A BRIEF AND TRUE Declaration of the sickness, last words, and death of the King of Spain PHILIP the second of that name, who died in his Abbey of S. Laurence at Escurial seven miles from Madrill the 13. of September 1598.  
Written from Madrill in a Spanish letter, and translated into English according to the true Copy.  
Printed at London by Edm. Bollifant, for William Aspley. 1599   

A brief and true declaration of the sickness, last words, and death of the King of Spain PHILIP the second of that name, who died in his Abbey of S. Laurence at Escurial, seven miles from Madrill, the 13. of September 1598.  
TO satisfy my promise, and to give answer to your letters, requiring my advertisement of these present occurrences, I pray you understand, that this year 1598. the Royal Majesty of our Lord Don PHILIP the third, being then but Prince, was upon S. john's day, in the market place at Madrill, to behold the Bullbayting and other pastimes which were there, at which sport's the King his father (which is now in heaven) was not present by reason of the pain of the gout which sore troubled him. His Highness being returned from the foresaid place, discoursed unto his father all that he had seen, whereupon his Majesty answered, I am right glad to see thee so pleasant, for thou shalt never so long as I live see me have any ease or comfort in this my painful disease. And thereupon commanded preparation to be made for his removing to Escurial. Doctor Marcado one of his ordinary Physicians told him, he ought not to stir, lest the extremity of his pain should increase. The King answered, seeing I must be carried thither when I am dead, I had rather be carried thither being alive. So that in the end to satisfy his desire, his footmen took him up upon their shoulders, & spent six days in going those seven miles, where after that he came, he was better for some few days, though he was not able to stand, but was forced either to sit or lie. But presently the gout reseasing him, accompanied with a fever, made him far sicker than he was before, his Physicians showed all the skill they could to give him some ease, but the extremity of pain so increased, that presently he entered into consideration of his soul by shriving and confessing himself, and receiving the sacrament, at which instant he commanded Garcia de Loyaza to be consecrated Archbishop of Toledo, which was performed by the Pope's Nuntio with all the solemnities and rites accustomed. There happened also to this good King upon his right knee, a bile so angry and swelling, that he could take no rest, his Physicians being amazed thereat, one Elias a Physician of Toledo, by whose advice and direction of others, one Vergara a licentiate Surgeon having applied all fit means to ripen the sore, opened it, and let forth all the bad matter therein contained: soon after the which, there arose four other biles upon his breast, which likewise were ripened, opened and cleansed. This corrupt matter bred a great company of louse, which were very hard to be killed, he remaining in this mean time so weak that he was feign to be turned in sheets, and lift up with four men, whilst two other made all things plain, soft, and clean under him. Ten days before he died, he fell into so great a trance (lasting five hours) that it was easily perceived, that his life and vital powers began to fail, which caused divers Lords in Madrill to provide mourning garments. Being returned to himself, he said to the Archbishop and to those of the chamber there present: My friends and subjects, your sorrows are of no force to recover my health, for no human remedy can profit me. The chief matter of your care ought to be to provide in time all necessaries for my funerals, and in the mean time I command you to call hither your Prince, which shall be your future King, and fetch hither unto me my coffin that I shall be laid in, and place here upon this little cupboard, a dead man's skull crowned with my imperial crown, all which was forthwith done. The Prince and the Infanta his sister being in presence, the King called for john Ruyz de Valasco, putting him in mind of a coffer which he had committed to his custody, willing him to fetch it, the coffer was very little, yet when it was brought he caused it to be opened, and taking forth a precious stone of an infinite value, caused it to be delivered to his Daughter, speaking thus unto her. My daughter Izabella Eugenia Clara, receive this jewel brought unto me by your mother, the which I bestow upon you for my last farewell. And then turning him to the Prince, said, are you contented with this that I give unto your sister? Who answered, yea sir, although you gave her all that I have. This answer liking the King very well, he willed them to look in the coffer for an other paper, and giving it to the Prince, he told him, that therein he should see the form how to govern his kingdom. Then they took out of the said coffer, a whip with bloody knots, which the King holding up said, This blood is mine own, and yet not mine but my fathers, who is in heaven, who made use of this kind of exercise, and therefore to make known the value of it, and the truth of it I thought good to reveal it unto you. After this he commanded a paper to be taken from under his pillow, which being read by john Ruyz, contained these words. We PHILIP by the grace of God, King of Castille and Lion etc. having governed this Realm 40. years, in the 71. years of mine age, give over this Kingdom unto my God to whom it belongeth, and commend my soul into his blessed hands, to perform therewith whatsoever it shall please his divine Majesty. Commanding that this my body so soon as ever my soul shall be separated from the same, be embalmed: then appareled with a Royal rob, and so placed in this brazen shrine here present, and that the hours be kept, with all rites and ceremonies as the law requireth, and I command my funerals to be solemnized in this manner. Before shall be borne the Archbishop's banner, than the Cross, the Monks and the Clergy presently shall follow, all in mourning garments. The Adelantado shall bear the Royal standard trailing it upon the ground. 
