John, of Austria, 1547-1578; Spain -- History -- Philip II, 1556-1598
But as Quijada when passing Valladolid on his way to Villagarcia found
on all sides the same rumour, of which Vázguez had sent him the echo,
and was annoyed by direct and indirect questions, he wrote this time
without circumlocution to the unknown Flemish correspondent, who was
none other than His Catholic Majesty, King Philip II:
"I find all that concerns the person Y.M. knows that I have in
my care, so public here, that I am frightened, and still more so
by the particulars I hear. I am alarmed lest the Very Serene
Princess should press me to tell her what I know, which I am not
at liberty to do. I have decided to be silent and not to answer
more than I did the first time, as I told Y.M. from Yuste. H.H.
is so gracious that up to now she has said no word to me; so I
shall answer no one who asks more than that I am ignorant of
what people say; but I am also aware that the Very Serene
Princess almost certainly knows the truth, from what I hear. But
H.M.'s wish, as you know, was that it should be kept secret
until your coming, and that afterwards what Y.M. commands should
be done. I have made no more demonstration than in the Emperor's
lifetime; but I am very careful that he should learn and be
taught the things necessary for his age and his rank, since it
is very important that every pains should be taken with him
because of the way in which he was brought up before he came
under my charge. So I thought that I had better advise Y.M. of
what was happening and of the Emperor's intentions, so that Y.M.
should understand and say what your wishes are. Also he has had,
these ten days, a very severe double tertian fever; but blessed
be God! when I came yesterday from my house, it had left him and
he was out of danger."
D. Philip was grateful for this loyalty in Quijada, and answered with
his own hand that the secret should be strictly kept, as the deceased
Emperor had wished, until he himself arrived in Spain, which would be
very shortly; but Quijada was not to be alarmed by the rumours as the
fact was already public in Flanders. To the will that the Emperor had
made in Brussels was added a sealed note with this superscription in his
own writing: "No one is to open this writing but the Prince my son, and
failing him, my grandson D. Carlos; and failing him, he or she who
should be my heir according to my will, when it is opened."
Inside the envelope was the following declaration, signed by the Emperor
and sealed with his private seal:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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