conformity in the queen
that was necessary for her condition and future happiness that could
be chosen; the women, for the most part, old, and ugly, and proud,
incapable of any conversation with persons of quality and a liberal
education: and they desired, and indeed had conspired so far to
possess the queen themselves, that she should neither learn the
English language, nor use their habit, nor depart from the manners
and fashions of her own country in any particulars: which
resolution," they told, "would be for the dignity of Portugal, and
would quickly induce the English ladies to conform to her majesty's
practice. And this imagination had made that impression, that the
tailor who had been sent into Portugal to make her clothes could
never be admitted to see her, or receive any employment. Nor when
she came to Portsmouth, and found there several ladies of honour and
prime quality to attend her in the places to which they were
assigned by the king, did she receive any of them till the king
himself came; nor then with any grace, or the liberty that belonged
to their places and offices. She could not be persuaded to be
dressed out of the wardrobe that the king had sent to her, but would
wear the clothes which she had brought, until she found that the
king was displeased, and would be obeyed; whereupon she conformed,
against the advice of her women, who continued their opiniatrety,
without any one of them receding from their own mode, which exposed
them the more to reproach."--Continuation of Clarendon's Life, p.
168. In a short time after their arrival in England, they were
ordered back to Portugal.]

Among the men were Francisco de Melo, brother to the Countess de
Panetra; one Taurauvedez, who called himself Don Pedro Francisco Correo
de Silva, extremely handsome, but a greater fool than all the Portuguese
put together: he was more vain of his names than of his person; but the
Duke of Buckingham, a still greater fool than he, though more addicted
to raillery, gave him the additional name of Peter of the Wood. He
was so enraged at this, that, after many fruitless complaints and
ineffectual menaces, poor Pedro de Silva was obliged to leave England,
while the happy duke kept possession of a Portuguese nymph more hideous
than the queen's maids of honour, whom he had taken from him, as well as
two of his names. Besides these, there were six chaplain