CHARACTERS. 



273 



The various climate which pre- 

 vails between the Escurial and St. 

 Ildefonso, though at the distance of 

 only eight leagues from each other, 

 probably first preferred the latter to 

 the notice of Philip. A range of 

 lofty mountains divides it from the 

 sultry plains of the south ; in a deep 

 recess, and accessible only to the 

 north wind, it enjoys the freshness, 

 and throws forth the flowers of 

 spring, while the inhabitants of the 

 southern regions are exposed to the 

 heats, and engaged iu collecting the 

 produce of autumn. It was to this 

 cool and quiet spot that the king re- 

 tired from the complaints of his sub- 

 jects, and the importunities of his 

 ministers ; beneath his care the 

 farm of Bnlsain arose into a palace ; 

 a chapel dedicated to St. Ildefonso 

 changed even the ancient name of 

 the hamlet; about six millions ster- 

 ling vi'ere expended in fertilizing a 

 barren rock ; and though the palace 

 of Ildefonso cannot vie with the 

 proud pile of the Escurial, yet its 

 gardens, traversed by close and 

 gloomy walks, and refreshed by 

 frequent fountains, present a de- 

 sirable retreat from the burning 

 rays of a summer's sun. 



Kere Philip fixed his residence ;' 

 and here, in the vigour of his age, 

 he determined to deliver himself 

 from the cares of royalty, and to 

 relinquish his crown to his son. 

 Yet some delay was intei-posed by 

 the remonstrances of the queen, and 

 of the father d'Aubcnton, the king's 

 confessor: the latter had cherished, 

 from the different conduct of the 

 duke of Orleans, an idea that he 

 would strongly disapprove the ab- 

 dication of the king of Spain. He 

 had, therefore, laboured to instil 

 into the mind of his royal penitent, 

 that a desertion of his regal duty was 

 Vol. XXXVI. 



a sacred offence. In a letter to the 

 duke of Orleans, he explained the 

 motive of his counsels. But the 

 regent was only anxious to see his . 

 daughter on the throne of Spain. 

 He sent the letter of the father to 

 Philip, and d'Aubenton was not 

 able to survive the detection of his 

 treachery. The death of the Jesuit 

 released the monarch from his scru- 

 ples : the prince of Asturias had at- 

 tained the age of eighteen ; he had 

 already been familiarized with the . 

 forms of government ; and the gra- 

 vity of his manners seemed to ren- 

 der him worthy the important trust. 

 The queen no longer deemed it 

 prudent to persevere in a resistance 

 which might have exposed her to 

 the resentment of her son-in-law.. 

 The chief object of Ehzabeth had 

 been to secare a royal inheritance 

 for her son Don Carlas ; this had 

 been stipulated by the late peace : 

 and the death of Cosmo of Medicis,. 

 with the shattered constitution of; 

 'his impotent successor, promised 

 soon to gratify her wishes, in the 

 possession of the duchy of Tuscany. 

 Thus circumstanced, she yielded to 

 the inclinations of her consort, and 

 consented to renounce the tumul- 

 tuous grandeur of a crown, and to 

 confine her future views to the ag- 

 grandizement of her son. 



It was in the twenty-fourth year 

 of his reign, and in the fortieth of 

 his age, that Philip formerly an- 

 nounced his intentions to his people ; 

 the instrument of his renunciation 

 was intrusted to the marquis of 

 Grimaldi, and was by that noble- 

 man publicly read in the Escurial. 

 It stated that, desirous of rest after 

 a turbulent reign of twenty-three 

 years, and anxious to employ the re- 

 mainder of his life in preparing for 

 a ipiritual crown, Phihp resigned 

 T his 



