Historical Mysteries E-Book

Bernadine Christner

• Herausgeber: Youcanprint
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Delve Into the History, and Find Out the Truth Behind Some of the Greatest Mysteries That Have Taken Humanity By Surprise! The real truth is somewhere out there, and it is up to us to find it… In our age, conspiracy theories have become increasingly popular amongst a wide audience. Conspiracy theories offer alternative explanations of events or situations. As such, they are in opposition to what is believed to be true. When it comes to conspiracy theories, nothing is off-limits. These theories can include narratives on everything imaginable – from aliens to mind control. However, historical conspiracy theories are quite interesting, as they subvert all of our expectations. Firstly, they subvert our understanding of history by making us question what we believed to be true. Secondly, these theories make us wonder about the impact these mysteries had on shaping the world of today? With the book History's Mysteries, the author Bernadine Christner provides you with loads of engaging and unique content that will shed new light on some of the greatest historical figures. By reexamining some of the most popular mysteries, this book will help you make a distinction between historical facts and fiction. This book will show you the real truth behind: • The Escovedo Murder – the assassination of Juan de Escovedo, the secretary of Philip's famed natural brother, Don John of Austria • The Mystery of the Kirks – the enigmatic Church that has perplexed Englishmen ever since it came into existence • The Conspiracy of the Gowrie – the unfolding of the bizarre events also known as the 'The slaying of the Ruthvens' • The Mystery of Campden – a story where a whole family was hanged for the murder of their master when in fact, the master was well and alive Do you want to know the truth behind some of the greatest historical mysteries that have shaken the entire world? Then look no further than this book! This book is filled with juicy details on some of the most intricate historical mysteries that involved some great historical figures. Take a deep dive into the world of historical mysteries, and get ready to see a unique perspective on the history of the world. So, what are you waiting for? Scroll up, click on "Buy Now with 1-Click", and Get Your Copy Now!

Leseprobe

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE ESCOVEDO MURDER

MYSTERY OF THE KIRKS

THE CONSPIRACY OF GOWRIE

THE MYSTERY OF CAMPDEN

HISTORICAL

MYSTERIES

The Truth Behind the World's Most Perplexing Events and Conspiracies Revealed – Mind-Blowing Stories of Four History's Mysteries and Conspiracy Theories!

BERNADINE CHRISTNER

THE ESCOVEDO MURDER

any a man may trace his downfall to a murder, of which, perhaps, he thought little enough at the

'Mtime,' writes De Quincey. This comment refers especially to Philip II. of Spain, his secretary, Antonio Perez, Perez's steward, his page, and several professional ruffians.

From the King to his scullion, everyone was involved in the assassination of Juan de Escovedo, the secretary of Philip's famed natural brother, Don John of Austria. All of them, to varying degrees, had deep reasons to regret an action that seemed to be a routine political occurrence at the time.

The mystery in the case of Escovedo is neither the method in which he disappeared nor the identities of his killers. These facts are widely known; the identities of those responsible, from the King to the bravo, are known. However, obscurity obscures the motivations for the action. Why was Escovedo executed? Did the King slay him for merely political motives, which were insufficient in the first place but were inflated by the suspicious royal fancy? Or were Philip II's secretary and Spain's monarch competitors for the love of a high-ranking one-eyed widow? And did the secretary, Perez, persuade Philip to order Escovedo's killing because Escovedo threatened to divulge their wicked plot to the King? With varying degrees of agreement, Sir William Stirling-Maxwell and Monsieur Mignet accepted this interpretation. Mr. Froude, on the other hand, believed Philip acted for political motives and with the full consent of his ill-informed conscience.

Historical Mysteries According to Mr. Froude, there was no woman as a motivation in the case. A third possibility is that Philip wanted to kill Escovedo for political reasons, without regard for the sensitive affection. Still, Philip was hesitant and indecisive, while Perez, who feared Escovedo's involvement with his love affair, spurred his royal master on to the crime he was avoiding. We may never know the whole truth, but we may study a condition of morality and manners in Madrid that makes the blundering tragedies of Holyrood in Queen Mary's time seem like child's play. When put against Philip II's instruments, Bothwell's 'lambs' are lively and compassionate.

Escovedo, the slain man, and Antonio Perez, Shakespeare's

"first killer," had both been schooled in the service of Ruy Gomez, Philip's famed minister. Gomez had a wife, Aa de Mendoza, who, having been born in 1546, was thirty-two, not thirty-eight (as M. Mignet claims) when Escovedo was assassinated in 1578. However, 1546 might be a typo for 1540. She was blind in one eye in 1578, but both of her eyes were undoubtedly bright in 1567 when she seems to have been Philip's mistress or was widely assumed to be. Eleven years later, at the time of the murder, there is no reason to believe Philip was still susceptible to her charms. Her husband, Prince d'Eboli, had died in 1573 (or, as Mr. Froude says, in 1567); the Princess was now a widow, and if she chose to distinguish her husband's old secretary, at this date the King's secretary, Antonio Perez, there seems no reason to suppose that Philip would have been bothered by the matter.

