obedience to her
father, grandfather, and grandmother, by con
forming herself with affectionate humility to
their commands. This virtue she so erabraced,
as with rare respect il continued with her, even
to the death of her grandmother, although
exalted to a higher rank. And when she served
Queen Mary, being of her bedcharaber, she never
neglected her duty and obedience to her grand
mother, never would do any matter of raoraent,
without raaking her acquainted, and asking her
^ "Dr. Sanders was the bearer of this letter." MS.

JANE DORMER'S CHILDHOOD. 59
leave ; and what she was coraraanded or advised
by her, that did she carefully obey.
Before seven years she began to read the
Priraer, or as we call it, the Office of our Blessed
Lady, in Latin ; and frora that tirae, daily con
tinued it, having any possibility of health to the
end of her life, which was sixty-seven years. In
such curious works of the needle as gentlewomen
learn, she attained a marvellous skill and perfec
tion. For I have seen samplers, and divers of
her works, wrought with her own hands, very
curious, rare, and excellent, so adjudged by such
as were held great mistresses in such works.
Also divers dressings for the altar, and ornaments
for the priests and such as serve at the altar, very
rich and sumptuous, of notable invention and
variety, all Avrought by herself. Together with
these abilities, she always retained a coraraend-
able modesty in all she did or spake.
Her grandfather Sir Williara Sidney, whom
the king, though still carried away by his own
exorbitant passions, did choose to be tutor and
governor of his son Prince Edward, when re
raaining for a tirae at Ashridge, (which was not
far from her grandfather Dormer's) sent for her
to entertain sorae tirae with the prince. They

6o THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
were both near of one age, about six or seven
years, the prince being only elder by three
months ; he desired her company, taking par
ticular pleasure in her conversation. Thither she
was sent with her governess, passing her time
with the prince, either in reading, playing, or
dancing, and such like pastimes, answerable to
their spirits and innocency of years, and in
playing at cards, would use this speech, as it
fell out : " Now Jane, your king is gone, I shall
be good enough for you."
I have heard them that were about the prince
avouch it, that his inclination and natural dispo
sition was of great towardness to all virtuous
parts and princely qualities ; a marvellous sweet
child, of very mild and generous condition.
Afterwards, when his father died, (he being but
nine years of age), mischievous and heretical
governors, contrary to his father's will, abused
his tender age ; who ruling to effect their own
ends notoriously iajured the natural good inclin
ation of this gentle and noble prince. For,
when he was king, in passing by the ruins of
goodly monasteries, he demanded what buildings
were those ? It was answered : That they were
religious houses, dissolved and demolished by

KING EDWARD'S CHILDHOOD. 6i

order of the king his father, for abuses. He
replied : " Could not my father punish the
offenders, and suffer so goodly buildings to stand,
being so great an ornament to this kingdom ;
and put in better men, that might have governed '
and inhabited them ? " seeming to lament that
lamentable course. And when the Lady Mary,
his sister, (who ever kept her house in very
CathoHc raanner, and order) came to visit him,
he took special content in her company (I have
heard it frora an eye-witness) he would ask her
many questions, promise her secrecy, carrying
her that respect and reverence, as if she had
been his mother. And she again in her discretion,
advised him in some things that concerned him
self, and in other things that touched herself; in
all shewing great affection and sisterly care of
him. The young king would burst forth in tears,
grieving raatters could not be according to her
will and desire. And when the duke his uncle
did use her with straightness and want of liberty;
he besought her to have patience until he had
more years, and then he would remedy all.
When she was to take leave, he seemed to part
from her with sorrow ; he kissed her, he called
for some jewel to present her, he complained that

62 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
they gave hira no better to give her. Which
noted by his tutors, order was taken, that these
visits should be very rare, alleging that they
made the king sad and raelancholy; and con
sulted to have afflicted her officers and servants ;
for that contrary to the then raade law, she had
public Mass in her chapel, if they could draw
any assent frora the king. But he, upon no
reason-s, would ever give way to it, and com
manded strictly that she might have full liberty
of what she would. He sent to her, inquiring
if they gave her any trouble or molestation, for
if they did, it was against his will, and he would
see her contented. But it was not safe, nor did
it stand with prudence, as the times went, for
the Lady Mary to coraplain.
When Jane Dorraer grew older, she was com
mended by her grandmother to the most noble
and Catholic princess the Lady Mary, so per
suaded by her grandfather Sidney, whom two of
his daughters had served before and died in her
service, rauch favoured by her Highness for their
virtue. When the queens (the wives of King
Henry) had sought with rauch iraportunity to
have thera in their service they would by no
means leave the Lady Mary although the king

THE PRINCESS MARY, 63
himself requested it.-^ In those days the house
of this princess was the only harbour for honour
able young gentlewomen, given any way to piety
and devotion. It was the'true school of virtuous
demeanour, befitting the education that ought to
be in noble damsels. And the greatest lords in
the kingdora were suitors to her to receive their
daughters in her service.
With the Lady Mary, Jane reraained after the
time, when by the death of King Edward the
kingdom fell to her, and even till her decease out
of this- world. And being in her service was
particularly favoured by her and affected ; with
which she corresponded with all dutiful respect,
so as seldom or never would the queen permit
her absence. She slept in her bedchamber, many
tiraes with her ; she read^itogether with her our
Lady's Office ; she comraitted to her charge and
trust her usual wearing jewels and what else was
of esteera to be commended to one of her bed
charaber. At table, she eat the meat that the
hand of Jane Dormer carved for her, which is an
evident argument and proof of her virtues when
1 Ladies of the name of Mabel and Elisabeth Sydney are
mentioned in Queen Mary's Household Book, pp. 119, 126, 1S4.

64 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA,
SO virtuous a princess, and of so admirable parts
did so much favour and esteem her.
This queen seldom went in progress except it
were to the Cardinal's house at Croydon (for
Cardinal Pole her kinsman was Archbishop of
Canterbury) avoiding by all means to trouble and
grieve her subjects in time of hay and corn
harvest, when they had use of their horses and
carts. And being at Croydon, for her recreation,
with two or three of her ladies, she would visit
" the poor neighbours, they all seeraing to be the
maids of the Court ; for then she would have no
difference, and ever one of these was Jane. She
would sit down very familiarly in their poor
houses, talk with the man and the wife, ask them
of their manner of living, how they passed, if the
officers of the Court did deal with them, as such
whose carts and labours were pressed for the
queen's carriages and provisions.^ And among
others, being once in a colHer's house, the queen
sitting by while he did eat his supper, on her
demanding the like of him, he answered, that
they had pressed his cart from London, and had
' Various illustrations of Queen Mary's kindness and
liberality towards the poor may be seen in her Privy Purse
Expenses printed by Sir F. :Madden. See p. 25S.

QUEEN MARY. 65

not paid him. The queen asked if he had called
for his money. He said, yea, to them that set
him awork, but they gave him neither his money
nor good answer. She demanded ; " Friend," is
this true, that you teU me ? " He said, " Yea,"
and prayed her to be a mean to the comptroller,
that he and other poor men might be paid. The
queen told him she would, and willed that the
next morning about nine or ten o'clock, he should
come for his money. She came no sooner to the
Court, but she called the comptroller,* and gave
him such a reproof for not satisfying poor men,
as the ladies who were with her, when they heard
it, much grieved. The queen said that he had
ill officers who gave neither money nor good
words to poor men, and that hereafter he should
see it amended, for if she understood it again,
he should hear it to his displeasure ; and that
the next morning the poor men would come for
their money, and that they should be paid every
penny. Mr. Comptroller wondered how this
came to the queen, and the ladies told him what
had passed that evening.
' Probably Sir Robert Rochester, who was appointed by the
Queen at her accession and continued in office till his death in
December, 1557, or Sir William Kingston, who died in 1541.
F

66 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
In the visiting of these poor neighbours, if she
found them charged with children, she gave
them good alms, comforted them, advising them
to live thriftily and in the fear of God, and with
that care to bring up their children ; and if there
were many children she took order they should be
provided for, placing both boys and girls to be
apprentices in London, where they might learn
some honest trade, and be able to get their living.
This did she in a poor carpenter's house, and the
house of the widow of a husbandman. And in
this sort did she pass some hours with the poor
neighbours, with much plainness and affability ;
they supposing them all to be the queen's maids,
for there seemed no differnce. And if any com
plaints were made she commended the remem
brance very particularly to Jane Dormer.

CHAPTER V.
THE marriage OF JANE DORMER WITH THE DUKE
OF FERIA. SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND
CHARACTER OF QUEEN MARY.
These special favours that the queen shewed to
Jane Dormer, together with the rare parts of her
mind and person, were occasion that divers of
the greatest worth and nobility did seek her for
marriage ; as Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devon
shire, son of the Marques of Exeter, and cousin-
german removed of the queen, whom the queen
delivered from the Tower at her entrance there,
at the same time with the other prisoners, the
Duke of Norfolk, and the Bishops Bonner,
Tunstall, and Gardner. This last bishop would
have m^de the match, finding the Earl to have
an affection to her ; and some were of opinion he
did it to prevent his marriage with the Lady
Elizabeth, whereof afterwards grew the greatest
part of her troubles in Queen Mary's time. He

68 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
did solicit the queen about the match, and dealt
with the young lady, to have it effected. Also
the Duke of Norfolk was a suitor to her, being
at that time the only duke in England, and some
others of great quality, which the Duke of Feria
afterwards confesseth in his last will, making a
petition for her to the king, tells him that she
had refused greater matches than himself in her
own country. The Earl of Nottingham that now
is Lord Admiral, being of her years, and in that
time calling her mistress, told me, when he was
ambassador in Spain, in 1605, that she was the
fairest and the sweetest woman of the world ;
and that the whole Court did admire her, and
bear her a reverent respect, as well for her own
worth, as for the esteem the queen did bear her.
But Jane in these pretences would do nothing,
without the consent of her Majesty, who had no
great will to leave her, and would say in the
treating of these matters, that Jane Dormer
deserved a very good husband ; and would add
further, that she knew not the man that was
worthy of her. When it chanced that Jane was
not well, as that she could not well attend upon
the queen, it is strange the care and regard her
Majesty had of her, more like a mother or sister

QUEEN MARY. 69

than her queen and mistress. As in the last
days of this blessed queen, she being at Hampton
Court, and to remove to London, Jane having
some indisposition, her Majesty would not suffer
her to go in the barge by water, but sent her by
land in her own litter, and her Physician to
attend her. And being come to London, the
first that she asked for was Jane Dormer, who
met her at the stairfoot, told her that she was
reasonably well. The queen answered " So am
not I," being about the end of August, 1558. So
took her chamber, and never came abroad again.
At that time the king was in Flanders about
his wars, made upon the frontiers of France, who
understanding the Queen's sickness, being then
with his army before Dourlens,^ sent away the
Duke of Feria, to serve and assist her in all that
should be requisite. It pleased Almighty God,
that this sickness was her last, increasing daily,
until it brought her to a better life. Jane was
continually about the Queen, not yet married, for
the Queen would not have her marry, until the
king was returned from Flanders ; which oc
casioned the want of great gifts and rich endow
ments wherewith the Queen had determined and
' A fortified town, about eighteen miles north of Amiens.

70 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
promised to honour the marriage, whereof did
her Majesty complain. She finding herself lan
guishing to death, told Jane, she would have been
glad to have seen her marriage had been effected
in her days ; but God Almighty would otherwise
dispose, and being sick and the king absent, she
was not in case to do what she would. Her sick
ness was such as made the whole realm to
mourn, yet passed by her with most Christian pa
tience. She comforted those of them that grieved
about her ; she told them what good dreams she
had, seeing many little children like Angels play
before her, singing pleasing notes, giving her
more than earthly comfort ; and thus persuaded
all, ever to have the holy fear of God before their
eyes, which would free them from all evil, and be
a curb to all temptations. She asked them to
think that whatsoever came to them was by God's
permission ; and ever to have confidence that He
would in mercy turn all to the best.
From the time of her Mother's troubles, this
queen had daily use of patience and few days of
content, but only those that she established and
restored the Catholic Religion to her kingdoms.
While she was queen, in those few years, she
suffered many conspiracies, and all out of mali-

QUEEN MARY. TS.

cious humours to God's truth. She gave com
mandment to all, both of her Council, and serv
ants, to stand fast in the Catholic religion ; and
with those virtuous and Christian advices, still in
prayer and hearing good lessons, receiving the
holy Sacraments of the Church, left this world,
which was the 17th day of November, 1558. That
morning hearing Mass, which was celebrated in
her chamber, she being at the last point (for no
day passed in her life that she heard not Mass)
and although sick to death, she heard it with so
good attention, zeal, and devotion, as she ans
wered in every part with him that served the
Priest ; such yet was the quickness of her senses
and memory. And when the Priest came to that
part to say, Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, she
answered plainly and distinctly to every one.
Miserere nobis, Miserere nobis, Dona nobis pacem.
Afterwards seeming to meditate something with
herself, when the Priest took the Sacred Host to
consume it, she adored it with her voice and
countenance, presently closed her eyes and ren
dered her blessed soul to God. This the duchess
hath related to me, the tears pouring from her
eyes, that the last thing which the queen saw in
this world was her Saviour and Redeemer in the

72 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
sacramental species; no doubt to behold Him
presently after in .His glorious Body in heaven.
A blessed and glorious passage. Anima mea cum
anima ejus.
This good queen had commended in private
divers things to Jane Dormer to give to the Lady
Elizabeth her sister, and to tell her who was to
succeed her in the kingdom; which she performed
with dutiful fidelity, giving her the rich and pre
cious jewels, that were in her custody,^ which
Queen Elizabeth willingly received, and sent her
messages. These were to uphold and continue
Catholic Religion, to be good to her servants,
and to pay what might justly be required. But
this of religion, I know not what reasons of base
moment, or other circumstances of devilish
policy had diverted her herein ; notwithstanding
before in the queen's sickness, she had faithfully
promised the continuance ; and all the reign of
Queen Mary, the Lady Elizabeth did hear daily
two masses, one for the living, another for the
dead, seeming extraordinary devout to our Blessed
Lady ; and in her troubles being examined about
religion, she prayed God, that the earth might
2 The delivery of the jewels is the subject of two memoranda
in the Record Office, Domest. Eliz. VIII. 24.

QUEEN CATHARINE OF ARRAGON. 73
open and swallow her up alive, if she were not a
Roman Catholic. And this is likewise confirmed
by the duke of Feria his letter to the king, who
in this sickness of the queen visited the Lady
Elizabeth, certifying him, that she did profess
CathoHc Religion, and believed the Real Pre
sence, and was not like to make any alteration
for the principal points of religion.
I will now speak somewhat of these two
queens' births. And then of other passages of
their lives, whereof only the truth shall be
written, and most out of the testimonies of
protestant writers.
Queen Catharine was some five years older
than the king, and very different in manners.
She rose at mid-night to be present at the matins
of the Religious. At five o'clock she made her
self ready with what haste she might, saying
that the time was lost which was spent in ap
parelling herself. Under her royal attire she did
wear the habit of St. Francis, having taken the
profession of his Third Order. She fasted all
Fridays and Saturdays and all the Eves of our
Blessed Lady with bread and water. On Sun
days she received the Blessed Sacrament, read
daily the Office of the Blessed Virgin, sheAvas

74 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
the most part of the morning in the Church at
holy service and after dinner read the life of that
day's Saint to her maids standing by. Then she
returned to the Church. She^was sparing in her
supper. She prayed kneeling on her knees with
out cushions. She was affable in conversation,
courteous to all, and of an excellent and pious
disposition. This lady, a mirror of goodness,
was afterwards brought into infinite troubles, so
to be tried as that the sweet savour of her virtues
might be diffused over the whole christian world.
Henry the Eighth, weary (as it seems) of this
good queen Catharine, after fifteen years' co-habi
tation, bythe suggestion of Cardinal Wolsey begins
to make scruple whether this marriage with the
Lady Catharine was lawful, for that she had been
before his brother's wife. Pope Julian the second
gave lawful dispensation to make good the
marriage. That learned and glorious martyr
doctor John Fisher, the light not only of the
kingdom of England but of the whole Christian
world, when this divorce was in pleading, deliver
ed to the legates a paper most learnedly written
in defence of the marriage, advising them not to
N^ek a knot in a rush nor to suffer the manifest
trO^h of Holy Scripture and Ecclesiastical laws.

QUEEN CATHARINE OF ARRAGON. 75
sufficiently seen and examined in this cause, to
be perverted; but rather to consider again and
again how great mischiefs would follow by this
divorce, to wit, hatred between King Henry and
Charles the Emperor, and the factions of the
princes who would join them. And the most
grievous of all, — dissensions in matters of faith,
schisms, heretics and infinite sects. " I (said he)
have in this matter laboured much and employed
my utmost industry ; and I dare affirm what I have
not only proved in this writing, and clearly taught
by the testimony of the Sacred Scriptures and of
Holy Fathers, but also am ready to testify it
with the shedding of my blood, that there is no
power on earth that can dissolve or disjoin this
marriage, which has been joined by God Him
self." This with other learned and pious writings
that the other advocates did present to the
legates, although Cardinal Wolsey was one, did
move them not to give sentence as the king
desired and required; nor would Clement VIL,
then Pope, give way to it, who then being at war
with the emperor was offered by King Henry to
maintain four thousand [meri] in his wars
against Cesar. So much did he desire this

76 . THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
divorce to marry the Lady Anne Bullen. He
sought all means by gifts and corruptions to most
Universities to have their favourable opinions for
this his desire. Cardinal Wolsey had it intima
ted, in regard to his note to the emperor, that the
king raight raarry with the Lady Margaret, a
very fair woman, the widow of the Duke of
Alen9on and sister to Francis, the French king.
Thomas Cranmer, chaplain to Sir Thomas
Bullen, the supposed father of the Lady Anne,
was a man to the king's own heart. He turned
as the king pleased, flattered and followed him
in all his demandg. He pronounced the sentence
of divorce by which Queen Catharine was to be
called the princess dowager of Prince Arthur and
Anne was to be held lawful queen.
Mr. Camden conceals the time of the marriage
of Anne Bullen, for that the Lady Elizabeth's
birth was in four months after. I marvel that
he tells not the time of the king's espousals with
her, nor of her marriage and her coronation, she
being the mother of her whose life and reign he
published. He says only that she was born
7th September, 1533, at Greenwich. Queen
Catharine was banished from the Court to
Kimbolton, where living retired with her maids

QUEEN CATHARINE OF ARRAGON. ' 77
until 6th January, 1536, she left this mortal life.
It is said that her days were shortened by the
intemperature of the unwholesome air, but
chiefly by the continual increase of griefs and
calamities ; and some were of opinion, not with
out suspicion of poison, for the Lady Anne hated
her extremely. When the king understood her
death he shed tears and commanded all his
household to wear mourning; but his new wife
did clothe herself in yellow, glad of her death
that she died so quietly. Her body was buried
at Peterborough. She never could be persuaded
after her banishment from thfe Court to enter
into a monastery, although most desirous of that
life, nor to do anything that might be in prejudice
of her marriage, although exposed to many
injuries and manifest dangers. Nor could she be
drawn to go into Spain, or into Flanders, whither
she was invited by the emperor, her nephew,
where she might have had most honourable
entertainment. She applied these miseries and
disasters to have specially happened for the death
of Prince Edward Plantagenet, son of the Duke
of Clarence, brother to King Edward the Fourth ;
whom (most innocent) Henry VII. put to death
to make the kingdom more secure to his pos-

78 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
terity, and to induce King Ferdinand to give his
daughter, this Catharine, in marriage to Prince
Arthur. Before her death she wrote two pious
letters, one to the king, the other to Friar Foster,
her ghostly father, then in prison, after with
cruel tortures a glorious martyr. Thus ended
this great queen and holy princess, renowned in
all nations and magnified by most writers of
those times.
Within five months after. Queen Anne was
brought to her reckoning for another world, but
after a different life to her predecessor. It was
passed most in masks, dancing, plays and such
corporal delights, in which she had a special
grace, — temptations to carnal pleasures and in
ventions to disgrace such and ruin them who
were renowned for virtue. From the time that
Queen Catharine was defended so stoutly and
learnedly by the Bishop of Rochester she did
seek by all means his destruction. One Richard
Rice, a cook, was suborned to poison him, and he
knew no other way to do it than to poison the
common pot, which was for the whole household
of the bishop. It chanced that that day accord
ing to his custom the bishop came not to dine in
the parlour, but most of his family that dined

QUEEN ANNE BOLEYN. 79
there were poisoned and died thereof. Rice the
cook being discovered did confess it and was
publicly put to death for it. And when a gentle
man brought word to the king that Sir Thomas
More was then beheaded, the king being at table,
and the Lady Anne standing by, the king throw
ing away the dice showed anger and sorrow that
he was troubled and said to her, "This is long
of I you; the honestest man of my kingdom is
dead," and suddenly retired chafing.
But to come to her death. The king seeming
to affect Jane Seymour, and having her on his
knea as Queen Anne espied, who then was
thought to be with child, she for anger and
disdaih miscarried, as she said, betwitting the
king with it, who willed her to pardon him, and
he would not displease her in that kind there
after. But the queen, much wanting to have a
manchild to succeed, and finding the king not to
content her, to have her purpose did accompany
with her own brother. Lord George Bullen,
Viscount Rochfort, Francis Weston, Henry
Norris, William Brereton and Mark Swe'ton^^a
musician, all of the Privy Chamber, for which
they all suffered death. Three days after that
Anne Bullen herself was beheaded on 14th May,

8o THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
1536, the Duke of Norfolk sitting High Steward.
She was convicted and condemned by twenty-six
peers, whereof her father was one, who shortly
after died of grief. She was not twenty-nine
years of age. We see how different were the
mothers of these two queens, and of the latter
the father might be doubted, for Queen Mary
would never call her sister, nor be persuaded sl^e
was her father's daughter. She would say she
had the face and countenance of Mark Swetpn,
who was a very handsome man. But we will
pass to their education. /
To speak briefly of the education and iome
passages of the life of Queen Mary, I sjhould
relate that she was bred under her virtuous
mother, as well in princely splendour, as jn true
piety, to know and serve Almighty God and to
have His holy fear before her eyes; and afterwards
was commended for her further education to the
Countess of Salisbury, the mother of Cardinal
Pole, and cousin german to the queen her grand
mother, a most pious and saint-like woman.
She was declared Princess of Wales and heir
of the kingdom ; so bred as she hated evil ; knew
no foul or unclean speeches, which when her lord
father understood, he would not believe it but

CHARACTER OF QUEEN MARY. 8i
would try it once by Sir Francis Brian, being at
a mask in the court ; and finding it to be true,
notwithstanding, perceiving her to be prudent and
of a princely spirit, did ever after more honour
her. It chanced once that she and the Lady
Anne Boleyn at Eltham, heard Mass together in
one room. At the end of Mass, the Lady Mary
made a low courtesy and went to her lodging ; so
did the Lady Anne, then called queen. When
she came to her quarter, one of her maids told
her that the Lady Mary at parting made reverence
to her, she answered that she did not observe it ;
and said, " If we had seen it, we would have
done as much to her ; " and presently sent a lady
of honour to her, to excuse it ; adding, that the
love of none should be dearer nor more respected
than hers, and she would embrace it with the
kindness of a true friend. The lady that carried
the message came when the Lady Mary was sat
down at dinner. When admitted, she said ;
" The queen salutes your grace with much
affection and craves pardon, understanding that
at your parting from the oratory, you raade a
courtesy to her, which if she had seen, she would
have answered you with the like ; and she desires
that this may be an entrance of friendly corres-
G

82 THB DUCHESS OF FERIA.
pondence, which your grace shall find completely
to be embraced on her part." " It is not pos
sible," answered the Lady Mary, "that the queen
can send me such a message ; nor is it fit she
should, nor can it be so sudden, her majesty
being so far from this place. You would have
said, the Lady Anne Boleyn, for I can acknow
ledge no other queen but ray raother, nor esteem
them my friends who are not hers. And for the
reverence that I made, it was to the altar, to
her Maker and mine ; and so they are deceived;,
and deceive her who tell her otherwise." The
Lady Anne was maddened with this answer, re
plying, that one day, she would pull down this
high spirit.
Ludovicus Vives^ dedicated to her in the year
1524, two hundred and thirteen Symbo.la, or short
and intricate sentences, in few words, which we
call commonly Mottoes, with paraphrasing upon
every one of them. The first was, Scopus vitce
Christus ; the last was, Mente Deo defixus. These
she seemed to have in perpetual memory, by the
practice of her whole life ; for she made Christ
the beginning and end of all her actions, from
Whose goodness all things do proceed, and to
1 In his Epistle to the Lady Mary, from Bruges, ist July, 1524.

