1515.
3 Feb.
H. H. u. St. A.
Belgien D. D.
Abt. B. f. 1.
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Instructions from Charles, Prince Of Castile, to Don
Diego De Guevara.
After presenting your credentials to the king of England, say
that the prince sends you to present his compliments to the king
and queen, and to announce that, with the consent of his grandfather,
the emperor, he has proclaimed his majority, and has
already been received and sworn to as lord of his duchy of
Brabant, and will shortly proceed to Flanders and his other
territories to be sworn to as their prince. Remembering the
amity that existed between his father, the late king of Castile,
and the father of the present king of England, he wishes with all
his heart to continue a friendship profitable to both crowns, and
to their subjects, who are so closely bound by commercial ties
that they cannot get along without each other. Therefore the
prince requests the king to be good enough to continue the former
amity and alliance, and promises to do his part therein without
fail.
If any mention is made of the breaking of the arrangements
for the marriage between the prince and the princess Mary,
Don Diego is to say that the prince was then a minor and was
unaware of the steps that had been taken, so that they should
not be imputed to him. He very much wishes that the king of
England and his council had not been so hasty in seeking another
alliance. Don Diego will attempt to discover by the replies to
this the inclinations and affection of the king, and will inquire
secretly what friendship there is between France and England,
and what Henry's relations are with the Most Catholic King and
with the Scots, and advise the prince of whatever he learns, secretly
and diligently.
Signed, Charles.
Postscript.—If there is any mention in England of customs
duties imposed by Charles' officials on the agents of the king of
England, for artillery or powder or other things bought by the
king, or of pledges which they have been obliged to give in
security for these goods, you will say that the prince wishes to
please his uncle in this as in much greater things, provided he
can be assured the purchases are really for the king, and no fraud
upon the customs is being committed under the cover of the
king's name. If the king will signify in writing which of the
goods which have passed through the customs without paying
duty and for which bonds have been given are his, the prince
will immediately order the securities returned.
If anyone mentions the great embassy which the prince is
sending to France, you will say that he was obliged to send a great
one to discharge by proxy the duties of the prince as duke of
Burgundy and count of Flanders at the coronation of the French
king, and to perform the acts due from him as doubly a peer of
France. He has also sent this embassy to do homage for the
counties of Flanders and Artois and the other lands which the
prince holds of the French crown in accordance with the French
king's summons. It was particularly politic to send a magnificent
embassy, since the French insisted that the prince ought to
perform these duties in person. It was also desirable by means
of this embassy to accommodate several disputes which arose
during the late war between France and England, and to arrange
several other differences between the prince and the king of
France, tasks which could not be committed to persons of small
importance.
If mention is made of certain master armourers of Brussels
whom the king of England wished to take into his service to make
armour for him, say that the prince would be glad to permit this,
and has even written to this end to his town of Brussels ; but that
the burghers of that town are so afraid of losing their pre-eminence
in that trade, which is the chief one of the city, that they will not
permit the armourers to depart, but have resisted and delayed
the arrangement with all their power.
Given in council at Brussels, 3 Feb., 1514 (O.S.).
Signed, Charles : countersigned, Haneton. French. pp. 3.
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