9 Dec.
H. H. u. St. A.
England, f. 1.
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Louis De Praet to Charles V.
By my last letters, dated November 7th, and by Chasteau's
report, your majesty will have learned the state of affairs here up
to that time, and the results at that time of my negotiations with
Wolsey about the conduct of the war this winter. Everything
was then going very well. The English were collecting troops to
reinforce their army, and sending beyond the sea considerable
sums of money for its payment during the whole winter, all this
in the hope that Madame would provide payment for the troops
under Buren. But, according to what she wrote me, she was
unable to do so by any means. She therefore charged me to
attempt to persuade the king and the cardinal, in view of your
great expenses and of the poverty of the Low Countries, to take
these troops into their service from the beginning of last month,
or at least from December 1st, or to lend her money for their
payment during the time in question or until your majesty should
have made other arrangements.
The request seemed unlikely to be granted, since the cardinal
and the king's council had been assured by the English ambassadors
in Spain and by your majesty's letters that there would be
no defect in your co-operation in Flanders. Moreover, the
winter campaign had been undertaken at your request. In
compliance with Madame's request, however, I had several
conversations with Wolsey on this subject, and used all the
arguments I knew, but in vain. He would agree in no way
to Madame's request, but began again to make his customary
complaints.
The consequence was that on the 13th or 14th of November
your troops left Suffolk and withdrew to Valenciennes, for lack
of payment, the English say, although Madame maintains the
contrary. Suffolk was constrained to follow them, since without
cavalry he could not remain safely in the presence of the enemy.
This sudden departure in such a manner greatly embittered the
king and the cardinal, and they decided to order their army home
at once. I was finally able to persuade them to some delay, and
they have sent to Madame to say that, if she will diligently
reassemble her troops and pay them for the rest of the winter as
your majesty wishes, Henry will not hold back, but will fulfil
everything agreed on. If not, he will recall his army, and he
holds that he will be clear in the eyes of the world, and that all
will see that the failure was not his, but your majesty's. I have
no news as yet of Madame's reply to this proposal, but I am
afraid it will be fruitless, judging by what I hear of the poverty of
your treasury in the Low Countries. If it is, it is well known that
unless Henry changes his mind, the English army will go home,
which would be no small reverse, not only ending our hopes of a
great victory in this campaign, but diminishing your prestige,
endangering Lombardy, affecting unfavourably the papal election,
and perhaps permitting Francis to direct a considerable army
against you, thus placing your person in danger.
For there is worse news to follow. Yesterday a gentleman of
Bourbon's, named Lurcy, arrived here, charged to inform the
king and the cardinal from his master of three things. First,
the Germans under Count Felix broke up toward the end of
October, not for lack of payment but because of the bad weather
and for other reasons, as Lurcy and also the bearer of this
dispatch will tell you. Second, Bourbon, seeing that there was no
hope of doing anything against the French this season, is on his
way to Genoa, whence he will go by sea to Spain, and having
discussed with your majesty plans for next year, will return by
way of England where he will also discuss plans to make next
year's campaign memorable. Third, to facilitate matters next
year, Bourbon asks that the rest of the money given Russell
remain in Franche Comté to be used next spring, and also that the
rest of the funds advanced by your majesty, by letters of exchange
on Geneva, remain available.
The king and the cardinal replied to Lurcy that although the
break-up of the Germans was unfortunate, they attached no
blame to Bourbon and were ready to accede to his request about
the money, and even to increase the amount, and they hoped your
majesty would do likewise. They said no harm could come of
Bourbon's visit to your majesty, but that the road was long and
dangerous, and for this reason, and because his appearance in
the field in person would have a great effect in France, they
thought it would be better if he would join their army in Flanders
during this winter with as strong a force of cavalry as he could
bring, or, if he preferred, come to England by way of Flanders
to discuss matters with Henry, whence he could go by sea to
Spain to report to your majesty what had been decided, so that
plans for next season could be agreed on without much sending
back and forth. Madame has sent a courier to Bourbon to
persuade him to this course, but I think he will continue on his
way to Spain for several reasons, the chief being the marriage
you have promised him.