M. Mignet's view of the sufficient cause of Escovedo's murder

The Escovedo Murder

is that he still loved Aa with an unroyal fidelity, that she loved Perez, and that she and Perez feared Escovedo would betray them to the King. Mignet, on the other hand, believes, and correctly so, that Philip had made up his mind, as far as he ever did, to assassinate Escovedo long before that diplomatist became an uncomfortable spy on the alleged lovers.

To get things up to the tragic level of Euripides' Phdra, Perez was believed to be the natural son of his late boss, Gomez, the spouse of his supposed lover. Perez was most likely nothing of the such; he was the bastard of a man of his name. His supposed mistress, Gomez's widow, may have even disseminated the other tale to establish that her ties with Perez, albeit personal, were innocent. They are a lovely group of folks!

Escovedo and Perez have been buddies since they were children. While Perez moved from Gomez's service to Philip's, Escovedo was appointed secretary to the nobly daring Don John of Austria in 1572. The Court thought he was supposed to be a spy on Don John, but he succumbed to the charms of that brave heart and gladly accepted, if not inspired, the most audacious designs of the winner of Lepanto, the Sword of Christendom. This was highly uncomfortable for the leaden-footed Philip, who never took time by the forelock, but instead brooded on projects and passed up opportunities. Don John, on the other hand, was all for pressing the game. When he was dispatched to tempt and conciliate in the Low Countries and remove the Spanish army of occupation, he planned to

Historical Mysteries transfer the Spanish men out of the Netherlands via water. He would descend on England once they were on the blue sea, rescue the prisoner Mary Stuart, marry her (he was fearless! ), reestablish the Catholic faith, and assume the English crown. A solid plan, authorized by the Pope, but one that did not fit Philip's mind. He set his leaden foot on the concept and several other brave undertakings designed in the finest Alexandre Dumas tradition. Now, to whom Don John was devotedly attached, Escovedo was the essence of all these chivalrous schemes, and Philip saw him as a very dangerous person as a result.

When Don John first visited the Low Countries, Escovedo was in Madrid (1576). He persisted in pressing Philip to adopt Don John's ardent suggestions, despite Antonio Perez's requests to be careful. Perez was Escovedo's buddy on this day, 1576. But Escovedo was not to be counseled; instead, he sent an agitated letter to the King, criticizing his stitchless policy ( descosido ), dilatory, shambling, and idealess operations. According to Sir William Stirling-Don Maxwell's John of Austria, "the term employed by Escovedo was descosido, unstitched." However, Mr. Froude claims that Philip subsequently repeated the phrase regarding another letter from Escovedo, which he also referred to as a "bloody letter"

(January 1578). Mr. Froude is unlikely to be correct here since Philip's letter containing that filthy term was written in July 1577.

In any event, Philip was persuaded to ignore the error in

The Escovedo Murder

1576 by Perez's pleading, and Escovedo, whose presence Don John sought, was sent to him in December 1576. Don John and Escovedo began writing to their friend Perez on this day, and Perez enticed them by showing their letters to the King. Just as Charles I. commissioned the Duke of Hamilton to spy on the Covenanted nobility, pretending to sympathize with them and speaking in their holy manner, Philip gave Perez instructions to capture Don John and Escovedo. 'I want no theology but my own to defend myself,' Perez remarked, and Philip responded,

'My theology takes the same view of the problem as yours.'

According to M. Mignet's hypothesis, at this time, 1577, Perez, although a gambler and a profligate who accepted gifts from all hands, must have intended nothing worse than serving Philip as he liked to be served to keep him fully informed of Don John's ambitions. According to M. Mignet, Escovedo was not yet an impediment to Perez's and the King's mistress, Princess Eboli's amours. On the other hand, Sir William Stirling-Maxwell believes that Perez's goal was to destroy Don John; Sir William admits that he does not know why. On the other hand, Perez had no such goal until Don John confided in him initiatives that were subversive or hazardous to the Government of his lord, the King.

Did Don John, or Escovedo, entrust Perez with plans that were not only chivalrous and impractical but also traitorous?

Don John, on the other hand, did nothing of the like. Escovedo abandoned him and traveled to Spain without being summoned, arriving in July 1577. Don John beat the Dutch