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Oct. 3.
H. H. u. St. A.
Belgien DD
Abt. B. f. 8. |
Charles V to Richard Pace.
We have received your letter of September 14th, and are
grateful for the good-will shown therein, but we must tell you
that you are very badly informed. You say that we have
furnished only 34,000 ducats for our army. The contrary is
notorious. The duke of Bourbon and all his captains know that
we have furnished 200,000 crowns. Even though the Neapolitan
gens d'armes have not arrived as soon as they should, the infantry
have been in the field since the beginning, and were not paid for
July and August with so small a sum. You know yourself that
they were at Saint-Laurens by July 1st, and the English money
which was to pay for the month of September, was only delivered
at Aix. We are now preparing fresh supplies of men and money
for our army, as Bourbon will tell you, and you may believe that
there will be no failure which we can prevent.
We do not doubt that you will continue to solicit the payment
of the English contribution, or their invasion of France according
to the treaties. Continue to write to us often ; we shall always
take your advice in good part, being sure of your affection for
which we hope to show our gratitude.
Valladolid, 3 October, 1524.
Draft. French. |
Oct. 7.
H. H. u. St. A.
England f. 1. |
Louis De Praet to Margaret Of Savoy.
There has been no further news since I last wrote you, except
that the Milanese and papal ambassadors have heard from Rome
that the archbishop of Capua is now in Bourbon's camp. He is to
go from there to King Francis, then to Spain, and then here, where
he is expected before the end of this month.
I have received yours of September 20th, which requires no
particular reply.
London, Oct. 6, 1524.
Since writing the above a courier has come from Spain. He
will give you this letter and also letters from the emperor and an
oral report.
7 Oct.
Signed, Loys de Praet. French. |
Oct. 20.
H. H. u. St. A.
England, f. 2. |
Charles V to Louis De Praet.
We were about to write to you because we had had no news
from you for some time, although Môqueron had brought us
letters from Madame saying that an English invasion had been
agreed upon, when we received your letters dated August 30th,
brought by Rogier de la Verrière who had been delayed by lack
of a favourable wind. All things considered, you have done very
well in arranging for the English invasion of France, and in
praising Wolsey for his good-will toward this measure.
In order that nothing shall be lacking on our part, or Madame's,
we have already made the following arrangements. The 50,000
ducats will be paid, within a short time, to the army of Provence ;
we have already sent them 25,000 ducats in ready money, and
another 25,000 will go forward shortly, making 100,000. We have
ordered Lannoy to forward them, also, the 50,000 given us by
Naples, and have therefore provided 400,000 ducats altogether,
as will be found no less than true, whatever may be said to the
contrary. Otherwise our army could hardly have sustained itself
there since July first, since we understand that the king of
England has furnished only 100,000 crowns. Therefore, ask him
at once to furnish the remainder of an equal contribution, counting
from the first of July. You have written that the English
were going to send another hundred thousand ducats, but there
has been no news of them. We have written to our viceroy of
Naples, sending him full powers to raise money in the kingdom of
Naples by the sale of annuities or other expedients, so that there
may be no lack of money, however long the army remains in
France. So much for financial arrangements.
As to reinforcements, we had engaged ships to send the German
troops here to Provence, but their embarkation was so long
delayed we had to dismiss the ships. However, these Germans,
with a large number of men-at-arms, have now invaded Languedoc,
and captured the town of Saint-Pol and several villages and
castles. We have determined to prepare ships to transport the
Germans and four thousand fresh Spanish troops. While these
preparations are being made, the Germans will continue to make
war in Languedoc. If they can join Bourbon by that route, they
will do so ; otherwise they will be transported by sea within a
month. Since we are providing adequate funds and reinforcements
to the army of Provence, you may, without hesitation, ask
the English either to make an equal contribution in money, or to
enter France with an army.
In the matter of the negotiations for peace or truce, you have
acted very wisely. If Wolsey presses you to hear Jehan Jockin's
proposals, you may say that you have no instructions from us to
act in such a matter, since we have placed everything in the pope's
hands, according to our common agreement to comply with
Capua's request. When you find Wolsey in a good humour ask
him, in a friendly fashion, to dismiss Jehan Jockin, according to
the terms of the treaty of Windsor, for his long stay in England
has brought, and will bring, damage to the common cause throughout
Christendom more than Wolsey thinks ; there is no talk of
anything else, and a thousand suspicions are current among our
friends and our enemies. You may tell Wolsey we have credible
information that King Francis feels certain of doing as he likes
with Wolsey, and is merely amusing him now with words, in order
to take advantage of him. He would not, for instance, have gone
into Provence with all his power unless he had been sure the
English would not attack him. We do not believe this, but such
rumours give heart to the enemy. You may also assure Wolsey
that we would not have kept a Frenchman so long, or so openly,
at our court, and that, whatever offers had been made us, we
would not have heard them without the advice and consent of the
king and the cardinal.
As soon as Capua comes here we shall advise you of what he
brings, and of what answer we make him. For the sake of our
health we are moving to a warmer place, Toledo, which is
thirty leagues from here, and no farther from the frontier.
Tordesillas, 16 October, 1524.
P. S.—We are sending you a letter we have just received from
our brother, the archduke. Show it to Wolsey and discover
whether he will contribute to the enterprise mentioned.
Jacomo Pistoia, the courier, has just brought your letters of
September 28th. We are well aware of the English intentions of
which you warn us, but it behoves us to show no suspicion, that
they may do no worse. We have heard the English ambassador,
and given him a reply in writing, copies enclosed. You will
conduct yourself accordingly. This courier is sent in such haste
that we have no time to write to Madame ; give her news of us.