CHARACTER OF QUEEN MARY. 83
Whom all things do tend, having a most Hvely
exan^ple in her virtuous mother.
All the neighbour-kings and princes did greatly
desire her for marriage. James the Fifth, King of
Scots, after, Charles the Emperor, offering pre
sently to give the possession of the whole Low-
Countries ; then the French king for both his
sons, first for the Dauphin, then for the Duke of
Orleans ; whom when King Henry did not accept,
for their tender age, King Francis offered himself
to marry her ; such was the fame of her virtue
and worth, in which for particular reasons of
state, none of them succeeded.
In King Edward's reign, when new Governors
altered the religion, she could nor would not be per
suaded by any entreaties or threats of the Protector,
or any others, to shut her oratory or keep close her
chapel, which she had in her house, but openly to
have Mass daily said, or suffer the least change
in Catholic Religion. And when she saw the
courses those new rulers took, in breaking her
father's will, to which they were sworn before his
death, she very courageously and roundly wrote
to the Protector, admonishing him and the rest
of the Council to look well what they did, not to
abuse the king's minority in altering the laws,

84 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
will, and ordinances of his and her father King
Henry; for in doing so they might be called to
account about the same when the king her brother
should corae to full years. And withal she told
them plainly, that they had no authority to make
such alteration in so great matters as they did ;
but rather to conserve things in the state left
unto them by the king her father, according to
the solemn oath they had sworn unto him before
his death, that they would do so, especially about
matters of Religion, until the king her brother
-came to lawful age. And when they did not dare
publicly to persecute her, being the next to the
¦crown, they took from her her chaplains, punish
ed them for not obeying the laws enacted ; where
of she complained to her brother and wrote to
the Emperor how they dealt with her chaplains
and servants. Which the Emperor took hardly
iihat that could not be permitted to her, which
was to all ambassadors of foreign Princes ; being
their king's elder sister, and professing the Cath
olic Religion in which she was bred and no other
known before those days in the kingdom of
England.

CHAPTER VI.
SKETCH OF THE REIGN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH.
CONTRAST BETWEEN HER AND QUEEN MARY.
I NOW pass to the education of Queen Elizabeth.
This would not be under her mother, for she was
not three years of age when her mother died.
She had been sworn princess of Wales a little
after her birth, and the Lady Mary deprived.
The king, shortly after her mother's death, in the
beginning of the month of June called an as
sembly of the Bishops and a parliaraent, signify
ing how rauch it did displease and repent him
of the wrong done his daughter Mary and the
advancing of Elizabeth, Anne Boleyn's daughter;
and would have it again as it was, and to con
stitute sorae certain faith and forra of religion.
For when Anne reigned all things were in
confusion, a licentious liberty was among all, nor
was it determined what they should believe or do
in matters of religion. For she (miserable woraan)
was the first cause of the schism and bane of her

86 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
country. Yet she was a princess of majesty
and raagnificence, and as one truly saith, fitter
for greatness than devotion and of more policy
than religion. Her sister Mary was no way
inferior as far as was fit for so great a princess,
only she was seventeen years older, but bred up
in all good learning, especially in virtue and
religion. Mr. Camden tells us that the Lady
Elizabeth read Melanchthon's Common Places; 1'
would she had in place thereof read St. Augus
tine's Meditations, Confessions and Soliloquies ;
and for lives and living in matters of policy' the
Saint's books De Civitate Dei^
A great lady, who knew her very well, being a
girl of twelve or thirteen, told me that she was
proud and disdainful, and related to me some
particulars of her scornful behaviour, which
much blemished the handsoraeness and beauty
of her person. In King Edward's time what
passed between the Lord Admiral, Sir Thomas
Seymour, and her Dr. Latimer preached in a
serraon, and was a chief cause that the Parlia
ment condemned tne Admiral. There was a bruit
of a child born and miserably destroyed, but
could not be discovered whose it was ; only the
report of the midwife, who was brought from her

QUEEN ELIZABETH'S YOUTH. 87
house blindfold thither, and so returned, saw
nothing in the house while she was there, but
candle light ; only she said, it was the child of a
very fair young lady. There was a muttering of
the Admiral and this lady, who was then between
fifteen and sixteen years of age. If it were so, it
was the judgment of God upon the Admiral ; and
upon her, to make her ever after incapable of
children. But the Adrairal in September before
had buried his wife, Queen Catharine, who died
in childbed of a daughter. And it seems the cuck
old then made no great reckoning of the Lady
Elizabeth, for the great Lord Master was in 1550
created earl of Wiltshire, which was the title and
honour of her father, transporting it from her and
from his blood. And when after the death of King
Edward they set up the Lady Jane they rejected
Iier, fearing only Queen Mary. The reason why
I write this is to answer the voice of riiy country
men in so strangely exalting the Lady Elizabeth,
.and so basely depressing Queen Mary.
Queen Elizabeth's troubles began in the second
year of her sister's reign. She was suspected and
accused to be assistant unto the rebellion of Sir
Thomas Wyatt, for which she was first commit
ted to the Tower of London and afterwards re-

THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

moved prisoner to Woodstock. Most of the
Council by the accusation of the delinquents and
other prescriptions' would persuade the queen to
proceed against her by law ; but her goodness
deferred it.
When Philip was come into England and
admitted king, finding the Lady Elizabeth to be
thus restrained, he dealt with the queen to be
merciful to her, and so delivered her not only
frora extrerae punishment but procured her
liberty to return to the Court. The remainder of
her sister's reign she lived for the most part in
her own house at Hatfield ; to which place when
many suspected heretics and turbulent people
repaired, it seemed fit to the Privy Council that
the business should be no longer dissembled, but
questioned and punished. But the king and the
Spanish nobility favouring her, persuaded to
defer the matter. It broke out more manifest
the next year in March, when Sir Anthony
Kingston, Richard Udall, John Throckmorton,
John Daniel, William Stanton and others con
spired together, not without counsel of the
French ambassador, to rob the king's treasure
which was provided for the French war. When
the matter was discovered by one of the con-

QUEEN ELIZABETH'S YOUTH.

spirators, some were taken and executed, others
fled into France. Hereof by many prescriptions
was the Lady Elizabeth held accessory ; which
the queen's Council would have exarained and
chastised, but the king again protected her from
this danger. It was consulted that two Catholic
gentlemen should be sent to her to remain there
and observe what passed, and so were sent Sir
Thomas Pope and Mr. Robert Gage. But the
lady by her wary carriage, her courteous be
haviour and cunning, and by her public profession
of Catholic religion with shew of zeal, did deceive
these gentlemen. Before the year was ended,
underhand she had intelligence with Mr. Thoraas
Stafford, who then exiled in France suddenly
coming into England should title himself king,
(for that he was descended from the house of the
dukes of Buckinghara) and should raarry with
the Lady Elizabeth ; they supposing themselves
strong enough against Queen Mary. It was
not long before Mr. Stafford put this in execution;
for coming out of France only with forty men on
24th April, 1557, and took Scarborough Castle, with
hope that either the Lady Elizabeth would send
her forces to fetch him, or with them to come to
him herself. But when by the diligence of the

go THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
Earl of Westmoreland he was intercepted, sent
to London and beheaded, and some others of his
faction hanged, the relics of this crime remained
upon the Lady Elizabeth. It was her luck that
at this time King Philip had returned from
Flanders into England, by whose singular favour
she again escaped this plunge.
Queen Mary in her last sickness sent Com
raissioners to examine her about religion, to
whom she answered, " Is it not possible that the
queen will be persuaded I ara a Catholic, having
so often protested it ? " and thereupon did swear
and vow that she was a Catholic. This is
answerable to what Mr. Camden saith, and is
likewise confirraed by the Duke of Feria's letter
to the king, who in this sickness of the queen
visited the Lady Elizabeth. He certified him
that she did profess the Catholic religion and
believed the Real Presence, and was not like to
make any alteration for the principal points of
religion. Queen Mary's reign began 6th July, 1553. She
returned all things that concerned the state of
religion as her grandfather. King Henry VIL,
had left them, and as they had been continued
by all Christian princes from the time when the

QUEEN MARYS REIGN. 91
Christian religion entered into England. She
abrogated all statutes of innovations and new
devices during the time of her brother and father,
reducing all to the humble obedience of the
faith. She punished divers of the heads of those
innovations that had been made ; and above
others, the chief author of all, Thomas Cranmer,
who entering as a Catholic, as was supposed,
into that dignitj-, was the first archbishop that
ever failed in faith from the rest that were before
him and from the obedience of the See Apostolic.
This queen forgave the subsidies granted in the
last year of her brother, gave great alms to the
poor, remitted the debts of such officers of her
house as she found burthened, restored more
noble houses decayed than ever did prince in
England, and brought \%-ith her peace and plenty-.
In a word, for magnaminity and virtue she w"as
the worthiest princess that this kingdom ever
had ; and yet heresy had so enchanted the minds
of divers of her subjects as in the five jears of
her reign she had more open and violent oppo
sitions of her own subjects than Queen Elizabeth
had in the forty-five years almost that she reigned.
Plain was the government of this queen, with
out tricks or new devices, severe to foul sinners

92 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

against God and sharp to such as offended
against the crown, to which she was more forced
than by nature inclined. She was a great
justicier, yet withal how merciful she was
appeared manifestly by her gracious compassion
to the Duchess of Somerset, to Sir John Cheke,
Sir Edward Montague, Chief Justice, Sir John
Cholmeley, the Marquis of Northampton, Sir
Henry Dudley, Sir Francis Gates, the Lord
Robert Dudley, and to the Duke of Suffolk ;— -all
of thera her professed eneraies and most of them
attainted, all adverse to her religion and no
friends to her title ; and yet she released them all
out of the Tower, where they were prisoners.
Yet the Protestants were still busy against her
and gave her no quietness. They libelled against
the Government of Woraan, published discourses
and invectives against religion, and conspired her
deprivation to advance her successor. All these
sedicious actions had for their ground the religion
then not fully six years old ; a religion of mere
liberty, most pleasing to gallants, void of all
austerities. They cried her down because so
many were burnt in her time ; but she caused no
new laws to be made against heretics but only
recalled such as were used and of force in God's

QUEEN MARY'S MARRIAGE. 93
Church since the Christian religion was estab
lished in England. And when in any did concur
the faults of heresy and treason, or felony, her
will was that the law should proceed, heresy
being directly offensive and immediately against
God. Queen Mary having lived thirty-seven years a
maid, for the good of her country, to leave issue
married the noblest prince of Christendom, who
brought wealth, honour, and the best alliance in
Europe to the crown of England. Yet see what
treasons and conspiracies did follow. Sir Thomas
Wyat's rebellion in the east of England ; Sir
Peter Carew, Sir Gawen Carew and Sir Thomas
Dennie in the west; Sir James Croftes and others
in Wales ; the Duke of Suffolk (after he had
been pardoned) in Leicestershire. Then, after
that, the conspiracies of the Earl of Devonshire,
Sir Nicholas Throckmorton and others. And
William Thomas, who plotted to murder the^
queen, being a secretary in King Edward's time ;
who, when he was executed said he died for his
country. After this were Udall, Throckmorton
and others, with Thomas Stratford, of whom I
have touched before.
Queen Elizabeth succeeded in the kingdom on

94 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
17 Novertiber, 1558, king Philip being in France
before Dourleus. She was persuaded by her new
councillors to resume the spiritual power and
jurisdiction. And it is probable that she was
persuaded, seeing what she had vowed in the
sickness of Queen Mary to the Coraraissioners
that exarained her, and what she told the Duke
of Feria, and what she protested to ambassadors
and divers others at several times often, as is
noted by Catholic writers, who related divers
particulars, as that she showed devotion to the
Holy Cross, -to our Blessed Lady and to the
Saints. When she died she had next her body
a crucifix of gold, hanging before her breast, so
that Doctor Barlow said she died a Papist. Yet
it seeras that these raen who would erect a new
religion followed their own persuasions, and by
little and little turned aH upside down ; and by
thera she was drawn to raake such grievous laws
against Catholics as never prince before her did
make against any malefactor whatsoever. And
this is witnessed by ihe multiplicity of statutes
yet extant, the death of so many priests and the
affliction of innumerable subjects for that cause.
The queen before her Coronation put all
bishops to silence and commanded they should

THE CHANGE IN RELIGION. 95
not preach ; and after the Parliament all ' that
refused the oath were deprived of honours,
livings and employments, either in Church or
Commonwealth, and were committed to prison.
There were in all of England fourteen bishops,
most learned prelates, ten of Ireland, deposed ;
twelve deans, fifteen masters of colleges, six
abbots, twelve archdeacons, one hundred and
sixty priests, and Mr. Shellie, Prior of St. John's
of Jerusalem.
The Communion Book, which was their new
Church Service Book, was composed by Parker,
Grindall, Home, Whitehead, Bill, and Sir
Thomas Smith. Was it ever known in a
Christian kingdom that a course for religion was
devised and framed without the consent and
assistance of a bishop ? But this was now done
by these new upstarts and laymen, who after
wards made themselves bishops. In the dis
putations that followed the president appointed
was Sir Nicholas Bacon, a mere layman, then
made Lord Keeper. He being a great lawyer,
but no divine, was one of the chiefest of them
that persuaded the queen to take the course she
did and to alter religion.
The end of the good bishops was this. Dr.

96 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
Scott, Bishop of Chester, died at Louvain in
exile ; Goldwell of St. Asaph at Rome ; Pate of
Worcester subscribed at the Council of Trent
for the clergy of England, and never returned ;
Dr. Oglethorp of Carlisle, who consecrated the
queen, died suddenly and shortly after his de
privation ; learned and famous Tunstall died a
prisoner at Lambeth ; Bourne of Wells was
prisoner to Carew, dean of the chapel ; Thirlby
of Ely was committed to the Tower and after
wards to Lambeth, where he died ; Abbot
Fecknam, Bishop Watson, Bishop White and
Bishop Bonner died prisoners ; and Prior Shelly
in exile. This was the downfall of the Catholic
clergy, a thing incredible to posterity.
The queen when she came to the crown was
full twenty-five years of age, a gracious lady and
gallant of aspect. Yet she would not be per
suaded to marry, but would have it written on
her tomb that she lived and died a virgin. King
Henry the Fourth of France merrily said that
the world would never believe this, nor would
the many favourites she had, as Pickering,
before she was queen, so as the world thought
he should have married her. Nor would Leices
ter, nor Packington, nor Hatton, nor Rawley,

THE REIGN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH. 97
nor Essex. To write all that might be said of
her would fill many volumes. Mr. Camden in
his Annals of her life has done it very partially,
in many passages not telling all he ought to have
done, and aggravating some passages, especially
of Catholics. His conscience might tell him
that all was not performed that he promised in
his Epistle ; and particularly in the relation of
the proceedings, condemnation and death of the
Queen of Scots, his raajesty's raother, and the
nearest kinswoman in blood the queen had,
whose death was an eternal brand to our
Queen Elizabeth. Yet her happiness is highly
extolled by flattering heretics and such as know
not, or will not know what passed before her
reign, in her reign, and in her death. There
was the ruin of raany in her brother's and sister's
tirae for her cause, the great distractions of her
subjects' minds through the multitude of sects
and differences in religion ; the abundance of
bloodshed of Catholic priests, honest men and
of known integrity ; the continual oppression of
her subjects with subsidies and taxes; her assis
tance to other rebels against their natural princes,
as the Hollanders and the Huguenots. There
was that unjust law of the Supremacy to be
H

98 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
ministered to the people, the refusal of which by
them was treason, but not to be ministered to
the nobility. Also her injuries done to the King
of Spain in taking his treasure, in permitting
some of her nobility to be coraraanders in matters
of piracy and robbery; permitting Drake and
others to rob his ships, spoil his towns, and
capture his people, she herself first giving cause
of hostility ; thus much annoying him who was
three times the cause of saving her life and
redeeming her liberty.
But now to come to her death. It grew of a
strange melancholy, very likely reflecting upon
the rehearsed particulars. Now that she had
grown old her beauty was much decayed. She
suspected that some of the greatest about her
looked towards Scotland. These considerations
took frora her all raagnanimity. Her negligence
in serving Almighty God suffered her to fall into
a distracted sadness and deep melancholy before
she died. For before she fell very sick, being at
Whitehall her senses, appetite and rest decayed,
and she was troubled with fearful visions ;
whereupon she reraoved to Richmond and fell
sick indeed. She told a lady, one of the nearest
about her person, that she had seen a bright

THE DEATH OF QUEEN ELIZABETH. 99
flame about her, and asked her if she had not
seen visions in the night. Growing more sick,
she, all dressed, sat two days and three nights
in her chair, and would be persuaded by none to
go to her bed, or eat, or drink. Only the Lord
Admiral persuaded her once to drink some broth,
for to no other would she answer a word ; but
she said softly to him if he had known what she
had seen in her bed he would not persuade her
as he did. Commanding the rest of the lords to
depart her chamber she willed the Lord Adrairal
to stay, to whom she shook her head and with a
pitiful voice said to hira " My Lord, I ara tied
with a chain of iron about my neck." He alleg
ing her wonted courage she replied ; " I am tied,
and the case is altered with me."
There was discovered in the bottora of the
queen's chair a card (the Queen of Hearts) with
an iron nail knocked through the head of it,
which the ladies durst not then puH out, thinking
it to be some witchcraft. So the queen, growing
past recovery, kept her bed some days. The
Archbishop of Canterbury and some other prelates
were sent to her, but she was much oft"ended on
seeing them ; she cholericly rated thera, and bid
thera be packing. Afterwards she exclairaed to

THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

the Lord Admiral that she had the greatest
indignity offered to her by the archbishop that
a prince could have, to pronounce sentence of
death against her as if she had lived an atheist.
And some lords offering to send some other
prelates to her, she answered that she would
have none of those hedge-priests. So none came
to her until she was past sense and at the last
gasp, when they said sorae prayers not far from
her. Thus ended that great queen after forty-
four years, four raonths and a few days' reign in
great worldly glory and pleasure. It is not
known that in all this sickness she said " God
help rae!" or any prayer or aspiration calling
on God or asking His raercy.
But now it is tirae, after this long digression,
to return to our lady duchess.

