|
|
8 Dec.
H. H. u. St. A.
England, f. 2.
|
Charles V to the Ambassadors in England.
You know of the scarcity of grain last year in the neighbourhood
of Andalusia, so that we were obliged to provision our army
in Guipuzcoa from around Campos, with great labour and expense.
Because the scarcity in Andalusia continues, and on account of
the presence of the French in Guienne and Fuenterrabia, we have
again been unable to supply our army with grain from that
quarter, so that we have ordered the fleet to Campos, and because
of the length of the road, and because grain is very dear around
Campos this year, and we are put to heavy expense by being
obliged to deliver the grain to the troops on the frontier at the
same price that it is sold here, the best solution has seemed to be
to obtain a quantity of grain from England where it is said to be
cheaper.
We are therefore sending Captain Martin with credit enough
to buy about 8,000 quarters of wheat, 1,000 of [illegible] and 1,000
of beans. Letters of credence on this subject are herewith
enclosed. Ask the king of England to permit the export of the
above quantity of grain for the use of our army, and give the
captain every assistance.
8 Dec., 1522.
Contemporary extract. French. pp. 2 [not sent?]
|
8 Dec.
H. H. u. St. A.
England, f. 2.
|
Charles V to the Ambassadors in England.
We have written you fully by Richard and again by Wolsey's
secretary. Since then, on November 30th the maître d'hôtel of
the archbishop of Bari, papal nuncio in France, the same person
who was here before, as we have written you, arrived here from
France, riding post. He brought letters from the archbishop,
the originals of which we are sending you herewith, and a memoir
of certain proposals. We are sending you the originals of these
also, with a copy of our answer made with the advice of Master
Boleyn and Dr. Sampson, the English ambassadors, who are
acquainted with the whole affair, as they will write. You will
show these documents to Henry and to Wolsey at once, emphasizing
our intention to abide by the treaty. You will point out to
them that Francis now takes a higher tone than before, a sign
that with the help of the Venetians and the Swiss he expects to
recover Milan, and that he feels safe on this side the mountains.
Two things, therefore, are necessary for our common welfare :
to hasten the business with the Swiss, and to come to an agreement
with Venice. Solicit the immediate sending of Richard Pace to
Switzerland, and insist on having a prompt and full answer to our
letter by Richard. Our ambassadors to Switzerland have
already left to take ship at Barcelona. We are sending you a copy
of their powers and instructions. They are now empowered to
raise 50,000 gold florins instead of the 30,000 we spoke of before.
Lay this whole matter before Henry and Wolsey, and ask that
Pace be sent at once if this has not already been done. From the
enclosed extract of news, which we have had recently from France
from a source which has never failed us so far, you may see the
need for haste. Show the extract to Wolsey and report as
promptly as possible, particularly on Henry's reply to the letter
sent by Richard and on his decision as to what can be done against
the French, both to interrupt their enterprise against Italy now
and next spring, and to make them take a lower tone.
We have had letters from our captains, both Spanish and
German, around Fuenterrabia, where they have been reinforced
by garrisons from the neighbourhood and from Navarre, reporting
an encounter with the French from Bayonne who were attempting
to revictual Fuenterrabia. They put the French to flight, killed
four men-at-arms, captured the provisions, and burned Saint-Jean-de-Luz
again. They are blockading Fuenterrabia so
closely by land and by sea that, as they write, they hope to
defeat any French attempt to provision it, and to oblige a surrender
by Christmas. They are in great numbers, both horse and
foot, with a good train of siege artillery, and they will shortly be
joined by our cousin, the prince of Orange, with a number of
lords and gentlemen of our household, so that they will be strong
enough to await battle, while at sea we have provided thirty well
equipped warships, so that with God's help we shall soon have
good news of Fuenterrabia.
Valladolid, 8 December.
Contemporary draft. French. pp. 3.
|
31 Dec.
H. H. u. St. A.
England, f. 2.
|
Instructions to Jehan De Le Sauch from Margaret Of Savoy.
After presenting his credentials to the king of England, Le
Sauch will say to him that Madame is informed that the French
king has decided to abandon any attempt to reconquer Milan this
winter, and is directing his power against the frontiers of the Low
Countries, with the object of waging war there as strenuously as
possible to avenge the loss of Milan and the damage done by the
English, and to capture, if possible, some towns in Artois, Hainault
or Flanders, encouraged thereto by information that the country
is unprepared to defend itself. In pursuance of this plan Francis
has already come in person to Amiens.
This news has greatly alarmed Madame, who considers it probable,
since she has heard it from several sources, and since
nowhere else could the French so easily injure the emperor, this
frontier being incapable of as stout a resistance as that of Spain.
Madame has done her best to strengthen the frontier towns, and
she will oppose the French with all her power. But Francis has
a great army, and the Low Countries are completely exposed to
attack since Madame has not the means to raise a force capable of
meeting the French in battle. Madame has thought best, therefore,
to ask the advice and aid of the king of England, who will
certainly be reluctant to see the French overrun the Low Countries
and whose promise to protect them in the absence of the emperor
was what encouraged her to undertake their government. She
is now sending Le Sauch to ask the intentions of the king of
England in this emergency so that she may determine her own
actions accordingly.
Madame also needs to know what the king of England and the
emperor intend in the next campaign. If word has to come from
Spain, it may arrive too late for adequate preparation. Le Sauch
will consult with the emperor's ambassadors in England on
this point. They may already have ascertained Henry's intentions,
as the emperor has instructed them to do, and if they have
not, they may be able to assist Le Sauch in doing so. Le Sauch
will also seek to learn the attitude of the king and the cardinal
toward the recent proposal by the pope for a peace or truce. If
they appear favourable toward it, he will try to discover on what
terms, and through what channels, peace may come, and whether
there is any real probability of it. If there is, Madame is willing
to act in the same capacity for our side that Louise of Savoy has
assumed for the French, if that is feasible. Le Sauch is relied on
to conduct these delicate inquiries in a discreet, dignified, and
tactful manner, and to report fully.
He will also visit the cardinal, offering Madame's condolences
on his illness, and explaining his whole mission, as far as may be
necessary for its success. He will say that Madame's chief hope
and refuge is in Wolsey's counsel, and that she wishes to know
whether there is anything she can do to hasten his recovery or
otherwise to gratify him.
31 December, 1522.
Signed, Margaret. French. pp. 4.
|