Although the English reply to Bourbon's envoy was very
cordial, Wolsey has let fall remarks which show that he has grave
suspicions of Bourbon, who, he thinks, has not acquitted himself
as he should, and has behaved very feebly in fleeing from France,
and in failing to raise cavalry with which to join the Germans
under Count Felix. In fact, the first time I asked him to send
Henry's power to Spain to complete the treaty with Bourbon, he
replied that he was not bound to do so, for Bourbon had not kept
his promises. He has changed his mind since, and the powers
have been sent, but he is still suspicious and inclined to believe
that Bourbon may reconcile himself with Francis, and is hastening
to you to negotiate a peace between you and the French, although
Wolsey says he is sure that your majesty will listen to no such
proposals except jointly with the English as the treaties require.
It seems to me that your majesty should know of these opinions
at once. The more I frequent these English lords, the more I
find them hard to satisfy. They are people whom a little good
fortune rejoices beyond measure, and whom a little adversity
casts down unreasonably. They will cast all the blame for failure
on their neighbours and allies to excuse themselves to their own
people, as indeed they are doing daily. I cannot tell you what
evil rumours are current here about Bourbon, rumours which
sometimes do not spare your majesty. Indeed, Wolsey himself
has recently belaboured me with his reproaches, and in the
presence of the council, more times than I can remember. It is
true that Henry acquitted himself last summer quite as your
majesty wished, and not without great expense ; also this
alliance is now very necessary to you, so that we must temporize
and take what advantage of it we can. Once your affairs are so
prosperous that you hardly need the aid of this kingdom at all,
these people will take another tone, and instead of being as aloof
as they are at present, they will fear nothing more than the loss
of your majesty's friendship.
Such has been the effect of the break-up of the English army
and of Bourbon's, and I see no way for either of them to be
reformed to any good purpose this year. Certainly Bourbon's
cannot be, and it is unlikely that the English army will be,
although when Madame asked, through Suffolk, for five thousand
English infantry to garrison the frontier towns for the rest of this
winter, Henry, in refusing, said that if she would put her former
number of troops in the field, he would do everything possible on
his side. But the scarcity of money in your treasury in the Low
countries, and the fact that Henry could not reassemble and
reinforce his army now in less than six weeks, makes it unlikely
that anything more will be done this winter. If, in the spring,
your majesty is able to put a good army in the field from Spain,
and if Bourbon can invade Burgundy or elsewhere, I think Henry
and Wolsey could be induced to do their share. Wolsey has said
to me recently that in such a case Henry would invade France
in person, but I was unable to give him any answer, not knowing
your pleasure or whether your finances would bear the expense of
two such years of war.
Day before yesterday the king and the cardinal had letters
from Rome, announcing the election of the cardinal de Medici
on November 19th. He will call himself Clement VII. This
is excellent news and, since he, himself, could not be elected,
Wolsey is very pleased. It seems to him that your two majesties
never had a better opportunity of defeating the enemy or bringing
him to reason than now, when you have a pope who is your great
friend and ally, able to sustain the cost of a war, and experienced
in Italian politics.
Good news has also come in a letter from the duke of Milan,
written November 18th. He writes that, the day before, the
French, seeing that they were wasting time before Milan and
that their army was growing daily weaker, and hearing that
Lannoy had reached Bologna with reinforcements, and fearing
to be surrounded and defeated, raised the siege. Before they did
so, they remained for two days drawn up in formation as if
offering to give battle, so that their retreat might not seem forced
by fear, and so as to cover the withdrawal of their baggage and
artillery. Nevertheless, they abandoned and buried much
baggage and many cannon balls. They are retiring across the
Ticino, which their advance guard had already passed the day
the letter was written, so that if Lannoy joins the duke of Milan,
we shall have still better news, and few of the French may get
back to France alive.
I am sending your majesty the letter which King Francis wrote
the count of Carpi, which Wolsey has finally found, and also one
from the Sieur de Vendôme.
London, 9 December, 1523.
Signed, Loys de Praet. French. pp. 10.