CH.APTER VII.
THE ARRIVAL IX ENGLAND OF THE DUKE OF
FERIA. HIS HISTORY AXD CH.AR.\CTER. HE
M.ARRIES JANE DORMER.
When King Philip, the Prince of Spain, came
into England to marrj^ the queen, many great
personages and noble gentlemen did attend him,
among whom was El Conde Don Gomez de
Figueroa y Cordova, afterwards Duke of Feria, a
great Lord and Grandee of Spain, much favoured
by him and of his Council of State. This man be
gan to look with particular affection upon the
duchess, curious (as the Spaniard is) to know her
birth, descent and quality. He finding both in
antiquity and other titles of honour not to be
inferior to his (although great men of Spain sel
dom marry out of their own rank and nation),
intended to solicit a match, moved thereto by the
favour she had with the queen, and the grace and
beauty of her person. And this affection, as much

THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

grounded upon her virtuous parts as on the rare
ness of her beauty (the duke was then thirty-
eight years of age), considering all the parts of
this fair lady, esteeraed him happy who should
enjoy her. Which is an apparent arguraent of
the worth, gentle and modest behaviour of the
duchess, that not only the greatest of her own
country, but of foreign nations did pretend her.
And seeing it was the happiness of a stranger to
obtain this pretence, he had the more obligation to
esteem her, leaving country and friends and as
good matches for his sake, which, as I noted be
fore, the duke hiraself attested in his last will
and testament. For which last willj having be-
seeched the king to be pleased that the duchess,
the Lady Jane Dormer, his dear, most beloved and
lawful wife, raight choose two towns of his estate,
with their jurisdictions, civil and criminal, and
their whole rents and profits, wherewith she raight
entertain herself forthe tirae that she should Hve.
"And this, I ara obliged " (saith he) "to ask of
your majesty, because the duchess hath left the
principal raatches of her country and trusted in
me a stranger, her servant and vassal." These
are the words of the duke in his last testament.
In this election of a husband, as in the course

THE MARRIAGE OF JANE DORMER. 103
and proceedings of her life, she imitated the vir
tue and prudence of the queen her mistress. For
when the queen, by the humble supplication of
the whole kingdom, and by the judgraent and
advice of her wise and Catholic Council, intend
ing to that which was raost convenient for the
public good, deterrained to marry ; judging there
by, all matters as well for Religion as govern
ment might be better established by hopeful
succession. And albeit, divers were propounded
both within and without the kingdora, yet at last
the resolution was to have the marriage with
the Prince Philip of Spain, son to the Eraperor
Charles V. as raost honourable and beneficial to
the kingdom. So also the duchess preferred
before great lords at home, this noble stranger of
Spain, the duke of Feria. The king and queen
gave their willing consent for this marriage ; but
she would in no case have it solemnized until the
king's return from Flanders, whither the king
went about the wars which were raade upon the
frontiers of France, and with him went the duke.
In the meantirae the Queen fell sick, whereof
she died, to whora the king sent the duke to visit
her, but the king returned not. After the death
of the queen, and her funeral accomplished, the

104 T^HE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
duchess retired to her grandmother, who then
lay at her house in the Savoy ,^ where the duke,
prosecuting the desire of the marriage to be affec
ted, it was solemnized in the church of the Savoy
the 29th of December, being the feast ofthe renow
ned martyr St. Thomas of Canterbury. Although
very unwilling, her uncles, the Earl of Sussex
I and Sir Henry Sidney, did agree to this marriage ;
being distasteful to thera to see such their niece
of that esteem and regard to leave country, kin,
and friends to go to live with a stranger in a
country so far frora thera, and in a climate so
different from theirs. But Almighty God had so
ordained it, and the duke held it his happiness to
be her husband, whom for her virtue and worth he
prized, as he said, beyond all the states and pro
fessions of the world.
' The palace of the Savoy, the residence of the dukes of
Lancaster, was wrecked by the mob in their hatred of John of
Gaunt in 1381. It lay in ruins until Henry VII. by his last
will gave it as an hospital for a master and four chaplains.
Suppressed by Edward VI. , it was revived by Queen Mary.
Having a considerable portion of the building to spare, the
Master seems to have been in the habit of letting it out as lodg
ings. The account of Dr. George Montague, in 1608, contains
an entry which shews that Sir Robert Dormer then occupied the
lodging formerly occupied by his grandmother. The early
registers having been destroyed by a fire, no record of the
marriage of the duke is to be found. See Newcourt, 1—696.

THE CHARACTER OF THE DUKE. 105

The duke was yet resident as ambassador,
and vicegerent of his king ; and held his auth
ority with great valour and wisdom ; and show
ed great zeal and devotion to Catholic Reli
gion. For when the new queen began to alter
and pervert the sacred office of the Church,
to annihilate the ancient laws that touched
Religion, which her deceased sister had renew
ed, the day that she should be crowned, the duke
being earnestly requested from the queen and im
portuned by the Council to be present at her cor
onation (as he had been present when she rode
through London and was installed queen,) he
demanded, if in the coronation there would be
performed all the usual ceremonies that were ob
served in the coronation of other Christian kings,
according to the Catholic Church and ancient use
of Catholic princes in this kingdom. And perceiv
ing by their answer, there would be some altera
tion, he by no means would be entreated to assist
there, neither publicly in the Church, nor in secret
apart, or in a place that should be provided for
him ; for that he would not authorize by his pre
sence any act that gave not due observation to the
honour and custom of the CathoHc Church.
About that time carae into England, for

io6 THE DV CHESS OF FERIA.
Leger-Ambassador the Bishop of Aquila.^ The
king, still remaining in Flanders, sent for the
Duke of Feria, who, before his departure out of
England, at the motion and instance of the
duchess his wife, by way of petition asked of the
queen to do hira the favour to give him the
Religious, both raen and women, of her kingdom
that would go with him ; for that he would
procure to dispose thera to such parts where they
might freely serve God and keep the rules of
their profession. He had before this tried all
possible ways to persuade the queen and her new
councillors not to change nor alter the CathoHc
Religion which she found publicly professed
when she succeeded in the crown, but would
perrait the laws established for it to stand in
force ; promising by the power and assistance
of the king to clear all difficulties and resist all
oppositions. But all in vain, for what smooth
answers they gave they put in practice the
contrary. What he requested touching the
Religious to go out of England, he obtained,
although with grief and trouble of some of the ^
2 Alvaro de Quadra, Bishop of Aquila, of whom many
notices occur in the Foreign Correspondence of the early years
of Queen Elizabeth.

THE CHARACTER OF THE D-VKE. 107
principal councillors, who murmured and put in
many stumbling-blocks to hinder it, alleging to
the queen many inconveniences that might grow
to herself and her proceedings by this permission.
Notwithstanding the duke desisted not (such was
his courage and zeal) pressing the queen with
her word and promise, but got as raany of them
together as he could and would come to Durham
house where he lodged, and there he sustained
them until he procured their passage for Flanders.
In which company were three convents ; one of
the Carthusian monks of Sheene,^ who by the
Providence of God remain yet an entire convent,
at Mechlin in Brabant ; another of nuns of the
holy order of St. Bridget who were of Sion,*
which monastery also yet remains whole, of
many noble gentlewomen and blessed sisters at
5 They had been reinstated in 1556. Twelve professed
monks and three lay brothers, with their prior, Maurice
Chauncey, left England and arrived in Flanders ist July, 1559.
They resided successively at Bruges, Louvain, Mechlin and
Nieuport until their final dissolution by the Emperor Joseph
II. in 1783.
" The MS. history of this convent, formerly belonging to the
Earl of Shrewsbury states that " By means of the Duke of
Feria the nuns obtained licence of the queen to depart in the
first year of her reign, the said duke preparing a ship by order
of King Philip for their secure passing the seas."

io8 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
Lisbon in Portugal ; a third was of St. Dominic's
Order of the nuns of Dartford ; ^ but being few,
they were soon dispersed in monasteries of their
own order. And when the duke, went out of
England, which was about the end of May, 1559,
he had with him many priests, as afterwards in
the train of the duchess followed many others.
And being arrived where the king was he pre
sented to his raajesty their case, beseeching his
favour and protection ; which the king promised
with great charity and piety, as became so great
and Catholic a prince.
The duke left the duchess at his house in
London, where she remained alraost to the end
of July ; at which tirae Don Juan de Ayala,^ sent
by the king and duke for her, carae to London.
The duchess was presently to put herself in order
for the voyage ; and on the 24th of July she went
to take the leave of Queen Elizabeth ; and
expecting in the presence-chamber, "until the
^ See on the history of this foundation Tanner's Not. Monast.
P- 225.
* The credence given to John de Ayala on being sent to
¦Queen Elizabeth in order to conduct the Countess of Feria
into Flanders, is dated at Ghent, 9th July, 1559. See Calend.
of Foreign Papers, No. 959. The queen's reply to Philip's
letter is dated on the 25th of the same month. Id. No. 1060.

HER DEPARTURE FROM ENGLAND. 109
queen called for her, and staying long, the
Spanish Ambassador began to be angry, desiring
her either to sit down or to return, for she was
now seven months gone with child. The bishop
spake loud, seeing who she was and with child,
that it was not fit she should stand there waiting,
and would have pressed her to sit down in the
chair of State. Which when the queen under
stood she presently came forth.'' That corapli
raent done, within two days following she took
her journey towards Dover, where she was to be
embarked. She went accorapanied with a troop
of noble gentlemen and ladies, her kin and friends,
among whom was the Lord Bishop, Leger-
Ambassador, who had special comraandment
from the king to have care of her. Also went
with her the good lady, her dear and beloved
grandmother, taking that opportunity to go where
she might freely and securely serve God and
' A version of this story, intended for the guidance of Sir
Thomas Challoner, the EngUsh ambassador at Madrid, was
sent to him by Cecil in a letter dated 27th July. Of course it
exonerates Elizabeth and places the conduct of the Bishop of
Aquila in the most unfavourable light. Cecil speaks with
respect of the Countess of Feria. See Foreign Papers of
Elizabeth, 27th July, 1559, No. 1082. The farewell interview
' took place on the 23rd July.

THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

enjoy the help and means for it. The duchess
had attending on her six gentlewomen, the
daughters of noble and principal gentlemen.
One was sister to the Lord Harrington, her
cousin-german ; another sister to Sir Edward
Stradling ; another sister to Sir William Picker
ing, the queen's favourite ; another was Mrs.
Paston, who afterwards returning to England,
was married to Sir Henry Newton of Gloucester
shire, and became of the bed-chamber to Queen
Elizabeth, and others; and with these Mrs.
Clarentia, who frora the childhood of Queen Mary-
had served her, and ever in principal place about
her ; a woman respected and beloved by the queen,
who the rest of her life reraained with the
duchess. Besides the priests that were perraitted
to go over, divers gentleraen sheltered theraselves
under her protection, to go where they might
according to their desire serve God.
Arrived at Dover, after taking leave of friends,
where was the Earl of Sussex and Sir Henry
Sidney, the next day after dinner she embarked
for Calais, where within few hours she landed,
received by Monsr. Gourden, governor of Calais,
whither came also the governor of Boulogne to
visit her. And after a day's rest and two nights.

HER JOURNEY THROUGH FLANDERS, in
having been very honourably entreated and
feasted by those governors in the town of Calais,
she took her journey for Graveling, thence for
Dunkirk, places subject to the King of Spain; in
both which she was received with extraordinary
great feasts and triuraphs, discharging all the
artillery of the place. The governors raeeting
her with their captains and soldiers marching in
military order, giving all signs of welcorae enter
tainment, presenting her with gifts accustoraed
in such places to noble personages.
From Dunkirk she passed Newport and came
to Bruges,® where she rested some days ; whither
came the duke her husband to receive her and
Don Luys Mendes, sent by the king to visit her
and bid her welcome into those parts. Also
thither came Don Antonio de Toledo, brother to
the Duke of Alva, Commander of the Order of
St. John and Grand-Prior of Castille. In this
city (as in the rest), the magistrates and governors
of the places adjoining did her great honour by
their rich presents, and gave testimony of their
" Writing to Cecil on July 29th, Challoner reports that the
Countess of Feria had been princely met upon the way, and
would rest her in a Spaniard's house at Bruges. Foreign
Papers of EUzabeth, No. 1093.

THE DUCHESS OF FERIA,

respect to the duke and to her. The duke was
to go to Flushing, whither he passed with haste
to see the king embark himself for Spain.®
The duchess went from thence, her grand
mother still with her, passing Ghent, where she
was magnificently entertained, for Antwerp,
where she was likewise received with great
soleranity and honour ; the whole city gathering
to the gates and besetting the streets to behold
her entrance, (which was princely) on horseback;
and six maids of honour, also on horseback,
attending her person. So guided through the
principal streets, and lodged in the English
house, where the English merchants had then
their staple. Frora thence, she removed to
Liege, for that the Duchess of Parma, the king's
sister, then lady governess, lay at Mechlin,
intending to stay there until she was delivered
of child ; but her highness the governess would
in no raanner permit it, but called her to MechHn
to have her by herself. So to give satisfaction
she removed to Mechlin, where she was also
received with extraordinary regard ; the governess
taking order that she should be lodged and every
way accomraodated, as it could not be more both
» See the Foreign Papers quoted above. No. 1174, 1175.

BIRTH OF A SON, 113
for her honour and content. Her lodging was in
the Cardinal Granville's house, the Archbishop
of Mechlin,^" and being within the month of the
tirae that she reckoned to be delivered of child ;
which happily was accoraplished on the 28th of
Septeraber, the vigil of St. Michael the Archangel
and of all holy Angels, bringing hira then into the
world. He was called at his christening Loren90,
or Laurence, in Spanish Don Lorenzo de Figueroa
y Cordova, Marquis of Villalva. In shew and
resemblance he was an angelical child, who by
his good natural disposition and raore by the
good education of his mother becarae so illustrious
and raeraorable a prince in the world, whose
worth and great parts are not only faraous and
renowned in Spain but in all Europe, thus
giving notice to the world of his great wisdom,
learning and valour.-'^
For the birth of this son, there were great
feastings, masks, and jousts by the Spaniards and
Italians ; and after eight days the baptism was
to be solemnized, at which the godfathers were
1° Antoine Perrenot, Bishop of Arras, became Archbishop of
Mechlin in 1561, and was created cardinal in the same year.
11 On 29th September Challoner reported to Cecil the birth
of the child. See Foreign Papers, No. 1393. I

114 T^HE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
the Cardinal Granville and the Bishop of Tour-
nay; the godmothers were the Duchess of
Parma,^^ governess, and the Countess of Hoch-
straete,^^ (for the use then was there to have two
godfathers and two godmothers) which was per
formed in most honourable and princely manner.
When the child was borne to the church, first
were divers noble personages carrying such things
as are used in baptism, the candles, the basin
and ewer, the salt, the chrism, etc. Then
followed the eldest daughter of the countess-
godmother, who did bear the child, and the
younger daughter, both gorgeously apparalled,
who carried the train of the child's mantle.
Then next followed Madam Governess, and next
to her the other godmother, attended with all the
ladies and nobility of the Court. The child was
christened by the name of Laurence, the name
of his grandfather. Count of Feria and Marquis
of Pliego ; it being the custom that the heirs of
this house retain, alternis vicibus, the naraes of
Gomez and Laurence for many ages.
12 Margaret, wife of Alexander de Medicis, Duke of Florence,
and subsequently of Octavian Farnese, Duke of Parma.
1' Apparently Anne de Rennenberg, wife of PhiUp de Lalaing,
who died 14th August, 1555. See Theatre Profane de Brabant,
11.39-

CHAPTER VIII.
THE JOURNEY OF THE DUCHESS INTO SPAIN.
HER MARRIED LIFE. BIRTH OF HER SON
AND DEATH OF HER HUSBAND.
When the solemnity of the christening was end
ed the duchess, for to recover strength, reraained
at Mechlin to the beginning of March following.
Her grandraother then parted frora her to settle
herself in Louvain, as hath been said. The duke
took of an Italian merchant in Antwerp fifty
thousand ducats, which he borrowed for the jour
ney into Spain for himself, the duchess and the
child, then six raonths old. The duchess went
first to Brussels, where she was entertained with
extraordinary signs of congratulation, as in other
places where she entered. There she stayed un
til the first of April, a.d. 1560, on which day
(being the Monday before Palra Sunday) she, her
husband and the infant Marquis her son, began
their journey towards Spain, accompanied with
many noble gentlemen and their attendants,

ii6 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
among whora was Sir William Shelley, of the
Order of St. John, Grand Prior 'of England.
They had for their better coraraodity double pro
vision ; to wit, that the furniture which served
this day was carried before to serve the second-
day following, so as their servants had all things
beforehand, where they should lodge, in readiness..
When they came to the frontiers of France
raany noble personages carae to receive thera,
and Mons. D'Oussons was sent by the king and
queen to welcome them into the country and to-
conduct them to the court. And in every town
where they lodged the keys were brought to the
duke, to be raaster of them that night. Coraing
to St. Denis in the Holy Week they rested there un
til Easter Eve. That day, in the afternoon, they
entered into Paris and were lodged in the Duke of
Guise's house, who was the queen's uncle, where
they reraained the Easter holidays and were
visited by raany. After that they went on their
journey towards Amboise, where the king and the
queen regent and the queen's mother lay ; the
king then being Francis the Second, son of Henry
the Second, and this queen was Queen Mary of
Scotland, mother of King James, now king of
Great Britain.

MARY STUART QUEEN OF FRANCE. 117
They being arrived at the court, the princes
:sent to welcome thera, and the queen comraanded
to bring the duchess to her palace, having ordered
to provide a lodging for her. No sooner was the
duchess entered into the palace but the Queen
Regent came presently to visit her, who behold
ing her beauty, the sweetness of her countenance
and the good grace of her person — they are the
'queen's own words, which I have heard from her
secretary and a gentlewoman, his sister, one of the
two that were admitted to be present at her death,
— who heard the queen divers tiraes report it, was
-marvellously taken with her presence, and show
ed affection for her ; as when wearing mourning
¦for the death of the king, her father-in-law, she
Ihat day put it off, to honour the duchess, and
¦ clothed herself in white. She also entreated the
•duchess that she also would be apparelled after
.the French manner, which, to please the queen,
:she yielded to : and the queen would have her
.clothed in her presence, which her Majesty did
put her hand to, taking in it very particular con
tent, for she would mend what the women had
done; and from that time the queen began to bear
her so entire and intimate love as she continued
to keep it to her death, with many remonstrances.

ii8 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
That day she was invited to eat at the queen's
table, who coraraanded the guard of the Scots
gentleraen to wait on her, and did her so many
royal courtesies as she would have done to any
strange princess that had been nearest of her
blood. She brought her to the queen's raother,
who very kindly treated her, and promised after
wards to visit her herself. At her departure she
sent divers to accompany her to the borders of
Spain, and required with great charge, as occasions-
fell out, that she might hear frora her and she
would not fail to answer her ; yea, and to provoke
her to write to her. This correspondence con
tinued while they lived, the queen subsigning all
her letters, " Your perfect friend, old acquaintance-
and dear cousin, Maria Regina." Divers of which
letters I have seen, and have four or five of thera
by me, written all with the queen's own hand, very
affectionate and respectful. This respect was evi
dently to be seen when the duke her husband died,
the queen being then detained prisoner in Eng
land, in the year 1571. She desired that the duch
ess might come into Flanders ; and wrote unto his.
Catholic Majesty beseeching him that it might be
so with his license, for that the duchess living in
Flanders would be much for the service of God's.

MARY STUART, QUEEN OF SCOTLAND. 119
Church and of her Majesty, and that she should
so enjoy better health, being a climate more
agreeable to her natural constitution than that
of Spain ; and that the queen for her part
should receive great consolation to have her so
near herself, and in regard of her present afflic
tions she should reap thereby both comfort and
benefit. And to this end did her Majesty also
write to his Holiness, coramanding his ambassador
to solicit it very seriously as a matter very con
venient to his service and her solace ; and like
wise to deal with the Ministers of his Catholic
Majesty, that the journey of the duchess to
Flanders might take effect. This the Queen of
Scotland desired exceedingly to accomplish, as
her secretary,^ who wrote these letters, hath related
to me, a man very prudent and Christian, who
lived and died a very virtuous and pious Catholic;
for I ara witness to both, having farailiarly been
acquainted with him for almost six years, and by
him daily in his last sickness and present at his
death ; a little before which, calling Father Cres-
well and the gentlemen and men of any fashion,
1 A marginal note in the MS. tells us that this was " Monsr.
Gilbert Curie, secretary more than twenty years to the Queen
of Scots."

THE DUCHESS QF FERIA.

both English and Scots, he there protested upon
hope of his salvation, of his fidelity and true loyal
ty ever to the queen, his mistress, both living
and dead, against the calumnies and imputations
put in print, the authors being too lightly credulous.
And this he spake (myself being a witness) with
great asservation, protesting his innocence ever
at the last gasp as he should answer it before the
tribunal of the Eternal Judge. This I hold ray
self bound in conscience to write ; for that he de
sired all the assistants to witness what he affirraed
upon his death-bed. The queen spake often of
the duchess, uttering words of great affection, much
commending her virtue and worth. But this
desired journey could not lake effect by reason of
the minority of her son.
But to proceed with the duchess' journey.
They arrived in Spain with good health, and
about the end of June came to Segovia, the king
and queen being then at a house of recreation in
the woods adjoining; but the court then resided
in Toledo, to which place was referred the
journey of the duchess for their majesties. Into
which city she entered the 9th of August, the
vigil of St. Laurence, 1560, with that honourable
lustre and unusual greatness that the houses of

HER ENTRY INTO TOLEDO.

the whole city were dispeopled to behold her
entrance. The king and the duke her husband
stood together in a window to see her pass, she
riding on horseback ; the furniture of her horse
being of crimson velvet garnished with studs and
fringe of gold, and another horse led by, very
richly appointed. Her six dames Hkewise were
all alone on horseback, with velvet furniture,
suitable alike. The duchess had attending on
her twenty pages, all in costly Hveries, and was
accompanied with most of the gallantry of the
court. But her own person graced all. The
king, before she visited the queen, came himself
to see her, to bid her welcome to the court of Spain.
The next day she went to kiss the queen's
hands, who was the eldest daughter of France ; ^
and so could give her account of the queen her
mother, the king her brother, his queen and the
other princes, her brothers and sisters ; in whose
court she had been so honourably entertained.
The queen received her with rauch shew of kind
ness and favour, as much admiring her beauty as
envying her nation ; and she gave her a jewel for
her welcome. The king of Portugal ^ sent of
2 Isabella, daughter of Henry II,, King of France.
^ Sebastian, King of Portugal, from 1557 to 1578.

THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

purpose to visit her, and to give her the Bien-
venida into those countries, and withal a fair
jewel for a present, which I have seen ; and it
was valued by the jeweller at 8,000 ducats. For
some days these visits of welcome continued.
The respect of the duke her husband, the report
of her virtue and the comeliness of her presence
drew a regard and honour to her of the whole
court, by all performances, in such noble and
extraordinary manner as the meraory thereof re
raains rauch extolled, especially araong the kind
red, allies and vassals of that house of Feria and
Cordova. After that the duchess had rested in the Court
she repaired to Zafra, the duke's house on his
own estate in Estraraadura, where she was re
ceived by the neighbouring gentlemen and ten
ants with such tokens of honour as could not
be greater nor more costly. Here now she begins
to put in practice the state of a raarried wife.
And although by the means of heats of that
country, so different from this where she was
born and brought up, she had so little health as
she was in a sort unfit to intend to anything besides
her prayers and her health ; yet now being in her
own house she resembles her grandmother, of

THE DUKE HER HUSBAND. 123
whom she would be a perfect follower, seeking to
treasure up in herself the degrees and excellencies
of a good and perfect wife ; so that her husband
found in her a general treasure for all cares and
chances. In all times and all occasions she
sought to please him and increase his content
ment. For in mirth, the duchess was to him
sweet and pleasing corapany; in matters of
discontentment he found in her a lively comfort ;
in doubts a faithful and able counsellor; in
adverse accidents a solace. All that knew them,
knew how much the duke esteemed her, how
dearly he loved her; for all those qualities he
acknowledged to be in the duchess, as such as
served them (and not in raean place) have attested
to me with particular relation.
But for more complete testimony hereof is his
last will and testament, wherein he distinctly
remerabereth those great parts in her, leaving
her the only tutoress of their son and the gover
ness of his estate, until the time by the law raade
he was capable thereof, which is at twenty-five
years of age ; he being not full twelve years when
his father died. For araong other words in his
testament of her praise, he hath these ; " I be
seech of the duchess no particulars, — for that I

T24 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
iknow what belongeth to the bringing up of her
¦son and the government of his lands, goods and
house, she will do much better than I do know to
-ask it, etc." Withal charging his son, upon his
hlessing and under pain of his curse, to love and
<obey her ; and telling him the great obligation she
had to her more than to a mother. As she was
4o her husband, a respecting, loving and pro
vident wife ; so to her son she was a careful
mother, notable instructor, and a most prudent
-tutoress. Her care gave him those principles
and foundations of wisdom, virtue and excellence,
wherewith he so shined and flourished in the
world as is singularly expressed in the funeral
>oration at the solemnity of his funeral at Zafra.
Her prudent education instilled in him the
heginning and entrance to know how to govern
himself and others ; for when upon the death of
ihis father, the king gave him the Encomienda*
«f Segura de la Sierra, one of the richest in
.Spain, which his father had before him, when he
ihad taken the habit of Santiago, she caused him
to go to the monastery of Santiago at Urles,
-according to the custom of the Order, and would
.not take dispensation for him, as others of his
* A grant or benefice attached to a miUtary order.

HER CHILDREN. 125.
quality do, but that he being young should
perforra his noviceship ; which he did sorae
months in serving Mass and performing other
duties that he raight the better know his obliga
tions to God's service ; at times, taking the
recreations of so great a person. This education
brought hira to the farae and deserved renown he
had in the world.
She was in her family a lady that gave remedy
to their wants ; cause of exercise and employ
ment both to menservants and women according
to their quality, detesting idleness, being herself
a rare example of industry, piety, and imitable
government. About five years after her raarriage she had
another son, whora in baptism they called Don
Pedro, after his great-grandfather by the grand-
raother's side. But this child had not accom
plished three raonths when it pleased God to
take hira again.
It would ask a large discourse to relate the
many raemorable acts of the Christian zeal of
this duchess while she was a married wife ; but
I will content myself in proof and testiraony
hereof to repeat what a great author doth affirm
and hath published in print.

126 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA,
Fra Juan Baptista Moles, a Recollect Des-
calced of the Order of St. Francis, in his
Memorial that he wrote of the same province,
observes as followeth -.^ " The said Dukes of
Feria are, and have always been, patrons of this
house, who ordinarily repair hither and supply
with liberal hand the necessary occasions of the
same, accounting this house for their particular
recreation, in which they have a lodging (which
I have seen) where commonly, when they reside
in Zafra, they retire themselves in Lent, and for
the Holy Week, and other principal feasts of the
year. With the most singular devotion this did
the great duke, Don Gomez, first Duke of Feria,
and the most Christian duchess his wife, thd
Lady Jane Dormer, a marvellous devotee of our
habit and religion. They, recollecting themselves
in this house, did not only give to the religious
to eat ; but on Holy Thursday and other special
days, they with their own hands did serve; giving
them their meat in the refectory, and imparting it
to thera with so great humility and affection as if
they had done it to the Apostles of Jesus Christ.
Afterwards they themselves, eating with the
lay friars and treating them with great devotion
5 Memorial de San Gabriel, cap. xUi. Marg. Note in MS.

DEVOTION OF THE DUKE AND DUCHESS. 127
and plainness, left herein great edification to the
religious, and a marvellous example for such Hke
honourable persons. And so to this day Hveth,
and shall live for ever, the memory of this so
pious and devout a lord among the religious, to
commend his soul to God and to pray for the life
of the duchess his wife, now a widow, who with
great example and praise of her holy behaviour,
continueth in the recollection of a very holy life ;
who having been visited by God with the loss of
so worthy a husband, aparted from her country
and nation ; yet remaineth in solitariness, as she
that is descended of noble and honourable blood
in the kingdora of England ; still having in
remerabrance this religious house de la Lapa ;
and providing for it and for the rest that are in
her son's estate with such relief, alms and works
of charity, as one very intimately devoted to this
holy province and to the religious of the same."
This the said author, Fra Juan Baptista Moles,
writeth in his said Memorial ; and in another
chapter following he saith further that the duke
and duchess did found and build the monastery
of our Lady de Monte-Virgine, situated half a
league from the town of Villalva. And that
after the duke's death his duchess, the Lady

128 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA,
Jane Dorraer, builded the church in a very
seeraly and suraptuous fashion, for the great
devotion that this princess had to this house.
In these and such like works of charity and
sanctity did the duchess pass her raarried life,
renowned as well for her wisdom, prudence and
generous carriage in all accidents as in her
devotion and zeal to religion, constant in good
purposes, not dismayed with troubles, valorous
in adverse chances and discreet in all excesses ;
shewing herself in all the worthy daughter of
her parents and the wife of such a husband.

CHAPTER IX.
OF THE SICKNESS AND DEATH OF THE DUKE
OF FERIA, HER HUSBAND.
To raake yet further proof of the virtues of the
duchess and to try her constancy and patience,
it pleased Almighty God to allay and utterly
dissolve the content of her married life, depriving
her of that she best loved under heaven, giving
the duke a fever so ardent and violent, as within
twenty days he departed this life, it being the
feast of the Nativity of our Blessed Lady early
in the morning at the Escurial, when the king
was there building his admirable, sumptuous,
and royal house of St. Laurence, the 8th of
September, 1571, having been married twelve
years, eight months, and ten days.
This infirmity, what sensible grief and heavi
ness it impressed in the duchess, who so much
Jionoured and so dearly loved him, may well be
gathered by what he was and what she was ; she,
J

130 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA,
being a stranger, young, out of her country, far
from her friends, left in a manner wholly solitary,
with the care and charge of the estate of the
duchy in her only son, not yet twelve years of
age. Here might be amplified her attendance and
diligence towards the duke in this sickness, the
entire love and affection wherewith she served
hira, her great solicitude to regale him, to help
him, to inquire after expert physicians and seek
for remedies that might procure health ; the
continual labour she passed night and day,
present at all hours to assist in what was needful,
and to give contentment in all occasions. But
huraan pains or diligence availed little either of
wife or king (who sent of purpose to Guadaloupe
for a physician) nor of kin nor of friends, nor of
servants ; for, all seeing and feeling their loss
failed not to procure and do what they could for
his health and recovery. The tirae was corae
that it pleased God that this good duke should
leave this vale of misery, to Hve with the blessed
Saints, there to receive the eternal reward of his
merits, whereof living and dying he gave hopeful
assurance by many evident and most Christian
effects.

CHARACTER OF THE DUKE, HER HUSBAND, 131
I might here declare the valour, wisdom and
understanding and other excellent parts of this
great duke, which were so notoriously apparent
to the world where he lived ; but I rather desire
to pass them with silence, than by ray inability
not to give thera their deserved right and honour;
for with his death failed one of the noblest and
best gentleraen that the kingdom of Spain had
or knew in his time, or since then to this day,
which is manifest by the many great and im
portant affairs wherein from his youth he was
employed both in peace and war. The regard
that the Emperor Charles the Fifth had of him,
commending him as a notable and able assistant
to Philip his son, and the esteem and favour that
he held with this king to his death, being of his
Council of State, Captain of his Spanish Guard;
called always by his majesty to his private
consults and intimate conferences, which as a
most noble true gentleman and worthy counsellor
he applied not to his own interest, little respect
ing increase of his own lands and wealth, but
the honour of his king, the service of his country,
the benefit of the common-weal and the advance
ment of such as merited. Noble personages and
honourable widows who were fallen into wants,

132 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
made suit to this good duke as their patron and
best advocate, and found help for their neces
sities. Yea, it was very ordinary with him,
when strangers, were they English, Flemings,
or Italians, (especially if they were of quality,)
having suits and pretentions in the court, their
business requiring sorae tirae for examination,
(who often had much delay before they could be
despatched) ; this duke in the meantime gave
thera allowance to sustain thera ; in so much
as when his steward made coraplaint that raoney
carae not in to supply so much, and that he
wanted to provide what was necessary for his
own house ; the duke would answer : " I have
plate, pawn it ; and let not these raen lack ; "
compassionating their cases when their des
patches were delayed. He preferred th^ affairs
of the public weal before his own, were they
never so iraportant.
The duchess herself told rae, that the duke
and she talking in private and discoursing of the
sudden rising and great wealth of sorae that had
the king's ear and were in his favour; she object
ing the little increase that the duke had made,
yet no man more in favour, no man more
constant, no man more intimate with the king

CHARACTER OF THE DUKE, HER HUSBAND. 133
than he, seeing most businesses of estate were
passed and despatched by his raeans ; — he
answered : " Would you that I take gifts and
bribes, or that my honour reraain in the point
it doth, and should ? For if I would accept
presents and gifts, you must cause the back door
to be opened to pass them out ; for your house
would quickly be so full as it would not contain
them. But to this day my honour hath not been
touched with bribes, and shall I now begin ? "
She replied : " If it concern your honour, in God's
name let it be ; for to uphold your honour, I
had rather be poor than give way to the least
decay thereof."
He was affable and sweet in condition, not
haughty, no despiser, not proud, used all with
marvellous courtesy and a continuing liberality
where there was need. The respect he had to
ecclesiastical and religious persons was notable ;
his zeal and fervour in observance of the Catholic
Religion were adrairable. He rather suffered
the displeasure of his mother, whom he ever
observed with all duty and obedient respect, and
the hazard to lose that great estate of the
marquis-ship of Pliego, whereof his mother was
heir, than he would consent to marry the only

134 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
daughter of his elder brother Don Pedro, who
died young, leaving no other issue, being so near
of his blood ; whom his mother (otherwise a most
virtuous lady) in revenge married to his younger
brother and put the estate in process between
the two brothers.
While his sickness lasted, which daily grew
more dangerous by the violence of the fever, he
disposed all raatters as a Christian should do,
confessed, received the Sacraraents of the Holy
Eucharist and Extreme Unction ; had always
about hira religious men, spent the tirae as his
sickness raight perrait, in spiritual discourses ;
coraforting the duchess, setting before her eyes
the will of Alraighty God that all must obey;
her own Christianity and discretion, and so to
suffer with patience his departure, leaving as a
pledge their son who should supply his place.
And then he called his son and gave him his
blessing; he charged him to serve God, to Hve
virtuously, to honour and obey his raother,
repeating to hira the great duty he did owe her.
He was very devout to our Blessed Lady; and
so on the day of her birth, he was born to God.^
1 Namely, on the festival of the Nativity of our Blessed
Lady, 8th September, 1571,

TESTIMONY OF FR. RIBADENEIRA. 135
The king felt his death so heavily as he shed
tears ; which is said he was never seen to do for
any but for his son Don Carlos. But this heavy
loss most touched the duchess in her particular,
although it was general, both for the king's
services, the benefit of his country, and for the
causes and pretensions of the good and well-
deserving, both subjects and strangers, religious
and secular.
He was a great furtherer and advancer of the
Fathers of the Society of Jesus (a Religion that
hath merited so well by their great labours,
learning, and good exaraple, in the Church of
God) as Father Ribadeneira in his Epistle
(dedicated to the duchess) of his book De los
-Santos Extravagantes,^ confesseth in these words :
^' It is long since that I have desired sorae good
occasion to declare unto the world the obligations
that all this little Society of Jesus hath to serve
jour excellency and your most honourable house ;
and I more than any, in regard I am so ancient
a witness of the raany and singular favours we
have received from the hands of the most
' P. Ribadeneyra Epist. a Dona Juana Dormer, Duquesa de
Feria, 15 de Julio 1608, See De Backer, Bibl. d ecrivains de
la Compagnie de Jesus, iii. 154, ed. 1876.

136 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA,
excellent Lord Don Gomez de Figueroa y
Cordova, Duke of Feria,^ your husband, and
which your excellency and the Duke Don.
Lorenzo your son have always continued as true
lords, patrons, and defenders of our Society..
And for to say soraething of rauch that may be
said, in the year 1555 I went to Rome from
Flanders, sent by the blessed Father Ignatius,.
our Father and Founder, for to be a suitor to his-
Catholic Majesty to give us license to erect
colleges of the Society in those states, and there
with to serve our Lord with our poor labours ; as
by His grace, the Society doth in so many other
parts of the world. Which petition, although it
were very just, yet it had many and raost sore
difficulties and contradictions of such persons.
as had raore obligation to favour and assist so>
holy a work (as it falls out in the like for God's
service) which the Duke Don Goraez, by his
authority, valour, and wisdora, made plain and
obtained of the king all that I pretended. For,,
as he was so great a lord, and so great a favourite
of his majesty, and brother to Father Antonio-
de Cordova, who was of our Society, and son of
the raost worthy Lady Donna CataHna Fer-
2 See Hist. Societ. Jesu, by Orlandini, p. 402, ed. 1620.

TESTIMONY OF FR. RIBADENEIRA. 137-
nandez de Cordova, Marquesa de Pliego, and
brother of the Lady Donna Maria de Toledo,
Duchess of Arcos, who were notable protectors^
of our Society and founders of the colleges of
Montilla and Marchena, his Excellency undertook
my protection ; and for the tirae that I reraained
in that court he was ray defence, advocate,
solicitor, powerful lord and loving father. He
effected that which seeraed impossible, and
opened the door that stood so locked, that the
Society might have houses and colleges in all
those states. And by virtue of that license and
privilege, it hath at this day more than twenty,
and in them raore than seven hundred persons in
the raost principal cities and towns of the Low
Countries ; which much serve our Lord, illuminat
ing and repressing heretics, animating Catholics,
and instructing them to live Christianly, to obey
God and their princes. And all this fruit, after our
Lord, Who would be served with it, the Society
oweth to the duke, as to the root from whence
it sprung."
And afterwards in the same Epistle he addeth
further, that in the year 1557 returning another
time from Rorae to Flanders, " I received," saith
he, " many benefits and the whole Society in ray

138 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
person. And I went with his Excellency into
England in the year 1558, sent by the king to
assist in the infirmity of our lady and queen.
Queen Mary, etc."
Moreover, in the death of this duke, our country
and Catholics lost a main and evident hope of
their desire for the restitution of the Catholic
' religion, knowing his zeal to further all means
and helps that might effect this restitution by
that which appeared he did in the beginning of
the change at his coming out of England ; and
partly by undertaking the government of the
Low Countries, which was appointed to him in
the year 1571. He provided for the journey;
but then his mortal sickness seizing upon him, it
pleased God to alter this expected happiness. I
have been credibly informed that more than once
he hath with hearty instance insinuated to the
king that the relief of our country imported
much the reputation of his majesty ; and that
before God and man he was bound in honour to
give remedy, seeing the ruin thereof came upon
his relinquishing it, his good queen and wife
having settled it in so good estate. And that
his majesty could not forget what passed, he
being employed by him as his counsellor and

TESTIMONY OF THE ENGLISH CATHOLICS. 139
servant to preserve her that then stood and ruled ;
and contrary to hope and promise had confounded
aU. And that the duke had this zeal to our
country appeareth by sundry letters written after
his death in the Latin tongue to his majesty and
to the duke, his son, wherein also appeareth the
respect and esteem that the English Catholics
had to the lady duchess, desiring that she might
come into the Low Countries. This letter I
found %vritten with a most fair and legible hand,
and subscribed with these names ; namely.
Doctors William Allen, Owen Lewis, Thomas
Stapleton, Richard Hall, Richard White, William
Carter, William Smith, William Knott, John
Dauley, Licenciates, or Bachelors of Divinity ;
Henry Joliff, William Taylour, Thomas Wilson,
Thomas Bailie, Laurence Webbe, Peter Foster,
Cuthbert Vaux, Thomas J^Ietham, Thomas
Parker, Thomas Dorman, Giles Capell, Gregory
Bell, Gilbert Branford, Edmund Hargatt,
Thomas Hide, John Marshall, John Fenne,
Thomas Freeman, Maurice Chancy, prior of the
Carthusians, for him and his convent. This
letter to his CathoHc majesty was dated at
Antwerp on 6th October, 1571.
A letter from the same writers to the Duke of

I40 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
Feria on the death of his father was written on
the same day.
Another frora the sarae to the Cardinal Pro
tector was carried by Dr. Nicolas Sanders.
His Holiness Pope Pius Quintus did write
unto the duchess upon the news of the death of
the duke, which brief is dated at St. Peter's,
28th November, 1571, and subsigned. Ant.
Buccapedalius.

CHAPTER X.
OF THE WIDOWHOOD OF THE DUCHESS AND HER
VIRTUOUS EXERCISES IN THAT ESTATE.
The duchess now in the eighteenth^ year of her
marriage and thirty-fourth of her age, beset on
every side with the divers and heavy thoughts of
her widowhood, the present solitariness and the
heavy raeraory of her past contentment, yet so
moderated her passions (which coramonly in
such accidents, even in the wisest, grow to
1 Read, "the thirteenth." In the margin of the original
occurs this note,
"For the virtues of a widow read the fortieth chapter of
Francis of Sales, Bishop of Geneva, his Introduction to a Devout
Life, which our duchess practised before he wrote it."

HER EXEMPLARY WIDOWHOOD. r4i
extremes, affection over-ruling discretion, such
is the force of these passions beyond reason) as
considering all circumstances which I must
repeat, yet so young, a stranger, so far from
country andfriends, her loss so important, must
needs augment grief; and the raore for that there
was no reraedy, for recovery; nevertheless, neces
sity did not persuade so much a moderation as
religion directed to look upon her husband rather
absent than dead ; whereupon she resolveth a
constant purpose to hold true fidelity to him and ,
together to conform herself to the will and ordi
nance of God Almighty.
The duke in his death-bed recommended to this
lady especially three things — his soul, his son,
and his honour. His soul to be prayed for and
assisted with the holy Sacrifice of the Church,
alms-deeds and other good works of charity ; his
son to be brought up christianly, in the fear of
God, learning and qualities answerable to his
rank and condition ; his honour to be taken care
of, to pay his debts, and make satisfaction where
it was due. Of all which she had so particular
care as she neither slacked time, nor omitted
opportunity with all speedy accomplishment to
pay this perforraance as was requisite.

I4Z THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
As concerning the first ; presently upon his
death, in all the monasteries and parishes about
the Escurial ahd in Madrid, large alms was given
to pray for his soul. And in the duke's estate,
in many Religious houses, perpetual memories
were founded to this end. And the duchess to
her death did always continue the remembrance
of this charge where she lived ; and in her will,
left particular charge, to the duke her grandson
always to accomplish the aidful raeraory of his
grandfather, father, and hers ; observing with
special solemnity his anniversary rites ; which
charge she coraraended to rayself for divers years,
to be done in raost of the raonasteries of Madrid
with good alras.
For the second, which was the education of her
son, is showed before in the description of his
life and worthy parts.
And the third to uphold his honour in paying
his debts and in giving satisfaction where aught
raight be with conscience required, and in raain
taining the honourable estate of his house, she
notably showed the effects of a loving wife and
the affectionate raeraory of a most christian, in
dustrious and provident lady. For at the death
of the duke, his estate (for his own debts and the

THE YOUNG DUKE, HER SON. 143
debts of the Count Don Pedro his elder brother,
contracted for the service of their princes), stood
engaged to the value of 300,000 ducats, which
this good lady by her provident government in
her time cleared. For when the duke her grand
son entered into it, he found it free and discharg
ed. He being employed to do the obedience to
Pope Paul the Fifth, being the first eraployraent
and he young, would perforra it with extraordinary
greatness, and so put hiraself into a new engage
raent for that embassage, which was very Httle,
considering how his grandmother found it when
his grandfather died. This her governraent was
not by withdrawing any allowance that touched
the maintenance of her house or honour of her
son ; or by new inventions or tricks to oppress her
vassals or tenants, whom always she entreated
with such sweetness and plausible proceedings as
they extraordinarily respected, reverenced and
affected her. Which to demonstrate, one ex
ample araong many may make plain.
It happened in the year 1603 that the king
made offer to farm out the tollage that was by
Badajoz, upon the confines of Portugal. The
duke, her son, was the viceroy of Sicily ; who,
advertised of this farming, wrote presently to his

1,44 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
mother to take it for him, whatsoever it cost, be
cause joining to his estate, it lay convenient for
him and more for him than any, and very prejudici
ally and hurtful if any other should rent it. Which
the duchess receiving, presently sent to the king's
office accepting the farm, desiring to know the
price. It was replied forty thousand ducats ; and
this sarae to be paid in few days all in ready
money ; and to be paid as the order was before the
estate could be passed. The duchess put to this
exigence presently to provide so much raoney, liv
ing in Madrid, the Court being then at Valladolid
{almost one hundred miles off) where the money
was to be paid, by the assistance of a friend, she
presently had lent her fourteen thousand ducats.
For the rest, which was twenty-six thousand
ducats, she presently despatched a messenger,
writing to Zafra to the governor of the duke's
estate to call the tenants and solicit them for
this sum, showing the necessity of present pay-
raent, and proraising by her letter repayraent
within four months. The messenger came to Zafra
about eleven o'clock before noon. The gover
nor having read the duchess her letter, sent his
man presently to most of the principal of the town
to meet him at the town-house at two o'clock;

THE AFFECTION OF HER TENAKTJ. 1.5

in which place they assemble at thc sams hour.
The governor read to them tbe duclr^ss's letter,
and so requested their answer. And this fjillowed ;
that by seven o'clock the sarae evening the whole
twenty-six thousand ducats wjre brought to tin
governor's house without any further reply, or re
quest of more security of bills or bands than th-j
proraise of the bare letter that she wrote. This
the governor himself reported to me, admiring it
when we were at the soleranity of her funeral.
Such was the love and respect the tenants had
always to her, albeit a stranger; having merited
it by her affable and excellent government.

