| Baltasar Guzmán | |
| Fictional Character | |
| Ruled Britannia POD: July-August, 1588 | |
| Type of Appearance: | Direct |
| Nationality: | Spain |
| Religion: | Catholicism |
| Date of Birth: | c.1577 |
| Date of Death: | 1598 |
| Cause of Death: | Sword wound |
| Occupation: | Soldier, Nobleman |
| Relatives: | Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia (distant relation) |
| Affiliations: | Spanish Army |
Baltasar Guzmán (c. 1577 - 13 October 1598) was a Captain in the Spanish army stationed in London after the conquest of England by the Duke of Parma in 1588. Guzmán's distant family connection to Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia, who had commanded the Spanish Armada that ferried Parma's troops from the Netherlands, allowed Guzmán to rise rapidly in the ranks in spite of his youth and lack of military experience. Guzmán's privileges included an office for his own use and a personal secretary at his service, Enrique.
Guzmán was the commanding officer of Senior Lieutenant Lope de Vega, a man 15 years older. Though he had assigned de Vega to spend time with William Shakespeare in the Theatre, de Vega was unimpressed with Guzmán's lowbrow literary tastes. (His servant, Enrique, on the other hand, de Vega considered formidable, unlike his own Diego.)
Nevertheless, Guzmán did commission a printer in Madrid to publish two Spanish language plays de Vega wrote in England: La Dama Boba and El Mejor Mozo de España. This assisted de Vega to further his career as a playwright when he returned to Spain after the English rebellion.
While de Vega held his superior in low regard, he did entrust him with a sealed letter as insurance against any attempt Diego might make on his life after de Vega discovered Diego violating the Lenten fast in 1598. This Guzmán placed in his desk drawer without opening.
Guzmán was a devout Catholic who shared King Philip II's dream of overthrowing all the Protestant kingdoms in Europe. However, his military skill was not as grand as this ambition, and he rather foolishly ordered his squad to attack a much larger body of English rebels fighting from behind a fortified position during Robert Cecil's rebellion in 1598. Guzmán was killed in action.
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