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15 Dec.
H. H. u. St. A.
England, f. 2.
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Charles V to Louis De Praet.
Since writing the above and when Estombes was ready to leave
for England, there arrived here the Sieur de Lurcy with letters
from Bourbon, dated October 31st, copies enclosed. We learned
from Lurcy of the failure of the lanzknechts and of Bourbon's
plans, of all of which I suppose you are informed, since Lurcy
says that his brother was sent to England. As you will see by
the letters, Bourbon wishes to come here with the count of
Penthièvre and the other personages with him, to complete his
marriage and to arrange for the invasion of Burgundy where he
has friends, next spring.
We are sending you a copy of the reply which we are making to
Bourbon through Beaurain. You will tell the king and the
cardinal as much of this affair as you think will help to induce
them to furnish at once the remainder of the 100,000 crowns for
Bourbon ; we shall furnish a like amount. You will also ascertain
their intentions regarding war for next year according to
the fourteenth article above, for in case we cannot arrange a truce
or peace, we should be agreed in good time on our course of
action. We think we ought not to attempt so many separate
armies, in view of last year's experience, and of the difficulties in
communication and co-ordination. It will be better to form a
single, common army to which each of us may contribute equally,
and which may invade France wherever Bourbon thinks best.
We shall be glad if Henry thinks our army of Italy suitable for
this purpose, since it has experienced captains, and includes a
large number of veteran Spanish and German infantry, and can
be joined by Bourbon and his friends and allies. This is our
present plan. We suggest that besides the money already given
Bourbon, we each give him another hundred thousand crowns
and that what else is necessary to maintain the army, beyond
what can be raised by the contributions of the Italian states,
which should suffice at least to maintain the fleet, be provided
equally by the king of England and us. The first charge on any
profits from the campaign would be the repayment of our
expenses, in proportion to the size of our contributions. We can
do more harm to the enemy in this fashion for a hundred thousand
crowns, than we can by costly separate armies. Therefore, for
our part, we shall complete our payments of the first hundred
thousand crowns and furnish such other money as we have said.
Use every persuasion to induce the English to do likewise.
Since our reply to the proposals of the archbishop of Bari
about a peace or truce seemed unsatisfactory, and the archbishop
constantly urged us to make another answer, we consulted the
English ambassadors, and with their advice and consent permitted
the archbishop to write to France a letter, a copy of which
we are enclosing. Show it to Henry and Wolsey and ask them
their advice and intention, which they should also communicate
to their ambassadors, who have no powers or instructions for this
negotiation. You will say nothing about having the peace
arranged through Bourbon's mediation until Beaurain writes to
you. Keep in close touch with him and also with our viceroy at
Naples.
You will say to Henry and Wolsey that our army here has done
little, so far, for the reasons we have already written you, and also
because the Sieur d'Albret has refused free passage for provisions
as we have summoned him to do by letters, copies of which are
enclosed. Our army has already taken Solaville and the château
of Mauleon in Guienne and is now besieging Sauveterre in Bearne,
which we hope will soon surrender. After that the army will go
into winter quarters around Bayonne or elsewhere, for the
weather is too bad for more campaigning.
We are sending a copy of this letter by Beaurain, to whom we
have given a copy of your cipher so that you may use it in communicating
with him hereafter. Keep us constantly advised,
both by way of Italy and by the ordinary zabras, the sailings of
which should be better ordered ; each one should take one
courier, and couriers should never have to wait for a ship. We
have news from Rome of the election of the cardinal de Medici as
pope on November 19th, but we have had no letter on the subject
from our ambassador there, since the one in which he wrote of
the frenzied politics in the conclave, and the oath which all the
cardinals had sworn not to elect any foreigner. They would be in
danger from the people of Rome should they do so. No doubt
you will have accurate news by this time, but tell Henry and
Wolsey the above, and tell them, also, that the duke of Sessa
has written us that he was doing everything in his power to secure
Wolsey's election. Let this courier proceed to Flanders at once,
and reply by him when he returns through England.
Pamplona, 15 December, 1523.
Copy. French. pp. 4.
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