CHAPTER XI.
the mode of LIFE OF THE DUCHESS DURING
HER WIDOWHOOD.
The duchess for her own private entertainraent
gave herself wholly frora the death of her husband
to a recollected kind of life, putting frora her all
ostentation of greatness, both in attendance,
apparel, and house-furniture, as usually all
widows of respect do in Spain. She, always
upholding what was necessary for the service of
her son and the raanaging of his estate, wholly
employed her tirae in virtuous exercises, serving
Alraighty God in works of piety ; wherein to her
death she so exeraplarly continued as that all
sorts, both religious and secular, the greatest
and the meanest, had her in respect and
reverence. So likewise was her house governed. Holiness
"at horae ; courage abroad ; prudence everywhere.
Her servants were provided of all things neces-

HER DOMESTIC ARRANGEMENTS. 147
sary according to their place, office, and raerit ;
their rations and wages always paid most
punctually. In sickness or other infirmities, her
regard and severe commandraent to have the
physician called, were the sick man the meanest
in her service ; and orderly to be provided and
given whatsoever the physician appointed. She
gave leave and special charge to all her servants
daily to hear Mass ; and when Mass was read
every day in her own oratory her care was that
all her woraen servants should be present at the
beginning; for the men-servants might go abroad
to church. Very exact was her order that all
her family should go to confession on all the
soleran feasts of the year, and likewise the feasts
of our Blessed Lady. That they should be
advised to keep the Coraraandraents of God and
of His holy Church ; should be friends of truth,
extreraely abhorring the contrary ; should live in
peace ; be chaste and honest in their comport
ment ; for the shew of the contrary in any
gesture or condition did much offend her. Yea,
she did so govern her house and family as she
may be a notable exaraple for others to follow.
By her careful providence, disengaging her house,
as hath been said, of such great debts as lay

¦148 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

upon it; and breeding up her son with that noble
and virtuous education, as hath been also de
clared. Her service was a school and pious
nursery of virtue and an exeraplar to all that had
the happiness to serve her ; for divers of them
left the world and became religious. I think
that during the forty years she lived a widow,
few passed that some or other went not out of
her house into religion, as I knew divers that
had been her servants of the Order of St. Francis,
both Descal90s and others; sorae of St. Dominic's
Order, sorae Augustines, Benedictines,Jesuits, and
others. Thus was her house and faraily governed.
The second virtue of St. Paul's widow is, to
honour and have great respect to parents. Ac
cording to the next and strict literal sense the
duchess had no raatter to perform this counsel ;
for that before she was a widow, her grandfather,
grandmother and mother died, and her father
soon after, who was in England married to
another wife and had divers children, and she in
Spain. But while he lived she was not unraindful
to offer and present the respect that did becorae
her ; and for the deceased, her prayers and the
Sacrifice of the Church, which she had care
should be offered for tlieir souls, were testiraony

HER AFFECTION TO HER REL.iTIONS. 149.

of her love and honour to them ; giving large
alms to particular monasteries only for this
office. And the former course of her life (namely
to her grandmother who brought her up,) is a
plain evidence how mindful she was of this duty ;
over whose body (which lieth in the choir before
the high altar in the Charterhouse of Louvain)
together with her sister, the Lady Hungerford,
she caused a fair tomb to be erected ; and gave
to the monastery a hundred florins of rent for
ever. But if the parents live not (whom she
may corporally serve, assist, and cherish), this
counsel may fitly be applied to their souls ; for
widows rarely see their parents live, being for the
most part parents themselves.
In her love and regard to the duke her son,
and likewise to his son, her grandchild, when he
was young and capable of instruction, her care
and vigilance were raore than ordinary or natural ;
for no occasion raight raake her omit her virtuous
advices and admonitions (yea, even when they
were men and married) to serve God and live
virtuously. And for example among raany, this-
passed in mine own hearing. When the duke
that now is, her grandson, was honoured with
the knighthood and habit of St. Jaraes, and

ISO THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
solemnly invested in the church of St. Dominic
in Madrid ; the solemnity being done, he coming
to his grandraother the duchess (for her house
was near to it) with his red cross on his breast,
she congratulating his new honour spoke to him
in effect these words : " Son, you are now a new
man ; for in taking this habit, you are entered
into m^any new obligations ; and all are to bind
you to be a faithful and valorous knight in the
service of Almighty God and His Church. This
cross upon your breast is to put you in remem
brance under Whose banner you serve, and
Whose soldier you are ; and so a motive to have
Hira always before your eyes Who by His death
made the Cross honourable, as you have it for an
honour to wear it where you do. And since that
His greatest eneray is sin, it is your part to fight
and war always against sin ; for otherwise it will
be but false dealing to bear His colours and yield
to His eneray. Good son, reflect upon this, and
do your best to put it in practice, and you will be
honoured both of God and men. And so God
Almighty give you the joy I wish you with it."
And then she kissed his cheek. And so with
tenderness on both sides she gave and he took
her blessing upon his knee.

LADY HUNGERFORD AND MRS. HARRINGTON. 151
The Lady Hungerford, as hath been said, was
her only sister by father and raother, who raarried
with an unkind husband. She being oppressed
by him for her conscience, with his perrais
sion, in 1571, carae over into Flanders ; where
being ill-paid (or not at all paid,) that which was
proraised and was due to her frora her husband,
and too rauch neglected by her friends in England,
found to her death the cherishing love of her
sister the duchess in so favourable and continuing
bounty with great affection, as she deducted from
her own maintenance to assist her, as I know
and have seen by raany specialties performed to
her, both in life and death.
Araong others that attended the duchess out of
England was Mrs. Margaret Harrington, sister to
the Lord Harrington, her cousin gerraan. She
raarried her to a noble gentleraan of worth, Don
Benito Cisneros, and gave her in dowry twenty
thousand ducats. She at her death, acknow
ledging the great favours and bounty she had
received frora the duchess, (having before buried
her husband and two children she had by him,)
for gratitude, with her raeans remaining, founded
in Zafra the greatest part of a monastery of
religious women of the holy Order of St. Francis,

152 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
where her body lies buried. The duchess being
in the estate of widowhood for so many years
and in the raany troubles that happened, such as
sickness and o'ther temporal crosses, to such as
were dearest unto her; in all, ever shewed great
example of Christian patience and confidence in
Almighty God ; and particularly in the death of
the duke, her only son. Hereof I was an eye
witness. By his death she was not only left
without a son, but without any living or estate in
the world to maintain her. For her allowance,
by her own request and assignment, was allotted
her out of the Encomienda^ of Segura, which,
the duke dying, fell into the king's hands, wholly
to be disposed where the king pleased. And
with the heavy news of the duke's death, she not
knowing his testament, nor what he might
appoint for her, new seventy years of age, in a
strange countiy, deprived of her son, wholly
destitute of living, and without notice of any
certain raeans for the sustenance of her and her
family, yet fainted not in the trust of her certain
Refuge, commending all to His Divine Provi
dence, saying confidently : " Lord, Thy holy Will
be done." But the duke had ordained and com-
1 .Ah-cady explained, see p. 124.

HER CARE FOR ENGLAND. 155

manded that she should be supplied and provided
for to content, charging his son to fulfil it.
The persecution of Catholics in her country
was a great affliction to her ; that many times
with tears and hearty compassion did she hear
and report their troubles ; yet her resolution was
ever, saying, "Let us hope and trust in God;
He will deliver us. The conversion of our country
will be God Almighty's own work ; therefore
whosoever goes about upon their own valour,
learning, devices, inventions, or any practice
whatsoever to reduce it, as stealing the honour
from God to this their drift and invention, it will
not succeed. Our sins made the ruin, but God
must and will restore the building. In the mean
while let us hope and trust in His Divine mercy,
expecting His heavenly pleasure, not omitting to
pray daily and implore His goodness, and other
good men to use their labours and learning to
win souls, as out of foreign seminaries they have
happily begun." A worthy speech and resolution
in the trust of Alraighty God.

CHAPTER XII.
the ARM OF THE DUCHESS IS BROKEN. HER
SUBSEQUENT ILLNESS. HER ORDINARY MODE
OF LIFE DURING HER WIDOWHOOD.
Upon St. Bernard's day, the 20th of August,
1609, the Duchess of Infantadzo, coraing to visit
her, the Duchess of Feria received her in the
hall, they both contending to give in courtesy
each other the- precedence, our duchess carrying
her left arra in a scarf by reason of a pain she
had in her breast on that side, (for that the
stirring of her arra might not offend her breast,
which also was much weakened, the pain of the
breast decaying the strength of it,) the Duchess
of Infantadzo taking her by that hand would put
her before her ; which doing with sorae force, the
other pulling her arra back, so wrested between
both, broke the bone a little above the elbow ; at
which suddenly our duchess gave a sighing groan,
saying "Mi braco estd quebrado" (My arra is

HER PATIENCE IN^ SUFFERING, 155
broken). I, being the next before the duchess,
astonished at the sudden cry and complaint, not
imagining it could be broken with so sraall a vio
lence, rather thinking it raight be put out of joint,
called her women, who came to her, and taking
her arm affirmed the same. The pain being
extreme, servants were sent with all speed to
find a bone-setter, and advised to a lame one who
was said to be skilful. The first found came to
her, took her in hand, and said it was broken ;
but the unskilful fellow, lame of both his legs,
handled her very roughly. She was forced to
apply her body, weak and full of pain, to his
hands ; which he, tying up very rudely and im
perfectly, to her exceeding dolour, she complain-
^ 1^ ing of his unskilfulness, his rude handling and
the extrerae pain he put her to ; the duke her
grandson being then called and present, and
likewise the physician, who much reproving him
for the undertaking and perforraing it so un
worthily, was raade to leave her, and present
coramandraent was given to seek the king's bone-
setter, one called Cuen9a ; who being found after
much seeking, came instantly, late at night. He
unbinding her arm, exclaimed against the unskil
fulness of the former surgeon, felt it splintered,

156 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
and so bound it up in the presence of the
physicians, all visiting her together twice or
thrice a day.
Yet this bone-setter's skill proved not so good ;
for she remained still with extremity of pain and
without rest, still complaining that the bone was
not well set. Which a lady, a kinsworaan of the
Duke, feeling, wished that a bone-setter out of
the countrv, whora she had tried, raight be sent
for ; commending him rauch both for his skill
and good fortune in his cures. This raan dwelt
twenty-six or twenty-seven leagues from Madrid.
I presently sent for hira with the most speed that
might be; who arrived within three days, a plain
country fellow, who would not touch her but in
the presence of the physicians, for which we liked
him the better. He asked her Grace of the man
ner of her pain, and v/here it most afflicted her, and
at the coraing of the physician he unbound her
arm and palpably showed the error of the cure,
which the physicians plainly saw ; and all present
with the touch of the hand raight perceive that a
splint of the cracked bone stood out and was not
fixed in its place. And this was seven or eight
days after the first dressing ; in which time ma}-
be supposed the great pain she passed, in so deli-

HER PATIENCE IN SUFFERING. 157
cate and aged a body of seventy-two years. This
raan dressed it, bound it up and took upon hira
the cure ; the king's bone-setter being disraissed.
The good duchess remained afterwards from
this time forty days] together in her bed in one
posture, without turning her; for if she stirred,
the pain of her arm would force her to lie still on
her back; notwithstanding, in these extremities,
marvellous was herj^hope and confidence in
Almighty God, passing all with quiet and admir
able sufferance and patience, as the holy Tobias.
For whereas she had always feared God from her
infancy, and kept His coraraandraents, she repined
not against God because ofthe trouble which had
befallen her, but continued imraovable in the
fear of God all the days of her life.^ In
these pains of her arra and breast, and all
other adverse chances whatsoever, either corporal
or external, she always withia notable conforraity
submitted herself to the will of our Lord, beseech
ing His Divine Majesty to do with her as might
be most pleasing to His holy service and to the
salvation of her soul ; and daily, (but chiefly
when these pains raost troubled and tormented
her) did she repeat this sentence in the Spanish
1 See Tobias ii. 13, i.;.

158 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
tongue, written with her own hand in her book of
flowers. "Lord, Thou knowest what is conveni
ent for the health of my soul ; I beseech Thee so
to succour my corporal necessities as I may not
lose the spiritual."
The first place of visit that she raade going out
of her house after this painful accident, which was
the 26th of October following, was a pilgriraage
to the chapel of our Blessed Lady at a monastery
of the Dominicans called Atocha, a place of
great concourse and devotion. By which, and
many other troublesome occurrences that came
upon her in this her widow's estate, doth notably
appear the lively trust and Christian hope she
had in God Alraighty, as will likewise be seen in
her last sickness.
I raight corapare this good duchess in her way
of living to the notablest raatrons that have been
in the Christian world. For ordinarily, if possi
bility of health suffered, she rose with the day in
sumraer and in winter before day, and being soon
ready, she went into her oratory, where she
remained until she had heard Mass. For between
seven and eight o'clock in suramer-tirae, but in the
winter soraewhat later, her chaplain carae to say
Mass ; and if both chaplains were at horae they

HER DAILY MODE OF LIFE. 159

both said Mass, and often other priests and
religious carae thither, and ordinarily she heard
all. And having heard Mass she called such
servants as had the guiding of her affairs to know
how business went, and to appoint what, should
be done. She daily read the Office of our Blessed
Lady, the Office of the Holy Cross, and of the
Holy Ghost ; at certain times the whole Office of
the Dead, and the Gradual Psalms, and on some
certain special feasts the whole Office of the
Breviary. She no day omitted to say the general
litanies, and other particular litanies as the day
and tirae required. She weekly, and all the
feasts of the year, frequented the holy Sacra
raents of Confession and Communion. Never
was she idle, but was either praying, working,
reading or disposing the affairs of her house,
except when strangers or persons of quality c.arae
to visit her, or she in correspondent courtesy
went to visit them ; which time she often com
plained was burdensome to her. After that her
sight was not so good to work curious works, she
employed her labour to work for the poor ; and
the last she did was to sew and hem sheets for
the hospital. Her other forraer works were
sumptuous and precious, wrought for God's

l6o THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
service and the use of the Church ; and the last
she worked were the ornaments for priest and
altar given by her to the new English seminary
in Madrid.
All the solemn and principal feasts of the year
she failed not to hear even-song and High Mass
in the monastery of St. Dominic, or of the
Angels, being Franciscan nuns in the same
street ; where the offices were performed with
great solemnity, music, and devotion ; and she
continued there, the whole office being very long.
In the Holy Week she was in a manner con
tinually in the church ; and the latter four days
spent daily there ten or eleven hours.
When her sight failed to see to work, as I say,
she passed the raost time in reading devout and
spiritual books, as the Meditations of St. Augus
tine, his Confessions, and the Manual, in the
Spanish tongue ; the lives of Saints, which she
daily read herself, being well ; and in her weak
ness they were read to her in the hearing of her
women servants. She had ever with this devotion
all true huraility. She was an eneray to vanity
and flattery; yet could not be hidden, as many
religious and persons of the best fame desired to
be remembered in her prayers, as did that holy

WIDOWHOOD IN SPAIN. i'6i

nun of St. Francis' Order in Carion de los Condes,
whom for rare sanctity and true heavenly virtues,
the wisest, learnedest, religiousest, and mightiest
in Spain, did admire, whom the king and queen
went often to visit and to be partaker of her
counsel and prayers. This religious virgin did
sometimes write to the duchess, desiring corres
pondence by letters, some whereof I have seen,
and was astonished at the style, to see a woraan
write with so high wisdora of Divine reasons and
counsels of perfection, which to rae showed an
apostolic spirit. Divers Popes have written
particular Briefs to the duchess, coraraending
theraselves to her prayers ; as Pope Gregory
XIIL, Pope Sixtus V., Pope Cleraent VIIL,
whose letters I have seen and read.^
The noble widows of Spain, by a laudable and
worthy custora observed among them, are free
of the fondness and blemish of affecting worldly
fashions ; for after the death of their husbands,
they retire themselves frora all worldly vanity
and ostentation, their apparel being the plainest
and cheapest stuffs, never wearing gold, silver,
jewel, silk or lace. Their own lodgings are
8 Namely, one of Pope Paul the Fifth, dated at St. Mark's,
Rome, ist May, 1607. L

1 62 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
hanged in winter with plain, coarse black cloth,
-and in hotter weather with buckrams, or such
coarse poor stuffs. Their servants and attendants
liad but what was necessary, without show of
light bravery. Their o\vn upper garments were
worn under a coarse black mantle, a toke of
white linen that covers all their person. And
seldom or never do they take another husband,
except they be heirs, very young and without
•children. I know a lady, the only daughter of
the Marquis of Velada, majordomo mayor to the
king, married at eighteen years of age to the
Duke of Medina Cell. Before the year came
about she had a son and the duke her husband
died. She could not be brought to raarry again,
nor would give her son another father ; holding
it much dishonour and disparagera.ent to their
person, house and children, to raarry again. For
the law saith: "A woraan passing to second
vows neglecteth the three best things — God, the
raemory of her deceased husband, and the love
of her children."
Our duchess, when her husband died, was in
the thirty-fourth year of her age, raother of one
only son, then twelve years old ; the duke not
above fifty when he died; which, comparing all

DISAPPOINTED IN HER HOPES. 1O3

their ages together, seemed to be the time that
the delight and comfort of each other should
have been most. She in her husband, not yet
begun to be old ; in her son, now growing to
years of understanding; the duke in her, now
married to her thirteen years ; now well ac
quainted with the language, air, custoras and
conditions of that country ;¦] and the more for
that he was then naraed and appointed by the
king for governor of the Low-Countries, where
they should have lived so near to England and to
her friends. Herein they both took (as the
duchess told rae) an extraordinary consolation ;
.for the duke, being then with the king, wrote
the Parabien* of the news to her, willing her to
advertise her grandmother, who then was alive
at Louvain. But the duchess, although most
glad with the news, wrote again to the duke : " I
dare not write it to ray grandmother, lest some
thing might succeed to cross it ; and she, crossed
in the joyful expectation, might turn to the
prejudice of her health and life. And being the
most corafortable news to ray teraporal desires
which I have heard since ray coming out of
-• Parabien is explained by the dictionary of the Spanish
Academy as meaning Congratulatior, Felicitation,

1 64 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
England, yet I dare not believe it, until we be
in the v/ay ; lest believing it and not succeeding,
I should do rayself no little harm." And these
crosses succeeded that her grandmother died the
sarae month of July, and the duke in September
following. The son also seeraed to be in forward
happiness, being in the age to know the worth of
his father and the goodness and virtue of his
raother. But these delights and coraforts were
all wholly dashed with the state of a widow,
who never after took delight in the world but for
the breeding of her son, as was fitting his years
and quality ; in all things banishing frora herself,
both in clothing and diet, all that raight show
deliciousness. In the year 1588, when that faraous hypocrisy
of the Dorainican nun of Lisbon, who pretended
the ambition of a Saint, called Soror Maria de
Visita9ion, was discovered ; who by pricking her
head with thorns, by wounding her side and hands
to the imitation of St. Francis and St. Catharine
of Sienna, by putting herself to grievous smart for
this ambitious vanity, would persuade the world
that they were by sorae sovereign apparition so
fixed in her body as theyVere in those glorious
Saints, and by counterfeit raptures, had procured

A PRETENDED SAINT. 165
such an esteem as from all parts of Spain they
sent and came to her to have her benediction
and some linen clothes sprinkled with the blood
of her wounds ; which she carried so cunnningly,
•as all in a manner held her for a Saint. The
king himself, Philip II. , albeit very incredulous in
such matters, but upon firra evidences and testi
monies admitted by the Church, yet by sundry
relations raade to his raajesty began to give credit
to this so general report of the nun. And I have
heard by some, (whether true or no, I know not),
that in the year 1588, when that great Spanish
ffeet went for England, many of the banners
were carried to her to bless (a great rashness
and presuraption in her to do it), being, as she was,
.a raere hyprocrite, shortly after found out and
proved : and after strict exaraination, being Prior
ess then of the monastery, confessed by herself
(the same year, the 15th of October) that these
were devices of her invention to be accounted a
Saint. The story is notorious, and had deceived
raany wise, great, learned and good Religious.
She, being convicted, was chastised and was very
penitent, refusing no penance, but desiring as
much as flesh and blood might bear.
But to our purpose. While the fame thus ran

1 66 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

(jf her wounds and of her sanctity, and was gen
erally so reputed, a great Religious man who had
seen her and such effects as induced the credit of
her supposed sanctity, being with the duchess,
she asked some particulars about her, and among
the rest of her conversation and diet, whether he
knew anything of her in the one and observed
her in the other, he being of the sarae Order.
He answered : " Madara, your question is worth
the moving, which made me at first to doubt her
before I saw the effects, because she converses
with most that seek her, especially such as are
of reckoning, and spends much time in conversa
tion. For her diet ; she being the Superior in the
Convent and held so holy, I know she hath raany
dainties sent her, and I hear not that she depriv-
eth herself of any part of that which the raonas-
tery and the Order allows her." Our Duchess
replied. " Is it so ? I fear this sanctity is tera
poral, and will not long last. For all Saints,
memorable to have been great servants of God
Almighty, have had their eminence in these two
virtues. For their private persons, recollection
and abstinence, properly united to the true service
of His Divine Majesty, but when necessity and
charity enforced. And the contrary (to wit, con-

ANECDOTE OF THE PRINCESS MARY. I67
versation and dainties, with variety of gustful
diet) were baits to worldly love and inducements
to sin ; " aHeging the example of St. Martin and
the holy woman that excused herself to see him ;
of St. Francis, St. Dominic, St. Clare and others.
The love of chastity and of chaste persons in
the duchess I have noted before. The least
gesture of the contrary either in shew or speech
was raarvellously displeasing to her ; she com
mending very often the pure and clean soul of
Queen Mary her mistress, whose education had
been so chaste and innocent of impurity as she
knew not the meaning of sluttish terms or foul,
unchaste words, as I touched in the description
of her life.
I will add here what an ancient lady in England
did tell me of her before ray coraing to Spain,
who was a courtier. Queen Mary being in the
gallery ready to go to the chapel, within the
traverse, the Lord Williara Howard,® Lord
Chamberlain being with her, he taking his leave ;
without the traverse stood the maids of honour.

