But money had to be got somehow, even before the Cortes could meet or
King go to his eastern realms. All the taxes had been anticipated, the
loan-mongers had run dry, and the silver from the indies had not
arrived. Writing in February 1632, Hopton says; "They have levied
heavy contributions on the tradesmen of Madrid,[38] but they {253}
press them not hard yet, trying mild means first, and then passing to
violent. However, they spare not those who are known to be moneyed
men; for they have sent to the Duke of Bejar for 100,000 ducats, and to
the Duke of Medina Sidonia, and others in proportion. It will be a
very great sum in all, but will be needed for the war next summer."
Cardinal Borgia contributed 50,000 crowns, and nobles, merchants, and
churchmen were squeezed as they had never been squeezed before, even in
the time of Lerma.[39] In the Cortes of Castile (February 1632) a
spirited protest for once was made, representing the poverty of the
country, and saying that it was unjust to impoverish the land in order
to send vast sums of money to the Emperor for a war useless to
Spain.[40] But, as usual, the deputies, who were bribed heavily, ended
in voting despairingly what was asked; and after taking the oath of
allegiance, as has already been described, to Prince Baltasar Carlos in
the Church of St. Geronimo, they were promptly dismissed.
[Sidenote: The two Infantes]
The journey of the King to Aragon was an {254} anxious matter.
Olivares had complicated the situation by aiding Marie de Medici and
Gaston Duke of Orleans in their armed revolt against the government of
Richelieu, to the openly expressed fury of the people of Madrid, who
hated disloyalty to a King, even if he were King of France; and the
rumour prevailed that in revenge for the action of Olivares a French
army was preparing to invade Catalonia and carry the war into Spain
itself. The risk and danger of the King's journey were urged upon
Philip, and discussed at length in his Council; but Olivares, whilst
admitting the risk, concluded that, "considering the penury of your
Majesty's treasury, ... the suffering to be incurred and the risk of
annoyance from the Cortes would be lesser evils than the loss of the
two millions (of ducats) we hope to get."[41] But though the voyage
was decided upon, of one thing Olivares had quite made up his mind,
namely, that the King's two brothers should not be left behind to plot
at liberty the downfall of the favourite they hated. Don Carlos, left
to himself and excluded from all affairs by Olivares, had fallen into a
dissipated mode of life; and both he and his abler brother Fernando
were on terms of intimate friendship with the Count-Duke's enemy, the
Admiral of Castile and his kinsmen, especially with Don Antonio de
Moscoso, who was the inseparable factotum of Don Fernando. A most
interesting paper, transcribed at length by Novoa as being written at
the time by Olivares to the King on the subject of the two Infantes,