Adelantado is the Admiral of the Galleys.  The Duke of Nayara shall carry the crown under a canopy. The marquess of Aguillar shall carry the sword. My body shall be borne by eight of my chiefest servants all in mourning weeds, with burning torches in their hands. The Archbishop shall follow the Nobles, and our universal Heir shall follow on the one side all in dewle. When they come to the Church, my body shall be placed in the hearse there of purpose erected. All the prayers and devotions ended, the Prelate shall place me in the vault, my last habitation which shall be given to me forever. All this performed, your Prince, and third King of that name, shall go to S. Ierosmes at Madrill there to keep the holy ceremonies of the ninth day yearly, and my Daughter with my sister her Aunt shall go to the grey Nuns barefoot. Then speaking to the Prince he said, besides all that which I have heretofore spoken to you, I pray you have a great care and regard to your sister, because she was my looking glass & the light of mine eyes. Keep the common wealth in peace, placing there good governors to reward the good and punish the bad. Let the marquess of Mondeiar be delivered out of prison, on this condition that he come not to the Court. Let the wife of Antonio Perez also be set at liberty, so that from henceforth she live in a monastery, and let her daughters inherit the patrimony which she brought. Forgive those which are prisoners for hunting, with all such as are condemned to die, (the King's pardon wanting) and so I give my last farewell to my children, commending them to all peace and safety. Then the Prince asked Don Christofer de Mora for the Royal Key, commanding him to deliver it to him, who craved pardon of his Highness, because it was the Key of all trust and confidence, which he could in no wise deliver without the leave of his Lord the King. Well, said the Prince, it is enough. And so went into his chamber, whilst Don Christofer returning to the King, whom he found a little cheered, said unto him. Sir, his Highness asked of me the Royal Key, which I have denied him as having no leave from your Majesty. But the King told him he had done ill. Not long after he fell into another fit, whereupon he called for the extreme unction, which was given unto him by the Archbishop. Then he called for a Crucifix which had been kept safely in a chest, which was the very same his father held between his hands, when he died, with the which he desired likewise to die. Hereupon his Highness returned to his father, at whose coming Don Christofer upon his knees presented to him the Royal Key, which the Prince received, and gave it to the marquess of Denia: whereupon the King said to him. Remember I commend unto you Don Christofer for the most faithful servant which I ever had, and so have care of all the rest, which I commend unto you. And so he took his leave of him again embracing him, at which instant his speech failed. And in this sort he continued two days, and died upon Sunday the 13. of September about three of the clock in the morning. The body was buried upon Monday the 14. of that month, about nine of the clock in the morning, the Archbishop saying the mass. The new King came from Escurial the 16. of that instant, leaving his sister at the grey Nuns, and so went to S. Ierosmes, the Court remaining in great mourning and lamentation, making preparation for the great funeral.  
FINIS.