" Lord William Howard's name occurs very frequently in
the Privy Purse Expenses of the Princess Mary, and in such
terms as to show that he was a frequent visitor in her house
hold.

1 68 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

expecting to wait on the queen to the chapel.
Mrs. Frances Neville® standing next to the
traverse, the Lord Charaberlain passing by, a
merry gentleraan, took her by the chin, saying :
" My pretty ....'' how dost thou ? " Which the
queen saw and heard, the traverse being drawn.
The queen gone forth, finding her farthingale at
her foot loose, raade sign to Mrs. Neville to pin
it, which, kneeling down, she did. The queen
then took her by the chin, as he had done saying,
" God-a-raercy, ray pretty. . . ." She hearing the
queen say thus, so blushed as she seeraed to be
astonished, replying : " Madara, what says your
majesty ? " still upon her knees, and seeraed to
be much troubled. The queen answered, " What
is the matter ? Have I said or done more than
the Lord Charaberlain did ? And raay not I be
as bold with thee as he ? " She replied : " My
Lord Chamberlain is an idle gentleraan, and we
respect not what he saith or doth ; but your
raajesty, frora whom I think never any heard
such a word, doth araaze rae either in jest or
earnest to be called so by you." A ... is a
^ Possibly the lady who is mentioned in the same Privy
Purse Expenses, pp, 192, ig6, 197, 198,
' The expression here used will not bear repetition.

THE PURITY OF HER HOUSEHOLD. 169
wicked misliving woman. The queen took it,
" Thou must forgive me ; for I meant thee no
harm." Thus chaste were the thoughts and words
of this renowned princess and such was the
reputation of her family, in which chaste school
was bred this our duchess : excellently well
learning her lesson and imitating her mis
tress as in her will and purpose she did ex
ceedingly abhor and detest all irapurlties and
unclean words. And I have known that she
hath plainly, }-et with reserved modesty, told
great men of note and worth the dishonour and
misery they purchased to theraselves by the base
actions of unchaste Hves ; and would boldly
reprove such with whom she had any interest of
friendship. Nor were any, of \vhat degree soever,
who had the fame of such a life, ever welcome to
her. And being by chance told that certain
women were met in the duke her grandson's
coach, that had not the best reputation, she
would never afterwards enter again into that
coach. Divers of our noble English gentlemen,
at their being in the court of Spain and visiting
hir, fdmired in her this virtue, so carried with
such a graceful manner as they wished that she

170 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

might for a tirae live in her own country to be
an example of iraitation to our great ladies. It
is the virtue that setteth out and adorneth all
other virtues, especially in woraen, being the
speech of the body and the interpreter of the
mind. A lie was most odious to her, which in her
pages and younger sort she would have sharply
chastised as an enormous fault. And the servant
that she found to have told her an untruth fell
much from her favour, she holding it a vice most
unworthy of a Christian. She, faithful and
punctual in proraises, advised before what she
promised, held it a chief point of honour and
religion to perform it. And for facility in giving
credit to the reports of others, she measured them
by her own intentions, observing this columbine
and candidous simplicity under the rule of char
itable construction ; albeit in matters that ira-
ported the honour of God, the government of her
weightier affairs, her credulity was not so great
and facile, but directed by the rule of God's
Church and discussed with that prudence as she
would not easily be deceived or over-reached.
Of mildness had she great use at her first
coraing into Spain, particularly among the kin-

THE GENTLENESS OF HER CHARACTER. 171

dred of the duke her husband, his mother then
living; who was not pleased with the match, for
that she had purposed to marry the duke with
her grandchild, the daughter of Count Don Pedro,
her eldest son. But the duke, avoiding and pre
venting so near a match in blood as his niece,
married as he did ; which so angered his mother
as she raarried her to his younger brother (as
hath been said) and passed to hira the Marquis-
ship of Pliego, an estate of one hundred thou
sand ducats by the year, and so made
a suit between the two brothers. Yet the
duchess carried herself towards her mother-
in-law, with that raildness and affable respect
as it afterwards grieved the Marquesa of
what she had done ; and she continued to
the children of the younger brother (whereof
I ara a witness) that love and regard as if her
husband had suffered no wrong by their father,
and the like to all the kindred; notwithstanding
the suit was on foot between her son and his
cousin-german, the heir of that house; so gracious
and mild was she in forgetting injuries.

CHAPTER XIII.
ANECDOTES OF HER MANAGEMENT OF CHILDREN.
OF THE RELEASE OF ENGLISH PRISONERS. OF
THE QUEEN OF SCOTLAND. HER- LIBERALITY
TO THE POOR AND TO CHURCHES AND HOS
PITALS.
I HAVE before showed the bringing up of her son
and the pious government of her house, family
and children ; yet I may not omit a discreet
policy that she used in the education of the
dukes, her son and grandson, to make them follow
their book and apply their lessons.
Their first exercise in the morning was to hear
Mass, which was done before eight o'clock. Then
they went to their book, their raaster being in the
house, he read thera their lesson ; which heard
and they able to construe, they broke their fast.
Then were they set a task, which they were to
repeat to their raaster before dinner. When din
ner was ready and to be brought in, she asked
their raaster if they had done their lessons. If

HER MANAGE.MENT OF CHILDREN. 173
yea, all well; and there was sorae reward, or con
tentment, commending their diligence ; if no, the
duchess commanded presently not to bring in the
meat, telling thera with a sweet reprehension,
" Although you will not dine yourselves; yet keep-
not me frora my dinner at a due time ; for I raust
not nor can eat until you have done your lessons
and said your book as you ought ; and so I, your
raother, (when he learned, to her son ; and to her
grandson, I your grandraother) an old woman,
must be punished for your negligence. You see my
care is that you want nothing that is fit for you,
and I must want my meat for your play and idle
ness. Go to your study and make an end quickly
that the meat be not spoiled, for we raust all fast
till you have done." Which served as a prudent
correction and discreet encouragement to them to-
apply to their books, and diligently to perform
their studies in due time.
I showed before the singular zeal this lady and
the duke her husband used in the tirae of Lent,.
and especially in the Holy Week, and the great
feasts of the year, with marvellous devotion, hu
mility and charity to the poor Descal90s Friars
De La Lapa, in serving them and feeding them.
And it is very ordinary among the great ladies in

174 THE DUCHESS OF FER Li.
Spain to visit hospitals and to give the sick and
diseased to eat with their own hand, to serve
them, to wipe their sores, to cleanse their wounds,
to feed and cherish them with such alacrity and
hurable diligence as evidently sheweth that it
proceedeth frora true fervour of Christian devotion
and piety, which is really to wash the feet of
saints. The Cardinal of Rhemes calleth our duchess
another Queen Plelena, who with liberal bounty
' employed her goods to succour the Scots, English
and Irish, and other afflicted and fugitive
Catholics, who had recourse into Spain for the
exercise of their faith and religion. At one
time she procured the release of thirt}--eight
Englishraen, prisoners in Seville, being all taken
in the West Indies and sentenced to die, and
sorae raerchants accused for assisting them with
shipping and other provision for that voyage.
As one Mr. Norris, a merchant of Barnstaple
in Devonshire, and sometime Mayor of that
town, and one of that corapany, hath told me,
much raagnifying the charity and affection of the
duchess to her distressed countryraen, and the
obligation that he and his followers had to her
for their lives and Hberty. At divers other times,

HER LIBERALITY TO QUEEN MARY STUART. 175
especially after the differences grew to professed
quarrels between the crowns of England and
Spain, sundry such adverse accidents falling out,
men having recourse to our duchess, by her
mediation had their release procured and their
present extremities assisted with liberal benevo
lence, although I hold few of these for saints ; yet
because they fell into trouble, she of her goodness
was forward to help them ; which I think Sir
Richard Hawkins of Plymouth, prisoner in
Madrid in the latter tirae of Queen Elizabeth,
will acknowledge.
But to come to a saint, (one who at least died
a saint and martyr) when the Queen of Scots,
forced by her rebellious subjects to leave her
country, had fled into England, expecting there
to have refuge and assistance, according to
proraise, found the contrary, to wit, restraint
and such other hard raeasure as her rents out of
France carae not to her ; which our good ,duchess
understanding, solicited the duke her husband,
then living, in her behalf, who sent her twenty
thousand ducats to relieve her present necessities.
If acts of charity to Catholic priests and gentle
men of our country, whom doraestic calaraities
and oppressions caused to seek refuge abroad.

176 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
should be here particularly set down, I should
enter into a large narration, and could rayself
declare raany particulars, the bounty of which
pious actions has passed to raany by my hands.
But in so doing I should do wrong to the godly
intention of the good lady, although deceased,
who could not endure to have such deeds
numbered nor yet reraerabered, who not willingly
would have their own naraes, or the naraes of
their friends, mentioned in this kind. This our
good duchess had spared much frora the lustre
of herself, both for diet (in which she was raar
vellous teraperate) and for other appurtenances
to her person, to be able to do the more good
works. It hath fallen out in the time that I served her
often, and was her usual custom, when any
gentleraan of quality that she knew and had any
acquaintance with her, that lay sick and was
thought to be in want, she coraraanded her
steward, or the gentleman that had the charge
of the private expenses of her house, to put up
(tied in a paper) a hundred crowns, or sixty, or
or fifty, or forty, or thirty, or twenty, or so rauch
as it pleased her, according to the want and con
dition of the party, which she would take so

HER ABUNDANT LIBERALITY. 177
bound up, and put in her pocket when she went to
visit the party ; and after salutation and pious ad
vices as occasion was offered, at her coming away,
taking leave with words of comfort, would put the
paper under the pillow of the sick person. And
to others with whora she was not so well acquaint
ed in their distress, if any spake to our duchess for
thera, she seldom or never denied, but they tasted
her bounty according to their quality and her
raeans. She was very respective and compas
sionate to such as were of noble blood and
ingenuous education, who by some disaster had
fallen into wants ; pitying their estate that had
been fed and bred with plenty and were afterward
necessitated to have relief and sustenance by the
alras and bounty of strangers. Of this sort, of
our country, of Irish and of Spaniards and
French also, I could relate thera that in a high
kind were beholding to the bounty of our duchess.
Her ordinary allowance was to give bread and
raoney to the poor religious raonasteries and
hospitals of Madrid, and to those of St. Francis
bread and eggs. An ordinary allowance of alras
every raonth was to be given' in raoney by the
gentleworaan that kept the expenses of the house
to such poor as asked at the door. Never any
M

178 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
English priest or other stranger, poor Englishman
or other that pretended need, who asked of her,
or otherwise by some of her servants desired
relief of their wants, but had from her a charit
able benevolence. And seldom did she refuse
to see any Englishman who asked it, were he
never so raean. The general hospital of Madrid,
weekly, as is said, received her alms, and in
other necessities were succoured with sheets and
blankets required. Many poor widows and
orphans in the duke's estate had perpetual
maintenance by her charity. Many Sundays and
Holy-days did she send the whole supper of the
Recollects Descal90s of St. Francis's Order in
Madrid with some extraordinary good supply,
being particularly devoted to that Order. For
she herself had taken the habit of the Third
Order of St. Francis and was professed in it,
wearing under her outward garment the habit
and scapulary while she lived. In suits or
pretences that any of our countrymen had in the
court of Spain, very forward was she, if they
sought it, with her best means to assist them, to
write in their favour to the Lords of the Council,
and to send some friend or servant with thera to
further their business. And such as wanted

HER CARE FOR RELIGIOUS HOUSES. 179
found other aidful relief. Thus was she daily in
doing good works.
If her raeans had answered her desires for the
founding, furnishing and adorning of raonasteries,
she had been one of the notablest patronesses in
the Christian world, wholly addicted to the
service of God and the glorifying of His eternal
Name. I have heard our duchess say that if in
her time, our kingdom should be so happy as to
adrait the public face of Catholic Religion again,
she would endeavour to be the first with the poor
means she had to build a monastery of St.
Francis's Order and corapletely to furnish it ;
knowing and acknowledging the general good
that those Religious do in a christian country ;
and while she lived she built the monastery of
Monte-Virgine of that Order, Descal9os Recol
lects, and Santa Marina in Zafra, Nuns of the
Order of St. Clare. Through the whole course
of her life she was not sparing in advancing these
good works ; as in repairing St. Onophrio de la
Lapa, our Lady del Rosario of St. Dominic ; in
furnishing these and others with rich ornaraents,
costly pictures ; devout confraternities ; as all the
churches and raonasteries in Zafra and all in the
duke's estate have her in perpetual raeraory.

i8o THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
Also she procuring frora the Apostolic See great
privileges and indulgences for their better estab
lishing, continuance and increase ; the effect
whereof the great church of Zafra and Sta. Clara,
an ancient rich monastery of Franciscan Nuns
in that town, do largely enjoy. Fray Juan Bap
tista Moles saith (in his book and chapter before
alleged), "There are two hermitages, one very
ancient and dedicated to St. Onophrio and St.
Paul the first hermit ; and the other, which the
duchess, the Lady Jane Dorraer, built to St. John
the Evangelist, very beautiful, pleasant and de
vout, which Don Juan de Ribera, Bishop of Bad-
ajos, and afterwards Archbishop of Valencia and
Patriarch of Antioch, did consecrate." And our
duchess, in the end of her life, all that she could
leave besides her household stuff which descend
ed to the duke, and some few remembrances left
to friends and servants (for there was no servant
that served her, at the time of her death, but
had sorae remerabrance or legacy given him) and
besides what was bequeathed to the poor and to
say Masses for her soul, all was left to monaster
ies. Yea, the annuities that she left for life to
her most obliged servants were in reversion to
the cloister of Santa Marina, in which she had

HER LAST SICKNESS.

built a marvellous fair church with a fair gallery
from the duke's palace ; and above, at the end of
the gallery, an oratory, from which they raay hear
and see Mass at the high altar, in which work is
showed raagnificence and devotion.

CHAPTER XIV.
OF THE SICKNESS AND LAST DAYS OF THE
DUCHESS OF FERIA.
After the breaking of her arra, the extrerae pain
of her breast still continuing, our duchess daily
grew weaker, and raany times with such accidents
¦of hot agues as in that great age and feebleness
•of body she was ordered by the physicians to be
let blood. So finding herself with a perpetual
decay of strength and health she only expected
that which escapes none ; having in her meraory
and often repeating that of the wise raan, "Mc-
morare novissima tua, et in ceternum non peccabis.'"
To this end she had fastened to her beads a
death's-head (which beads she put into ray hand,
dying; which I have and much esteera), on which

iS2 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
she meditated and often discoursed, having learnt
of St. Hierorae that notable sentence : " He
easily contemns all things, whose thoughts always
tell him that he must die." And also for this
end, she had raade her testaraent and disposed
her estate, having (as is shewed before) taken the
habit of penance of the Third Order of St. Francis,
to be participant of the graces and indulgences of
that holy religion. She had entered herself into
the list and number de Ancillis, or handmaids of
our Blessed Lady, when in Sta. Ursula at Alcala,
a convent of Franciscan nuns, was founded a.
sisterhood or congregation of thera with this title,.
" to the Queen of Angels ; " rejoicing to be the
Ancilla of her, by whose mediation and gracious.
intercession she might attain grace to die well-
Likewise did she ordain, raany months before her
death, her coffin to be made, in which her body
should be entered, which when ordered, and the
measure to be taken of her body, her women
grew tender and wept, the duchess said: "Why
weep you ? For this must be, and it cannot be
long before it come — Weep not, but pray for me^.
We must all die ; but that which importSj is to>
die well and to have a good end. And this is.
that which I request of you all to commend me

HER PREPARATION FOR DEATH. 183
to God, that He vouchsafe to give me His grace
to end well."
Our duchess kept her bed almost twelve months
before her death, pained through her whole body,
especially in her arm that had been broken ; for
although it had been set and cured, yet the pain
of her breast kept it very weak. And once,
taking her little-^' grand-daughter in her arras,
being then the only child of the duke her grand
son, when the nurse took it frora her, it so
chanced as her arra a little strained, put her to
that extremity of pain as she was falling down
in a swoon ; and after that it put her to such
trouble and affliction as she could not lift it to
her head, nor pluck out a pin with that hand, but
carried it always in a scarf. Notwithstanding
this infirmity and other exceeding dolours of her
body, the sarae still was the exercise of her
Christian virtues and her zeal to God's service ;
for weekly she both confessed and coraraunicated,
had daily good raen with her; no day did she
leave to hear Mass. For when her weakness
began to be such as she could hardly remain out
of her bed, by Hcense of the vicar of the Arch
bishop of Toledo, (who hiraself came to see the
place for the decency of it,) her oratory was

i84 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
removed to another part, as from her bed, through
the passage that entered into her chamber, she
raight see the altar, hear Mass, behold and adore
the holy Sacrifice, which was her true corafort ;
and so enjoyed it to the tirae of her decease, for
the day that she died she heard Mass. Before
her oratory was thus changed, in the sumraer-
tirae she lay in a bedstead that turned with
wheels, which at the tirae of Mass was set
before the door of the oratory. But when
winter carae she was forced to remove to a
warmer charaber ; and had her oratory altered,
as is said before.
In the sarae tirae of this her sickness that
Father Ribadeneira, (a very reverend, wise,
learned and ancient Father of the Society ; for
he had Hved seventy-one years in the Order,
much respected and reverenced by the duchess,
who likewise answered her grace with the same
good-will and regardful affection,) whom I raen
tioned before, having known her in England ; she,
in all important occasions advised with hira,
asked his counsel, he esteeraing her a very true
and able friend, and often visiting her as to whose
favours, both in his own particular and for the
benefit of his Order, he stood rauch beholding.

FATHER RIBADENEIRA. 185
He dedicated to her (as before is noted ^) his book
De los Santos Estravagantes ; to wit, such as were
not in the Roraan calendars of breviaries and
raissals. It fell out, I say, that this good Father,
in Septeraber, 1610, fell mortally sick ; she then
also lying in her bed sick. This, araong other
afflictions, she accounted not the least, to want
the assistance of so dear and esteeraed a Father;
and sent often to visit hira, myself being for the
raost part the raessenger. And the last raessage
he sent her was this : " Commend me rauch to
the duchess, and tell her that shortly we shall
see each other in Paradise." This message she
would have rae repeat to her raore than once,
and took in it extraordinary consolation. This
holy Father departed this world (I was present
when he died) the 22nd of Septeraber, in the
eighty-fifth year of his age, after great labours
and travels taken in his religion, raany worthy
works set out by hira to the edification of the
Christian world, as appeareth in the catalogue of
the writers of the Society, printed at Antwerp.^
1 See p, 7,
^ See Catalogus Scriptomm religionis Societatis Jesu, auctore P.
Petro Ribadeneira, p. 225 — 229, ed, Antv. 1613, 8vo, It is stated
in his epitaph that he died at M.adrid, 22nd September, 1611.
Also Histoire du Fire Ribadeneyra, par le Pere J. M, Prat. Paris,
1862.

1 86 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

It pleased Almighty God, at that time also, to
take out of this worid the raost virtuous and
good Queen of Spain, who died at St. Laurence
by the Escurial, the 3rd of October, 1611.*
Which when our duchess heard, condoling the
great loss of the whole kingdora ; (for her raajesty
was not twenty-eight years complete), having so
raany princely children deprived of so good a
ra.other in the flower of her age ; coraraanding
presently raourning to be raade for her servants,
saying : " All Spain and Germany had true cause
to mourn ; but she was worthy of a better king
dom, which this good lady had attained in so
young years ; and I, poor woman and decrepit,
do languish in this bed with pain and misery."
Our duchess sent rae to give the Resume to the
queen's ghostly Father, a Jesuit, that carae with
her out of Gerraany, condoling his and - the
general loss. In doing the raessage, he could
not for tears answer me, but wept like a child.
In this extreme sickness, the pains being extra
ordinary that our good duchess suffered, yet when
any carae to visit her, were he religious, or a
neighbour, or any gentlemara of our country, she
received him with that alacrity and cheerfulness
8 This was Margaret of Austria, wife of Philip III., King of
Spain, and daughter of Charles, Archduke of Gratz.

HER SENSE OF JUSTICE, 1S7
of countenance, as increased an affectionate
respect from them to her. Yea, such was the
sweetness of her condition as drew a certain •
reverence and esteem frora thera who conversed
with her ; and in this conversation, such was her
raildness, gravity, and gracious deportment, as
after such visit they affected and honoured her
much more, as well raight be applied to her what
the Holy Scripture saith of the noble and
raeraorable widow Judith : " And she was araong
all most famous, because she feared our Lord
very much ; neither was there that spake an ill
word of her." * In this sickness, marvellous was
the care our duchess took and the strict account
to make full satisfaction where any thing might
be due, not alone for matters past but for to-
come, and so she had provided for the burial ;
and the exact accomplishraent of her testament,
having committed the charge to her faithful
servants. For the better clearing of all questions,.
she wrote, some months before she died, to the
Contador and Treasurer, officers of the duke's
estate, (whereof she had been governess many
years, as hath been said) charging them before
God, that if they knew or could understand any
^ See Judith, viu. 8.

