The minister held the same language, when writing, in a still more intimate and expansive style, to Escovedo.  “We must avoid, by a thousand—­leagues, the possibility of the King’s thinking us influenced by private motives,” he observed; “for we know the King and the delicacy of these matters.  The only way to gain the good-will of the man is carefully to accommodate ourselves to his tastes, and to have the appearance of being occupied solely with his interests.”  The letter, like all the rest, being submitted to “the man” in question before being sent, was underlined by him at this paragraph and furnished with the following annotation:  “but you must enlarge upon the passage which I have marked—­say more, even if you are obliged to copy the letter, in order that we may see the nature of the reply.”

In another letter to Escovedo, Perez enlarged upon the impropriety, the impossibility of Don John’s leaving the Netherlands at that time.  The King was so resolute upon that point, he said, that ’twas out of the question to suggest the matter.  “We should, by so doing, only lose all credit with him in other things.  You know what a terrible man he is; if he should once suspect us of having a private end in view, we should entirely miss our mark.”  Especially the secretary was made acquainted with the enormous error which would be committed by Don John in leaving his post.

Perez “had ventured into the water” upon the subject, he said, by praising the Governor warmly to his Majesty.  The King had responded by a hearty eulogium, adding that the greatest comfort in having such a brother was, that he might be where his Majesty could not be.  Therefore, it was out of the question for Don John to leave the provinces.  The greatest tact was necessary, urged Perez, in dealing with the King.  If he should once “suspect that we have a private purpose, we are lost, and no Demosthenes or Cicero would be able to influence him afterwards.”  Perez begged that his ardent attachment to Don John might be represented in the strongest colors to that high personage, who was to be assured that every effort would be made to place him at the head of affairs in Spain, according to the suggestion of Escovedo.  “It would never do, however,” he continued, “to let our man see that we desire it, for then we should never succeed.  The only way to conquer him is to make him believe that things are going on as he wishes, not as his Highness may desire, and that we have none of us any will but the King’s.”  Upon this passage the “terrible man” made a brief annotation:”  this paragraph does admirably,” he said, adding, with characteristic tautology, “and what you say in it is also excellent.”