Daughter of the famous Lawyer Otho Perez de Sallaveda, Governor of Barcellona, and Corrigidor of Biscay; I being the youngest of seventeen Children, was put to School, and designed to the Church; but Heaven purposing to use my Service in Matters of far another Nature, inspired me with spending some Time in the Wars; it was at the Time that Don Ferando, the renowned Duke D’Alva, was sent into the Low Countries in 1568. I then following the Current of my Desire, leaving the University of Salamanca, whither my Parents had sent me, without giving Notice to any of my Friends, got through France to Antwerp, where I arrived in a mean Condition. For having sold my Books, Bedding, and other Things, which yielded me about 30 Ducats, and borrowed twenty more of my Fathers Friends; I bought a little Nag, wherewith I travelled more thriftily than usually young Gentlemen do, till arriving within a League of Antwerp, some of the cursed Gueses set upon me, and bereaved me of my Horse, Money, and all; so I was forced through Necessity to enter into the Service of Marshal Coffey a French Nobleman, whom I served in an honourable Employ, though mine Enemies, to my Disgrace affirm, I was his Horse-keeper’s Boy; but for that Matter, I refer myself to Count Mansfield, and other Persons of Condition, who have often testified to many worthy Men, the very Truth of the Business, which indeed was this, Monsieur Coffey being about this Time sent to the Duke D’Alva, Governor of the Low Countries, he informing the Nobility of my Birth, and my late Misfortune, judging it would be no small Honour to him to have a Spaniard of that Quality about him, furnished me with a Horse, Arms and whatever I wanted, using my Service, after I had learned French, in writing his