THE DUCHESS OF FERIA,

thing wherein she might be indebted by way of
justice or conscience that they should advise her;
comraanding thera to take pains and use diligence
to search and inquire if there should be any
cause for restitution, and to deraand and hear
the coraplaints of all, and to advertise her that
they might be reraedied. These letters I wrote.
And likewise did she call a servant, whora she
rauch trusted, under whose charge passed, sorae
years before she died, the general and great
receipts and expenses of all accounts in her
house, to have great care of this particular for
satisfaction, coramanding him to look well about
and reraeraber her where she raight have any
obligation. So Christian and fervent was her
desire corapletely to satisfy with all that raight
be due in justice or conscience. And to her
great cost did she deal with sorae, more by the
way of pitiful than of obliged. As but three
days before she died, taking corapassion upon the
master carpenter that had taken, too great, all
the timber-work of the church of Sta. Marina,
complaining that he had overshot hiraself in the
bargain and was too great a loser, desired by way
of petition to be considered. She did, having
exarained the business, in corapassionate favour

THE PROGRESS OF THE DISEASE. 1S9
grant his suit and signed the Libran9as for the
recovery of this money ; which the man took so
gratefully when I gave him the Libran9as (or
warrants), wishing hira to give some alms to the
poor monastery in gratuity, he proraised at the
receipt of the raoney to give thera a hundred
ducats. Until three days before our duchess died
she omitted not the saying of her usual prayers, as
the Office of our Blessed Lady, her beads, and
to have read to her the life of the Saint of the
day. When she had not possibility of health to
read her Office herself, she willed some other to
read it for her.
On Thursday night, the 19th of January, her
infirmity increasing, I was present while her
excellency supped, which she seeraed to eat 'with
appetite and reasonable gust, her supper being
a partridge and some jelly. After grace was said,
she reraaining sitting up in her bed, to wash her
raouth and hands, as she usually did, she shewed
so strangely fair with colour in her face, so clear
and lively, as those who were present stood and
adraired at her sudden beauty ; so as one said to
another, " Did you ever see a fairer face ? What
raay be the cause of this alteration ? Is her
grace turned young again ? " And an ancient

igo THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
gentlewoman in the company (I was present) was
bold to say to her, " Madara, your grace looks
strangely fair on the sudden." She only srailed
but replied nothing. One ^ of her servants that
understood soraewhat of the nature of the pulse,
and in the absence of the physicians her grace
did usually comraand him to take hers, a little
before she went to take rest that night, taking it,
told her woraen at his going out of the charaber,
that ray lady was not well, her pulse showed a
greater weakness ; and that he perceived a certain
raalicious increase of her ague. And therefore
on Friday raorning very early he came to see how
she had passed that night, and what had suc
ceeded. Then he found her pulse m.uch worse
and her forces strangely weakened. Her grace
asked hira how he liked her pulse ? He answered
with leisure, not so well as he wished. She
importuned hira to know the whole particular,
and charged hira to tell her plainly and truly his
opinion. He told her the truth, and what he
thought. And she acknowledged that in the
sarae raanner, or rather worse, she herself felt
that her spirits were rauch debilitated, and
" In the margin of the original MS. this is said to have been
" tho author " himself.

THE APPROACH OF THE END. 191
it was pain to her to speak. When, not long
after, the physicians carae to visit her, they con
fessed they found her rauch altered since the
day before ; yet gave her corafort that there was
not so great danger as she imagined. As her
weakness they said was more, so they appointed
her to drink goat's milk, fresh drawn. But per
ceiving these to be but de'.ays and dilatory
raedicines of doctors, feeling herself in danger,
although she yielded to what they prescribed,
having a thirsty desire to be with God, she com
raanded and ceased not to call upon us, until
order was given to bring her from the parish
church the Blessed Sacrament, pro Viatico,
albeit she had communicated but three or four
days before. This the physicians, under pretence
not to disanimate her, would have deferred,
alleging the present necessity not to be so great ;
until by raore importunity of her grace. It was
brought to her on Saturday night, at nine o'clock,
which she received with marvellous gust and
devotion, answering with good raeraory and
zealous proraptitude to all questions that are
demanded when in such case the Blessed Sacra-
raent is adrainistered.
In this occasion, the duke, her grandson, came

192 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

to ask her blessing upon his knees, and forgive
ness of all displeasures and offences, offering
himself, his service, and his goods, to aceomphsh
all that her excellency should order and com
mand ; and with this grew tender. She took this
offer with an affectionate irapression, although
she intended to charge hira with nothing, only
coraraended to hira her servants and gave hira
her blessing with much goodwill and love of a
mother, adding sorae short lessons of good
counsel. That night she passed resting very little,
spending most of the time in prayer and hearken
ing to the Religious men that were about her ;
for almost continually frora this evening to her
decease there were with her two Fathers of the
Society, four Franciscan friars, one Dorainican
Father, her chaplain, and rayself.
On Sunday, the extreraity increasing, she
desired with great instance the Sacrament of
Extrerae Unction, which was brought and given
her at ten o'clock in the forenoon ; which likewise
she received with great devotion and demonstra
tion of her Christianity. And with others that
were present when they gave her this Sacrament,
was Don Juan Idiaques, an ancient councillor of

THE APPROACH OF THE END. 193

Estate, President of the Council of Orders and
generally of great name and respect in Spain,
who after that she had received the Sacrament,
went to her bedside to kiss her hands and to take
his last leave. To hira standing upon his knees,
(for he would not be entreated to stand other
wise) she raade a speech ; with so good words
and reasons coraraending to his favour and pro
tection, her house and the duke her grandson,
as the President reraained as it were araazed to
see so great weakness and together such an
understanding and meraory in her affairs. He
shedding raany tears on going out of her chamber,
said to us, " It is a thing to praise God for, to
see this lady how well she stands with God, and
the spirit that she hath."
After her grace had received this Sacrament,
her servants came to her charaber to ask forgive
ness and to take her blessing. There was
nothing seen nor heard but tears and sighs. To
all did she give pardon with gracious countenance
and very good will, willing thera all to pray for
her. Likewise raost of the great ladies that were
in Madrid came to take their last leave and ask
her blessing. Such was the reverence of her age,
the example of her life and regard of her virtus. N

194 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

The sarae afternoon an English knight, a
kinsraan of our duchess. Sir Robert Chamberlain,^
carae also to take his leave ; a chief raotive of his
coraing to Madrid, as he said, was to kiss her
hand. He now sorry to see her in that plight,
so near her end, beseeched her blessing, and to
command hira something in her service. She
said to him : " Cousin, you see my speech begins
to fail rae ; but what I wish you is, that you look
to it, to stand strong and firra in the CathoHc
Faith. I know well that Catholics suffer great
troubles in England ; but take care you lose not
the goods of heaven for the goods of the earth.
And so God Alraighty bless you and keep you ; "
coraraanding after a jewel to be given hira of
one hundred ducats, which, after her death, I
bought and gave him.
That night between eight and nine o'clock she
had a trance, so extreme and violent that we all
thought it would have ended her. And while she
was in the corabat of this fit, not altogether losing
her sense, the Religious about her called to her to
^ A letter from Sir John Digby to the Earl of Salisbury.
from Madrid, dated 19th January, 1612, st. vet, mentions the
arrival there of Sir Robert Chamberlain, and the death of the
duchess on the night of Monday, 13th January.

THE APPROACH OF THE END. 195
narae Jesus; if she could not with her tongue,
yet with her raind to call upon Hira and to trust
in His Sacred Passion, putting in her hand a
little crucifix which she often kissed, embraced
it ; and when she recovered her speech repeated
verbatim the words that the Fathers had said to
her, and of herself (only with perfect raeraory) the
whole hymn, 0 Gloriosa Domina, Excelsa super
sidera, etc. ; and many tiraes repeated
Maria, Mater gratia:.
Mater misericordiae ;
Tu nos ab hoste protege,
Et hora mortis suscipe.
Crux Christi, protege nos ;
Crux Christi, salva nos ;
Crux Christi, defende nos.
And in a raanner her speech was always : " Jesu,
Maria, be with rae ; Mother of God, help rae ;
good Jesu, deliver me frora these troubles." And
in this sort, taking at tiraes a little broth of
substance passed to the next raorning ; excusing
herself to the Religious that had taken such pains
with her that night. And in this interira, that
night she spake proraptly and readily of divers
things with the servant.' whom she trusted, com-
' Most probably the author himself.

196 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
mending to his charge certain alras of rauch
charity to divers persons.
This day, Monday, being the last day of her
life in this world, and in Spain a holiday of
St. Hildefonsus, Bishop of Toledo, which at
-midnight she had raind of; for such was then
her raemory, as knowing it to be passed twelve
•o'clock, she said to rae : " This is now St. Hilde-
fonsus's day ; to-raorrow, Tuesday, our Blessed
Lady of Peace (for so it is observed in the arch
bishopric of Toledo) ; Wednesday, St. Paul's day;
and Thursday, the 26th of January, St. Poly-
-carpus's day, the day that ray son died in Naples."
This day, I say, being holiday, she called and
took care all her people should hear Mass. And
when she saw the priest vested, she asked rae, if
all her woraen were there ? Which Mass, not
withstanding being so weak and lying in her bed,
she attended and heard with great devotion.
About twelve o'clock the sarae day, a paroxysm or
trance came upon her, so violent as she seemed
to be wholly without sense and breathing to the
last of her life; so as we all held her for de
parted ; until, after a little space, they naraed,
with a loud voice, the Narae of Jesus, she a little
bowed down her head without any other raotion.

IIER ADVICE TO LADY DIGBY. 197
and continued in this trance very near an
hour. When she was corae to herself and had taken
a little broth, the young duchess, her daughter-in-
law, told her that the Lady Digby, wife of the
English Lord Arabassador, had been there to see
her grace, but finding her in that agony was
returned horae. Her grace answered, "I would
I had seen her." The duchess presently with
haste sent her coach for her, sending her word
that her grace was yet alive, and if she would
corae, raight see her. The lady carae as soon as
she heard it, with all possible expedition. And
coraing into our duchess' charaber, drew near to
the bedside, other corapany that were there
giving her place. It seeraed by her grace's
countenance that she was glad of her coraing ;
and after salutations, the one bidding welcome,
the .other condoling to see her so sick, our
duchess said to her these words: "Lady, I speak
with much difficulty; and that which I have not
strength to say I refer to this Father ; " for there
stood at her bed's head. Father Creswell, an
English Father of the Society.^ " Your Lady-
8 Father Joseph Creswell, S,J. See De Backer, i — 1464,
Oliver, i — 78.

igS THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
ship is now come into a country and place of
Catholics where you may see and learn ; and if you
do not, the fault is yours. And believe me. Lady,
and I do tell it you, dying, That there is no salvation
out of the Catholic Roman Church ; nor true faith
but that which Catholics profess. And if your
ladyship desires to save your soul, look to this
which imports you." The Lady Digby answered:
" Madame, I desire nothing so much, as reason
is I should, as the salvation of ray soul ; and I
trust that the Lord will have raercy upon me ;
for in the law and religion wherein I have been
bred, I desire to serve Him." Her grace replied :
" Lady, desires are not enough, it is necessary to
put it into work, and no work is good but that
which is by the faith and teaching of the Church.
I lack strength to speak more; look well to it ;
this is it which raost imports you." And so bade
her farewell ; the Lady Ambassador weeping
very much to see our Duchess draw so near to
her end.
When the Lady Digby was gone, one that stood
on the further side of the bed, which was tOr
wards the wall, asked her Grace ^ how she did,
' Here again we recognise the writer of this narrative, and
in the incident recorded a few lines afterwards.

HER LAST MOMENTS. 199
and where she had been an hour since (raeaning
when she was in that great trance), telling her
that we all thought she had been in heaven.
She answered : " Surely, I was very near, why
•did they call rae back again ? " Which was no
sraall corafort to rae and all that heard it. An
hour after, she turned again into another trance,
but not so violent as was the last ; for she had her
sense and always showed signs of devotion when
they naraed Jesus or Maria, with bowing down
her head and opening her eyes towards heaven.
After a little time, her speech returning again,
the same party came to her Grace, offering his
service in what she pleased to comraand, and
withal asked what she would have ? She ans
wered in English. "Health (pausing a little,
added) in heaven, which I hope will quickly
corae ; for we are in the Vespers of our Lady of
Peace,-'" who in peace will receive ray soul this
night. Jesus, Maria, be with me. Sweet Jesus,
have mercy on me."
A little time after, they brought to her the two
young grandchildren, the daughters of the duke,
1° A marginal note here tells us that on "the twenty-fourth
•of January, in the diocese of Toledo, is celebrated the feast of
our Lady of Peace,"

THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

her grandson. She gave thera her ^blessing, ask
ing it frora heaven for thera and for herself, which
was not far off; for then, her spirits beginning to
fail, within a raatter of two hours after (that tirae
being spent by the Religious about her in godly
exhortations, prayers, and Divine service used in
such occasions), a little after nine o clock in the
night on the 23rd of January, 1612, sweetly with
out -any trouble raore than the pangs of death,
which were very short, she rendered her blessed
soul to God for to live with Hira eternally.

CHAPTER XV.
ACCOUNT OF THE FUNERAL OF THE DUCHESS,
AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES CONNECTED WITH
IT.
Thus, our virtuous duchess left this transitory
world to receive the reward of her virtue with the
Saints of God, whereof we raay have more than
probable or moral hope that she was soon raade
partaker, considering what passed in the foresaid
trances. She had suffered raany months of pur
gatory in this world ; led a laudable and exemp
lary christian life ; and ended it with much edifi
cation and consolation of all the assistants ; for
when her tongue failed, which was sorae half-
hour before she deceased, her hands and eyes
showed her faith and desire to be with God. And
the last temporal thing that she spoke when her
speech began to fail her was to her maid who
attended at her bed's feet, bidding her to put in
decency and handsomely her bed-clothes about
N 2

THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

her body, to the end, no doubt, she might die with
seemly decency so as to prevent what perhaps
the pangs of death might cause.
So this our duchess, on the octave of her birth
(for she was born on the sixth of February), did
return her happy soul to her Creator to attain the
sum of her felicity ; and left her body remaining,
with the face so beautiful, her hands so fair and
flexible, wonderful in that great age, that they
seemed rather of a heavenly creature than of a
dead body. So dressed up in a poor Franciscan
habit, which she had kept by her many years for
that purpose to be her outward shroud (which
had been, the cast garment of a holy good Friar)
and with a scapular of St. Dominic's Order, she
was laid thus upon a pallet with her face un
covered and her hands held up close together, as
the use is to hold them praying.
In the raeantime the duke, her grandson, being
there, the Teniente of the town was called, (who
is the judge in civil causes) and the scrivener
that had written and sealed up her testament, to
unseal it, open it, and read it pubhcly before the
said Teniente, the duke, and others appointed.
For so had our duchess ordained, that as soon as
she should be departed this world, the duke (if

THE READING OF HER WILL. 203
he were in the town) should be present at the
reading of her testament to ratify it if he pleased
or otherwise, if he should take any exceptions
about any legacies, to shew the cause before the
Justice. When the Teniente was come before
the duke, the Marquis de Malpica, the Conde de
los Arcos, Don Alonso de Cordova, Don Francisco
Garnica and others, where I was also present,
the testament was opened and read aloud by the
scrivener; which all heard with attention, the
reading of it continuing about an hour. Which
when read, the Teniente asked the duke if his
excellency would ratify and confirm it ? He
answered, " Most willingly," and then subsigned
it with his hand. The Teniente, also signing it,
said, " I see no other defect in this testaraent but
one, that it is not printed, that others might learn
by it to make their testament ; because I see in
it the lively points and effects of great charity,
rare wisdom, worthy virtue and true Christian
zeal." This said the judge of the town of Madrid.
The conclusion of which testaraent I will add
here, being directed to the duke her grandson,
her heir, as her last blessing, translated out of
the Spanish, which is as follows, verbatim : —
"After having commended my soul to our

204 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA,
Lord, for the love and raost intimate affection I
bear to the duke, Don Gomez, as my grandchild,
and lord of the house of his father, I require and
beseech and charge him, that he take for founda
tion of all his actions the holy fear of our Lord
God ; having care to give no place in his soul to
sin, nor to differ one point from the observance
of God's coraraandraents. Be, my son, very
charitable and an almsgiver; have about thee
honest and virtuous corapany ; take counsel of
persons well-intentioned and virtuous ; exercise
thyself in the acts of a Christian gentleman as
thy ancestors have done ; govern thy vassals with
the love of a father and amorous lord ; take com
passion of the poor, favour the good, repress the
wicked and do justice with equality; procuring
to root out of thy estate public sins and offences
of our Lord, Whom I humbly beseech, by the
merits of His most holy Passion and of His
most holy Mother our Blessed Lady, and St.
Francis and St. Dominic, that He bless thee, and
with His blessing give thee His Divine grace and
those excellent favours which He accustometh to
give to His elect ; that I, thy grandmother, and
in love more than any, as much as I can, in the
Name of the most holy Trinity, do bless thee

MASSES FOR HER SOUL, aoj
within and without ; and conformable to this His
holy blessing do again beseech Him that He
obtain for thee and thy successors that which
may be to the glory of the same God and good
of thy soul and body, and goods and vassals.
Amen. I pray thee that thou have me in thy
memory, to command to say Masses for my soul,
and for the souls of the duke thy father, and of
the duke my lord, thy grandfather, , who are in
rest." When the testament was read, signed and
ratified by the justice and by the duke, order
was presently taken that night to accomplish
with the soonest expedition, what the testament
coramanded; which was principally to say Masses
for her soul. For she had ordained, as soon as
raight be after her departure, a hundred Masses
should be said in the privileged altars of the
town of Madrid ; and there also ordered to be
sung twenty-four Masses of Requiem. In the
state of Feria she had ordained to be said three
thousand Masses, besides the sung Masses for
nine days together, after her burial ; good allow
ance given for all these Masses. She had
bequeathed very liberally to the poor of Madrid,
and to the poor monasteries there, to pray for her

206 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
soul. She gave two hundred ducats to the poor
of the town of Zaphra, and a very charitable
benevolence to the monasteries there ; ordering
that twelve poor men should be thoroughly
clothed to accompany her body at the burial, and
to each of them twelve reals in money. Also
she remembered with good alms our English
Carthusians. No man-servant of hers but had
mourning, a hat, a cassock and coat of good
cloth ; and the women theirs as was fit ; and
every one some good remembrance according to
their quality and merit.
The next morning her body was put into the
coffin, wrapped in lead, because it was to be
carried to Zaphra to the monastery of Sta. Clara,
there to be put in the vault under the high choir,
among the other coffins of the lords of that house.
She willed in her testament to be laid by the
duke her husband ; saying that loving together
so well in life, it was meet their bodies should
not be parted in death. Zaphra is some two-
hundred English railes from Madrid, where she
died. That night before she was chested, divers
came to see the sweetness and fairness of that
face, kissing her hands upon their knees,
iraagining she was in place to pray for them.

