Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-10-30
HISTORICAL ITEM
The Strange Life of Antonio Parez.
CORA K. WHEELER.

~ llO 4OhS 4d OoACo (AoL toAA
year after year through the courts of
%chancery. There is on the records of
Spain a suit that will bear comparison
with ~"Jarndyce and Jarndyce'' for
length-on suit that lasted thirty-one
years. AS the man tried was at one
time prime minister to Phillip IL, his
case seems worth recording.
In the Sixteenth century Spain was
one of the great powers of Europe.
Phillip, who had obtained the throne
through the abdication of his father,
the Emperor Charles ", in 1866, held
full son of the church and did all he
could to advance her interests. In his
day the 1nquisition 1ourished and the
court of the holy Office tried not only
spiritual cases but those also which
were turned over to them by the courts
of the King.
One of the chief favorites of Phillip
in the early part of his reign was Roy
! Gomez, Prince of Eboli. He was a
descendant of a noble Castilian house
and vas given wealth and honors. His
wife, the celebrated Princess of Eboli.
played an important part in the trial we
are to tell about. Her beauty was the
cause that brought bloodshed and death
to one of SPANS fairest provinces and
wrecked the lives of some of her greatest
men.
History has declared that before Phil
lips third marriage with Isabelle of
France there existed an intimacy between
the princess and himself. After his fourth
marriage with Anna of Austria hat in
tlmacy was an open court secret. About
this time there appeared at court a young
AragOn scholar bearing letters to Phil
lip from some of the great Aragon no.
bles. Phillip was pleased with him, ap-
pointed him private secretary to the
Prince of Eboli, and afterwards to him
self. From these positions he rose until
he became prime minister. This young
man, Antonio PareZ, wa artful as well as
gifted. He could adapt himself to every
occasion or mood of his royal master.
Gavyarre says: HE was a master in
discrimination and self-possession." He
was an Hebrew scholar, as well versed
in the Bible and the writing of the holy
fathers as the priests themselves; as
we'll read in the writings of Horace and
Tacitus as the professors. He was with
out exception the best educated, best read
man at court. He became as a son to
Phillip. His manners were as charming
as his remarks were witty. He knew
Phillips heart as no other did. He was
utterly without principle, and that which
Phillips dark, ~revengeful nature wished
to have done and yet hesitated to order,
he did for him.
Don John, Phillips illegitimate broth
er, was at this time at the height of his
military renown. Phillip was always
jealous of Don John after he became
dear to the Spanish people. At this time
he had no living sons and feared Don
Johns popularity. Escovedo, Don Johns
private secretary, having discovered the
intimacy between the princess and the
King, became an object of dread and dis
like to Phillip. Phillips fears were
aroused when he heard Escovedo had left
Madrid to join Don John in the Neither
lands, for fear his illustrious brother
might use the story for his own advance
ment. Escovedo died suddenly ere he
reached his master under strong sus-
picions of having been poisoned. Don
John was warmly attached to Escovedo;
he commenced investigations. Then in
the midst of them, at the height of his
military renown, he, too, suddenly died.
What wonder that there were whisper
ings and mutterings all through SPAIN!
In the meantime Roy Gomez was dead
and Antonio Parez had fallen a victim
to the princess charms. He, young,
handsome and versatile, succeeded in
~unsurping the place. of the King in the
princess affections. The princess. though
fascinating. Small and dainty of person,
naughty in manner, bright and witty,
she was, as we are told, as irresistible as
when years before she conquered Phil
lips cold heart.
Escovedo's relatives were noble and
powerful. They accused Parez of the
murder of Escovedo, but the King re-
fused to listen to their reports. Then
they set a watch over Parez and learned
the secret of his connection with the
princess. This they revealed to Phillip
and his jealousy led him to turn against
Parez, though all concerned must have
known that if Parez was guilty he had
acted only in Phillips behalf.
On the eve of July %, 1879, the low
ers were arrested by Phillips orders.
AS they came out to enter the carriage
that was to convey them to prison Parez
saw Phillip in disguise watching them.
Parez declared be caught full the gaze
from those melancholy eyes, and that he
had too often seen Phillip in disguise
before not to recognize even the gesture
with which he held the cloak to his
lip.
The princess here disappears from his
tory. One historian declares she was
tried by the court of the Inquisition and
executed. Another that she died years
after in prison. Phillip seems to have
wreaked his vengeance on her and to
have been satisfied with but slight pun
ishment for his favorlte Parez. Parez
declared the King dared not have him
brought to fair trial. Perhaps he was
right in this as we'll as in that other
| SpCCCA u hA0 W1ICA las COI1C uOWn "
us: 81 am useful to my King. He
gave me up not for crime against the
law, but because / won from him the
heart of the only woman he, the hus-
band of four queens, had ever loved"
Parez was removed to his own house
after an examination and there confined
for two years while the proceedings
against him were stopped by order of
the King. His Imprisonment was a mere
farce, as though under trial he still exer-
cised all his functions as public minister.
The family of Escovedo even withdrew
their charge by request of the King, and
the charges remaining were for taking
brides and misuse of office" Phillip
tried to obtain his signature to a confess
sion stating he had falsifed the CORE
spondence of Don John, which he re-
fused to give, and at last public feeling
made it necessary in order to shield
Phillip that the trial hould be continued.
The family of Escovedo refused also any
longer to be silent. Phillip was obliged
to turn him over to the court of the In
quisition,as that was the only court
where a trial was secret. Parez was
warned and escaped before the arrival of
the holy officers. He fed into a church