You may tell Wolsey that, by the end of November, he shall
have letters of exchange in payment of his pension. You also,
shall have what is due you at that time. The Sieur de Bredem
tells us that our couriers are always obliged to wait from eight to
fifteen days in England at the cardinal's pleasure. You may tell
the cardinal we have ordered you not to delay the couriers more
than four or five days. Carry out this order, and write us
promptly.
If anything more is said about the "Great Enterprise," tell
Wolsey we completely approve of his plan that each of us shall
make a large separate army, meanwhile supporting Bourbon's
army at common expense. We wish to know his mind more fully
on this subject, and hope he will send powers to the English
ambassador to treat about it here.
Given as above, 20 October, 1524.
Signed, Charles ; countersigned, Lalamand. Draft. French. pp. 6. |
Oct. 20.
H. H. u. St. A.
England, f. 1 |
Louis De Praet to Margaret Of Savoy.
A week ago I received your letters of Sept. 30th and Oct. 6th,
which I communicated to Wolsey. As to the rumour which you
hear Pace has spread throughout Italy, Wolsey says the king
and he have never written any such thing to Pace, and that he has
acted without instructions. Of the statement by the English
ambassador at Rome that Henry wished a truce, but not a peace,
Wolsey said his ambassador was mistaken, since his instructions
were contrary to this, as I believe to be true. It is possible your
informant was mistaken, for in addition to what Wolsey has
always told me, you may see by the enclosed copy what the
viceroy has just written on the subject.
When I received your second letter, I had just heard from the
emperor, and I went at once to Hampton Court to communicate
the contents of my dispatches to Wolsey and to learn what he
had heard from Pace. He told me he had letters from Pace
dated September 19th and 21st, saying there was still hope of
taking Marseilles, but that whatever happened, it had been unanimously
decided to await the approach of King Francis and to give
him battle, no matter how powerful he might be. If Marseilles
did not yield in ten or twelve days, it had been decided to go to
seek the French king and to offer battle. In view of this hopeful
news, we spoke for some time of arrangements for maintaining
Bourbon's army throughout the winter, but Wolsey finally
refused to decide anything without further consideration and
consultation with Henry, who did not return to town until yesterday
evening.
To-day I received your letters of October 13th, and Richard
Boulanger arrived from Spain. You will learn the news there
from him. To-morrow I go to see Wolsey and shall let you know
at once what is decided, though I am not very hopeful. Jehan
Jockin is said to have certain news that Bourbon has raised the
siege of Marseilles, and is retreating toward Italy. If this be true,
all our recent negotiations here have been in vain.
London, 20 October, 1524.
Signed, Loys de Praet. French. pp. 2. |
Oct. 21.
H. H. u. St. A.
England, f. 1. |
Louis De Praet to Margaret Of Savoy.
Richard expected to leave for Flanders this morning, but found
the barge from Gravesend had already departed, and was obliged
to wait until this evening. Meanwhile I went to Wolsey and
communicated to him the contents of the letters which Richard
brought from the emperor, and yours of the 13th. He said that,
in view of the rumour that Bourbon's army was in retreat, nothing
could be decided about an English invasion of France until we
had more definite news. He spoke very hopefully and cheerfully,
but I am disturbed by the lack of news from Italy.
Wolsey told me that he had heard from the captain of Guines
that M. de Liques [Licques?] was captured by the French in a
skirmish three days ago, and his company of Spaniards defeated.
London, 21 October, 1524.
Signed, Loys de Praet. French. |
Oct. 25.
H. H. u. St. A.
England. f. 1. |
Louis De Praet to Margaret Of Savoy.
I have received your letters of October 18th and 20th, containing
the bad news of Bourbon's retreat from Marseilles. I shall
write to the viceroy and to M. de Roeulx, as you ask me to do, but
I do not see how they can entertain any suspicions of you as a
consequence of what I have formerly written, for it is hardly
surprising that I have been unable to assure them about things
which were still uncertain, and not fixed by any treaty.
Two weeks ago Wolsey received letters from Bourbon similar
in contents to those which you now forward. Therefore, and
since everything is now changed by the news of Bourbon's
retreat, these letters are now useless. As to the 200,000 crowns
which the emperor is said to have furnished Bourbon's army,
Wolsey has already told me he had certain information that very
little of it was actually made available to the army, since the
viceroy used forty thousand for Italian affairs, and thirty thousand
was consumed by the cost of exchange.
As soon as I received your letters, I went to Wolsey and gave
him the news, at which he seemed much astonished and grieved.
He said he had been unwilling to believe Jockin and he found it
very strange that he had had no reports from Pace or Russell.
He also expressed himself as much astonished that Francis was
detaining the archbishop of Capua, and said the pope would have
little reason to be pleased with such action. Wolsey showed
himself quite willing to consider maintaining Bourbon's army,
provided it could hold even a few places in Provence. In that
case, he thought, the reputation of the allies would not be quite
lost, Francis could be kept in fear, and the army would be in a
better position to resume the offensive. I thanked him, and
asked for some contribution for the defence of Milan, urging the
dangers which might arise from lack of money, and begging him to
permit the fifty thousand crowns which he had recently sent to
Italy, to be used for this purpose. He completely refused to make
such a suggestion to the king, since the Italian princes had
behaved so badly towards Bourbon's army, which had taken the
field chiefly in their defence. He promised to think of the
matter, however, and to speak of it to the king as soon as he had
news from Pace. We may still hope, therefore, that matters will
take a better turn here, though Jehan Jockin is still about, and
sending off couriers daily. I hope to be able to give you more
definite news in four or five days.
London, 25 October, 1524.
Signed, Loys de Praet. French. pp. 2. |