THE JOURNEY TO ZAPHRA. 207
The coffin was set up high in the greater room
of the house, set round with torches and wax
lights, above and beneath, covered with a hearse-
cloth of new black velvet, which the young
duchess sent ; so large, as the tomb standing
higher than a man's head, it lay spread on both
the ends and sides upon the ground. In the
same room were set up two altars, where con
tinually from six o'clock to twelve, Masses were
said and Responsories by divers Religious. And
in the afternoon many came and prayed at the
hearse. The day following, at three o'clock in the
morning, the body was put in a coach to be
carried to Zaphra, attended by her own servants
and twelve of the duke's (whereof his secretary
was one), her chaplain and an Augustine Friar ;
for she had expressly commanded by her will to
be carried with the least pomp and the most
secret. This journey, which was nine days in
travel, (for we entered in Zaphra on the second of
February) was with the fairest weather, and as
pleasant a voyage as could be wished, although
we passed the great high mountains that part
Castille from Estraraadura, (where ordinarily is
tempest and bitter storms in the winter ; for in

2o8 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.
our return we had sharp cold winds, hail and
snow) and being in the end of the month of
January, which is not a season so settled for fair
and warm weather. And withal such a con
formity and good agreement in all the company,
(albeit there were pages, under-servants and
hired fellows that served the coaches and mules,
which usually are not the most orderly), as every
one did his duty ; no murmuring, no grudging,
no complaining, nor the least disgust in the
world. Which I really have reason to attribute
to the body of our good duchess that we carried.
For divers times the same winter before she died,
in November and December, the weather being
very cold, rainy and tempestuous, she did say to
me and others : " If I should die now, what
trouble should I give my servants to carry my
body ? " But then did we reply : " Fear not ; she
that gave not trouble in life, will not give it in
death ; " which was, as I raay say, miraculously
fulfilled. And when we drew near to our journey's
end, entering into the precincts of the town of
Zaphra, it began to rain so as the whole town
cried : " The blessing of God is come ; " for they
wanted rain exceedingly and had prayed long for
it ; and that night they had enough, so that all

PREPARATIONS FOR THE INTERMENT. 209
which were on horseback were thoroughly wet,
and we that were in coaches were not wholly dry.
Upon Candlemas day, between five and six
o'clock in the evening, we entered into Zaphra.
Out of the town, the raagistrates, gentlemen and
chiefest inhabitants did raeet the body with torch
light, and so accompanied it to the church of
Sta. Marina, which church our duchess had built,
and where lay buried the body of her cousin,
Mrs. Margaret Harrington, the Lord Harrington's
sister ; where was erected a goodly monument in
the raiddle of the church to place the body upon.
The nuns did sing Vespers and a nocturn de
Defunctis ; which done, all the corapany were dis
posed to their lodgings in several principal men's
houses, who entertained us extraordinary well.
The next raorning the raagistrates and we
that brought the body raet together at the Con-
tador's house, who governed the estate, and with
him as chief mourner went to the church, where
was sung a soleran Mass and a serraon preached
by a Franciscan Friar, much in praise of our
duchess. In the afternoon the body was to be
carried to Sta. Clara, where it was to be interred,
which was done in this soleran manner. Most
of the religious of all Orders in the whole estate

.THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

were present with their crosses. The Priests of
the town in their surplices and copes ; the Dean
-of the High Church doing the Office, having a
very rich cope of black velvet richly embroidered
with gold and the dalmatics of the deacon and
the sub-deacon answerable. These the duke her
son had caused to be raade in Sicily, with the
antependiuras and furniture for six altars ; for so
.raany are in the Church of Sta. Clara ; and they
are the fairest and richest ornaments to be used
pro defunctis that I have seen in Spain, or else
where ; and the first tirae that they were used, it
was for the duke that caused thera to be made.
And albeit the way was not long between the two
monasteries, yet they made three stations, singing
.a Responsory, with a prayer and incensing, cer
tain low pillars being set, covered with black
¦cloth to set the body upon.
Being entered into Sta. Clara, the body was
placed on a stately high monuraent in the high
choir; and the nuns sung vespers and the noc-
turns of requiem. The same night, shewing to
the Abbess of Sta. Clara, who then was Donna
Maria de Mendo9a, a niece of the duke of
Infantadgo, what was to be perforraed by the
testament of the duchess, whose will was that

AN UNEXPECTED DIFFICULTY.

her body should be there interred with the bodies
of the dukes, her husband and son ; and that the
abbess, before a j)ublic notary, should accept the
conditions for accoraplishing the anniversaries
and other rites ordered by the testament. The
abbess and other of the nuns answered, they
would first see whether the body were there.
For, say they, we see a coffin, but we raust see
that the body is in it. Which whether it was
necessary to open the coffin being so locked, and
the body in lead, and the long tirae that it had
rested there would be troublesorae ; or that the
abbess suspected the body raight be taken out, it
was questioned. For the abbess of Sta. Marina
told me that she with her religious had a purpose
that the night that the body rested in their
church to have stolen it out and to have stuffed
the coffin with some other raatter, alleging that
it was proper to thera, and that her body, who
was the foundress, should reraain in her own
church, and it was against reason they should be
deprived of so holy a treasure so due to thera. I
answered that we had the key of the coffin ; and
the lock broken, it would have been perceived ;
and withal it had broken her last will and desire
and would have procured much scandal and

THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

debate ; nor could I permit it, being one of the
executors. "The lock seen, and the consideration
thereof did only stay us, said she."
There served no reply to the abbess of Sta.
Clara but she would see the body; nor would
she sign nor agree to anything before she saw it,
although it was fast locked and no breech at aH
to be seen in the coffin which, upon the boards,
was covered close with black velvet, laced on the
sides and ends, thick nailed with gilded nails,
and double hinges fast nailed at all the corners
gilded. So, to give contentment to their curiosity,
the coff.n was opened and the face seen, which
was twelve days after her death, still reraaining
fair, so seeraly and sweet and with so Hvely
colours, as if she had been living ; her hands
tender, flexible and white, as they were while she
lived. And out of her nostrils dropped a little
blood, so fair, fresh and red, as if it had been from
a Iamb ; which a priest standing there took in his
handkerchief, although her body had not been
opened, (for she did precisely comraand in her
testaraent, charging her executors that no person
should touch nor corae near her body until her
women had shrouded it up,) nor been dressed
with spices, balms nor other drugs; so as all that

THE FUNERAL EXEQUIES, 213
saw it stood admired and might say: "Laudabilis
Deus in Sanctis suis."
The next morning, being Saturday the 4th of
February, the exequies of her funeral were to be
solemnized, which continued from six o'clock in
the morning to four in the evening. For first the
Recollects of St. Francis's Order did sing their
Nocturn and Mass so solemn as their Order may
permit, with a Responsory after, sprinkling holy
water and incensing about the raonuraent. After
them the Dominicans did the same also, more
soleranly. After thera the Franciscans did the
like, the Superior still singing the Mass. Then
next, the priests of the great church, the dean
doing the office ; the Nocturn sung and Mass
celebrated most solemnly ; and at the end of
Mass they sung Alternis vicibus, five responsories,
five times sprinkled, and five tiraes incensed,
about the raonuraent. After them the nuns of
the same church began their office, and after
they had sung their nocturn. High Mass was
celebrated ; after the gospel whereof had been
sung, was preached a serraon by the Prior of the
Dominicans. His theme was out of the 114th
Psalm, "Convertere anima mea in requiem tuam.,
quia Dominus beneficit tibi. Quia eripuit aniinam

214 THE DUCHESS OF FERIA.

meam de morte, oculos meos a lacrymis, pedes
meos a lapsu. Placebo Domino in regione
vivorum ; " which he applied very learnedly and
divinely to the person, life and death of our
duchess. After this office was done, as the former had
been, they took down the coffin to be carried down
into the cave, where many other bodies lay
in chests that were of the blood and descendants
of the house of Feria. I was one who assisted to
bear her body into that vault, which gave no
offence, but with as good a savour as raight be
wished, was there deposed, " ut in resurrectionis
gloria inter sanctos et electos resuscitata respiret."
Nine days after we stayed there, assisting daily
at the sung Mass, which was in the church of
Sta. Clara ; so coramanded by her Grace's will,
and the ninth day the solemnity was raore than
ordinary. The house of our Duchess, as she had ordered
by will, remained two raonths, every servant
there having their allowance as when she lived,
to have that tirae to provide theraselves. Pres
ently upon our return, all legacies were paid ; and
before the two raonths were expired, all dues for
Masses and other alms were discharged, and

THE AUTHOR'S CONCLUSIONS. 215
the annuities bequeathed so settled as all future
questions were prevented that might hinder the
due payment.
I should describe here the outward habit ancl
constitution of the body and stature of the
Duchess, which is in the history distinctly noted
as she grew in years ; and when I came to her
service in the year 1603, in the first year of King
James, she was in the sixty-sixth year of her age ;
which together with the heats of Spain, was much
extenuated, beginning a little to stoop. She was
soraewhat higher than ordinary ; of a comely
person, a Hvely aspect, a gracious countenance,
very clear-skinned, quick in senses ; for she had
her sight and hearing to her last hour. Until
she broke her arm, she was perfect in all parts ;
her person venerable and with majesty; all show
ed a nobility and did win a reverent respect from
all. I have not seen of her age a more fair,
comely and respectful personage ; which was
perfected with modest comportraent, deep judg
raent, graceful huraility and true piety. Of her
raay be notably and really spoken those praises
which are expressed in Holy Scripture of a
Good Woman.

INDEX

Abbot's Aston, ii.
Admiral, Lord High, see
Howard, Charles, Lord.
Alcala, 182.
Aleii9on, Margaret, duch
ess of, 76.
Allen, William, Cardinal,
57< 139-
Alva, Fernando Alvares de
Toledo, duke of, 5 1 , 1 1 1 .
Amboise, 116.
Antwerp, 112, 115.
Aquila, Alvaro de Quadra,
bishop of, 106, 109.
Arcos, the Conde de los,
203.
Arcos, Maria de Toledo,
duchess of, 137.
Arthur, prince, 76, 78.
Ashridge, 59.
Atocha, 158.
Ayala, don Juan de, 108,
109.
Aylesbury, 15, 48.
Bacon, sir Nicholas, 95.
Badajos, 143, 144.
BaiHe, Thomas, 139.
Barlow, William, Dr, 94.
Barnstaple, 174.
Bedford, John Russel, earl
of, 48, 49.
Bell, Gregory, 139.
Beverley, Robert Law
rence, prior of 25.

Bill, WiUiam, Master of
St. John's College, Cam
bridge, 95.
Boleyn, Anne, queen, 41,
76,77.78, 79>8i,82,85.
Boleyn, George, viscount
Rochford, 79.
Boleyn, Thomas, earl of
Wiltshire, 76, 87.
Bonner, Edmund, bishop
of London, 67, 96.
Boulogne, no.
Bourne, Gilbert, bishop of
Bath and Wells, 96.
Brabant, 107.
Branford, Gilbert, 139.
Brentford, 39.
Brereton, William, 79.
Brian, Sir Francis, 40, 41,
81.
Browne, Anthony, Vis
count Montague, 13, 14.
Bruges, in.
Brussels, 115.
Buccapedalius, Ant. 140.
Buckinghamshire, 48.
Calais, no, in.
Carabridge, 13.
Camden, William, 76, 86,
90, 97.
Canute, king of England, 6.
Capel, Giles, 139.
Carew, sir Gawen, 93.
Carew, sir Peter, 93.

INDEX.

Carter, William, 139.
Carion delos Condes, 161.
Cassano, Owen Lewis,
bishop of, 57.
Carlos, don, son of king
Philip II, 135.
Carnarvon, Charles Dor
mer, earl of, i.
Carthusians, the, of Lon
don, 21, 22, 125, 139.
Castille, in, 207.
Catharine of Siena, St.,
164.
Catharine, queen, wife of
Henry VIIL, 9, 73, 76,
77> 78-
Catharine Parr, queen,
widow of Henry VIIL,
87.
Chamberlain, sir Leonard,
38.
Chamberlain, sir Robert,
194.
Charles V., emperor, 75,
76, 83, 131.
Chauncey, Maurice, mar
tyr, 139.
Cheke, sir John, 92.
Cholmeley, Sir John, 92.
Cisneros, Benito, 151.
Clara, St. 167, 179.
Clarentia, Mrs. no.
Clement VIL, Pope, 75.
Clement VIIL, Pope, 161.
Clifford, Henry, (see Pre
face.)

Constable, sir Henry, 14.
Cordova, Alonso de, 203.
Cordova, Antonio de, S.J.,
136.
Cordova, Catalina Fer
nandez de, 136.
Cresswell, Joseph, S.J.
119, 197.
Croydon, 64.
Cranmer, Thomas, arch
bishop of Canterbury,
91.
Croftes, sir James, 93.
Cromwell, Thomas, lord,
26.
Cuen9a, a bonesetter, 155.
Curie, Gilbert, secretary
to Queen Mary Stuart,
119.
Dacre of the North, lord,
14.
Daniel, John, 88.
Dartford, 108.
Dauley, John, 139.
Dennie, sir Thomas, 93.
Devonshire, Edward
Courtney, earl of, 67, 93.
Digby, Lord, 197.
Digby, Lady, 197, 198.
Dominic, St., 167, 179,204.
Dorman, Thomas, 139.
Dormer, Charles, earl of
Carnarvon, i.
Dormer, lady Elisabeth, i.
Dormer, lady Jane, mother

INDEX.

2ig

of the duchess of Feria,
i6, 17, 18.
Dormer, Jane, see Feria,
duchess of
Dormer, Margaret, 14.
Dormer, Robert, lord, 1, 16.
Doullens, 69.
D'Oussons, M. 116.
Dover, 109, no.
Drake, sir Francis, 98.
Dudley, sir Henry, 92.
Dudley, lord, Robert, 92.
Dunbar, viscount, 14.
Dunkirk, in.
Edward the Confessor, 6, 7.
Edward IIL, kiiig, 8.
Edward IV., king, 77.
Edward VI. , king, n, 38,
42, 48, 59, 62, 83, 86.
Edward, prince, son of the
Duke of Clarence, 77.
Elizabeth, queen, 49, 67,
72, 73. 85. 100, 105.
Eltham, 81.
Escurial, the, 129, 142.
Essex, Walter Devreux,
earl of, 97.
Estraraadura, 122, 207.
Ethrop, 15, 59.
Exeter, Elisabeth, duchess
of, 12.
Exeter, Henry Courtney,
marquis of, 67.
Exeter, John Holland,
duke of, 12.

Exmew, William, martyr»
27.
Feckenham, John, abbot
bf Westminster, 96.
Fenne, John, 139.
Feria, don Gomes de Fig
ueroa, count and duke
of, his arrival in Eng
land, 68, 69, 73, 74, loi,
his marriage with Jane
Dormer, 102, 103, 104,
assists the English Ca
tholics, 106, leaves Eng
land, 108, his will, 123,
124, his devotion, 126,
127, his affection for the
Society of Jesus, 136,
137, his last sickness,
and death, 129-140.
Feria, Jane Dormer,
duchess of, her descent,
birth, and family, 1-66,
her marriage, 102, 103,
104, her parting inter
view with Queen Eliz
abeth, 108, 109, leaves
England, 108, her life
in Spain, 115-128, her
widowhood, 146-180,
her last illness, 188, her
death, 200, 202, her fune
ral, 213.
Feria, Gomez, her grand
son, 204.
Feria, Pedro, count, 171.

INDEX.

Fisher, John, Cardinal and
martyr, 74, 78.
Flanders, 39, 69, 90, 103,
107, 136, 137, 151.
Flushing, 112,
Foster, Peter, 139.
France, 69, 89, 94, 103.
Francis I., king of France,
76, 83.
Francis 1 1., king of
France, 116.
Francis, St., of Assisi, 164,
167, 204.
Freeman, Thomas, 139.
Gage, Robert, 89.
Gardiner, Stephen, bishop
of Winchester, 67.
Garnica, Francisco, 203.
Gates, sir Francis, 92.
Gaunt, John of, 12.
Ghent, 112.
Gloucestershire, no.
Godwin, earl, 6.
Goldwell, Thomas, bishop
of St. Asaph, 96.
Gourden, M., governor of
Calais, no.
Granvelle, Antoine, Car
dinal, 113, 114.
Gravelines, in. *
Gregory XIIL, Pope, 57,
i6i.
Grey, Jane, 48, 49, 87.
Grindal, Edmund, bishop
of London, 95.

Guise, duke of, 11 5.
Hall, Richard, 139.
Hampton Court, 69.
Hardicanute, king of Eng
land, 6.
Harefield, 8.
Hargatt, Edmund, 139.
Harold Harefoot, king of
England, 6.
Harrington, John, lord, 13,
151, 209.
Harrington, lady, no, 151,
209.
Hatfield, 88.
Hatton, sir Christopher, 96.
Haughton, John, martyr,
25, 26.
Hawkins, sir Richard, 175.
Helena, queen, 174.
Henry VI. , king, 8.
Henry VII., king, 77, 90.
Henry VIIL, king, 9, 23,
32, 59, 74, 75, 85.
Hexham, 25.
Hide, Thomas, 139.
Hochstraten, the duchess
of, 114.
Holland, 97.
Home, Robert, bishop of
Winchester, 95.
Howard, Charles, lord,
99, 100.
Howard, William, lord,
168, 169.
Huguenots, the, 97.

INDEX.

Hungerford, lord, 151.
Hungerford, Anne, lady,
2. 13. 54. 57. 151-
Idiaques, Juan, 192.
Ignatius, St. 136.
Ildefonsus, St. ig6.
Infantadzo, the duke of,
210.
Infantadzo, the duchess of,
154-
Ireland, 95.
James V., king of Scotland,
83.
James VI. , king of Scot
land, 116.
Jerusalem, St. John of, 95.
Joliffe, Henry, 139.
Julian II. (?) Pope, 174.
Kimbolton Castle, 76.
Kingston, sir Anthony, 88.
Knott, William, 139.
Lambeth, 96.
Lapa, S. Onofrio de la,
173, 179.
Latimer, Hugh, bishop of
Worcester, 86.
Lawrence, Robert, mar
tyr, 25.
Leicester, Robert Dudley,
earl of, 96.
Leicestershire, 93,
Lewis, Owen, bishop of
Cassano, 57, 139.
Li6ge, 112.

Lisbon, 39, 108.
London, 108.
Louvain, 50, 55, 115, 163.
Madrid, 142, 144, 150, 156,
175. 177, 178, 193. 194.
203, 205, 206.
Malpica, the marquis of,
203.
Marchena, the Jesuit col
lege of, 137.
Margaret, queen of Spain,
186.
Marina, Sta. the church
of, 180, 188, 2og, 211.
Marshalsea, the 27.
Martin St., of Tours, 167.
Mary Tudor, queen of
England, 2, 13, 39, 43,
49, 58, 61, 62, 68,70,71,
84, 86, 87, 90, 94, 167,
168.
Mary Stuart, queen of
Scots, 97, 116, 117, 118,
119, ^75-
Mechlin, 50, 107, 112, 113,
115-
Medicis, Mary de, queen
of France, 116, 118.
Medina Celi, the duke of,
162.
Mendes, Luys, in.
Mendo5a, Maria de, 210.
Metham, Thomas, 139.
Middlemore, Humphry,
martyr, 27.

INDEX.

Moles, F. Juan Baptista,
126, 127, 180.
Montague, Anthony
Brown, viscount, 13, 14.
Montague, sir Edward, 92.
Montilla, the Jesuit col
lege of, 137.
Montreuil, 9.
More, sir Thomas, mar
tyr. 79-
Morone, Giovanne, Car
dinal, 57.
Namur, 55.
Neville, Anne, 12.
Neville, Amphyllis, 8.
Neville, Frances, 169.
Neville, John, 12.
Neville, Thomas, 12.
Newbury, i.
Newdigate, John, of Hare
field, 8, 16.
Newdigate, Sebastian,
martyr, 2, 19—37.
Newton, sir Henry, no.
Nieuport, in.
Norfolk, Thomas, duke of,
67, 68.
Normandy, 6.
Norris, Henry, 79.
Norris, Mr., mayor of
Barnstaple, 174.
Northampton, William,
marquis of, 92.
Northumberland, John,
duke of, 12, 48.

Nottingham, Charles, earl
of, 68.
Oglethorp, Dr., Bishop of
Carlisle, 96.
Oxford, 38.
Packington, 96.
Paris, 5, 116.
Parker, Matthew, arch
bishop of Canterbury ,95.
Parker, Thomas, 139.
Parma, Margaret, duchess
of, 5S> 112, 114.
Paston, Mrs., no.
Pate, Richard, bishop of
Worcester, 96.
Paul v.. Pope, 143, 161.
Peace, Our Lady of, 196,
199.
Pellev6, Nicolas, Car
dinal, 5.
Pembroke, the countess of,
13-
Philip 1 1., king of Spain,
5, 56, 69, 88, 90, 94, 98,
103, 108, 165.
Pickering, sir William, 96,
no.
Pius v.. Pope, 140.
Pliego, the marquisate of,
133. 171-
Pliego, Catalina, marquesa
de, 137.
Plutarch, 3.
Plymouth, 175.

INDEX.

223

Pole, Reginald, Cardinal,
64, 80.
Pope, sir Thomas, 89.
Portugal, 39, 108, 143.
Portugal, Sebastian, king
of, 121.
Quadra, Alvaro de, bishop
of Aquila, 106, 109.
Raleigh, sir Walter, 96.
Rhemes, the Cardinal of,
174.
Rhodes, the knights of, 40.
Ribadeneyra, Pedro de, 7,
135. 184.
Ribera, Juan de. Patriarch
of Antioch, 180.
Rice, Richard, cook to
Cardinal Fisher, 78, 79.
Richmond, 98.
Rome, 96, 137.
Rutland, the countess of,
14.
Salisbury, Margaret,
countess of, 80.
Sanders, Nicholas, 50, 51,
57, 58.
Santiago, the order of, 124.
Savoy, the palace of, 104.
Scarborough castle, 89.
Scotland, 98.
Scotland, M'ary Stuart,
queen of, see Mary Stu
art.
Segovia, 120. «•

Segura de la Sierra, 124,
152.
Seville, 174. '
Seymour, Jane, 40, 42, 79.
Seymour, sir Thomas, 86,
87.
Shelley, sir William, 95,
96, 116.
Shene, the Carthusians of,
107.
Sicily, 143, 210.
Sidney, sir Henry, 13, 104,
no.
Sidney, lady, 41.
Sidney, Mary, mother of
Jane Dormer, 12, 13.
Sidney, sir Philip, 13.
Sidney, sir William, 12,13,
41, 59, 62.
Sion, the nuns of, 39, 107,
108.
Sixtus v., Pope, 161.
Smeton, Mark, 79, 80.
Smith, sir Thomas, 95.
Smith, William, 139.
Somerset, Edward Sey
mour, duke of, 83, 84.
Somerset, duchess of, 92.
Spain, 39, 76, 112, 120,
Spain, Isabella, queen of,
121.
Spain, Philip II., king of,
see Philip II.
St. Denis, 116.
St. John, of Bletsoe, lord,
14.
Stafford, Thomas, 89.

224

INDEX.

Stanton, William, 88.
Stapleton,Thomas,57, 139.
Stonor, lady, 38.
Stowe's Chronicle, 7.
Stradling, sir Edward, no.
Stratford, Thomas, 93.
Suffolk, Charles Brandon,
duke of, 13.
Suffolk, Henry Grey, duke
of, 93.
Sussex, Frances, countess
of, 13.
Sussex, earl of, 104, no.
Taylour, William, 139.
Thirlby, Thomas, bishop of
Ely, 95.
Thomas, William, 93.
Throckmorton, John, 88.
Throckmorton, sir Nico
las, 93.
Toledo, 120, 196.
Toledo, Antonio de, 111.
Toledo, archbishop of, 183.
Tournay, the archbishop
of, 114.
Tower of London, 30.
Trent, the Council of, 96.
Tunstall, Cuthbert, bishop
of Durham, 67, 96.
Tyburn, 26, 34.
Udall, Richard, 58, 93,
Urles.the monastery of, 1 24.
Valladolid, 144,
Vaux, Cuthbert, 139.
Velada, the marquis of, 162.

Villalva, 127.
VisitaQion, Maria de la,
164.
Vives, Ludovicus, 82.
Wales, 93.
Watson, Thomas, bishop
of Lincoln, 96.
Webbe, Laurence, 139.
Webster, Augustine, mar
tyr, 25.
Westminster, 32.
Westmoreland, Henry
Neville, earl of, 90.
Weston, Francis, 79.
White, John, bishop of
Winchester, 96.
White, Richard, 139.
Whitehall, 98.
Whitehead, Hugh, dean
of Durham, 95.
Whitgift, John, archbishop
of Canterbury, 99, 100.
Wilham I., king of Eng
land, 8.
Wilson, Thomas, 139.
Wiltshire, Wilham Paulet,
earl of, 87.
Wing, Charles Dormer,
baron, i.
Wolsey,Thomas,Cardinal, 74. 75> 76.
Woodstock, 88.
Worcester, 96.
Wyatt, sir Thomas, 87, 93.
Zafra, 122, 124, 126, 144,
151. 179. 180, 206 — 215.

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