French Foreign Office, MS. fr. 15979, fol. 320
Extract from diplomatic dispatch, by Christopher de Harlay, Comte de Beaumont,
12 January 1605.
Il ya quelques jors quil menvoya dire sur ce que Mr L’Ambassadeur d’Espagne l’auoir pryé de luy permettre de uenir
a un ballet qui se fut soir Jor des noces du sr Philipp herbert son fauorit que si je uoullois uenir Incongnet et non
comme Ambassadr quil donneroit vn ordre que J’y aurois vne bonne
place. Mais a propos sur un fasheux mal lequel ma retenu en la chambre depuis quinze
jours et depuis je nay povra este Inuite a aucun festin Ainsy que l’anne passe et
ne
croyais non plus de l’estre pour ce superbe ballet que la Royne sapprest de faire,
donce je ne me soucyois pas plus que de raison.
Translation
Several days ago, he sent to me to say that the Spanish ambassador had asked
to be allowed to attend a ballet which would take place on the evening of the
wedding of his favourite, Sir Philip Herbert, and that, if I wanted to go incognito
and not as an ambassador, he would give orders that I would have a good seat there.
However, because of a bad illness, which kept me in my chamber for a fortnight, I
had not been invited to any feast just like the year before; I also didn’t
anticipate that I would be invited to the superb ballet that the Queen intended to
make, and I therefore did not bother myself about it.
Bibliography
H&S, 10.448-9