Calendar of State Papers, Spain, Volume 2, 1509-1525. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1866.
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'Spain: November 1514', in Calendar of State Papers, Spain, Volume 2, 1509-1525, (London, 1866) pp. 242-246. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/spain/vol2/pp242-246 [accessed 24 April 2024]
November 1514
| 9 Nov. P. A. d. l'Emp. |
191. Pension paid by the King Of France to the Duke Of
Suffolk. The King of France has given orders to pay the Duke of Suffolk a pension of 1,000 écus d'or annually, for services rendered to him on occasion of the conclusion of the treaty of peace between the King of France and the King of England. The sum of 875 livres Tournois has been paid on account to the Duke of Suffolk, who has acknowledged the payment in his receipt dated the 9th of November 1514. French. Original book of accounts. p. ¼. |
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| 26 Nov. P. A. d. l'Emp. J. 655. |
192. King Louis XII. Of France to the Duke Of Suffolk. The King of France has carefully considered all that the Duke of Suffolk has told him in the name of the King of England. The King of France thanks the King of England for his friendly offers, and is most willing to render him all the services he has in his power. The King of France is firmly resolved not only to fulfil all the promises contained in the treaty of alliance which he has concluded with the King of England, but also to conclude a new and more intimate treaty of friendship and brotherhood with him. The King of England has shown him, by the very fact of his having sent such a person as the Duke of Suffolk, that he wishes to open his heart to him without reserve. The King of France promises the King of England to answer him in the same unreserved manner. |
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The two principal articles of the instructions of the King
of England to the Duke of Suffolk are the following :— Article 2. The King of Aragon has taken possession of and retains by force the kingdom of Navarra. The Duke of Suffolk is to ask the King of France whether he is willing to undertake something against the King of Aragon, and to drive him out of the kingdom of Navarra, in which case the King of England promises the King of France to assist him with all his forces in this enterprise as well as in all other undertakings prejudicial to the King of Aragon, who has broken his promises to both Kings. |
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Article 3. The kingdom of Castile belongs by right to the
daughters (of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella), one of
whom is the wife of the King of England. The King of
England claims, therefore, that portion of the kingdom of
Castile which is the inheritance of his wife, and orders the
Duke of Suffolk to ask the King of France what his opinion
on this subject is, and what aid he is willing to lend the
King of England, if the King of England should undertake
to conquer such portion of the kingdom of Castile as belongs
to his wife. The King of England instructs the Duke of
Suffolk to concert measures with the King of France by which
the greatest amount of mischief can be done to the King of
Aragon, and orders him to reduce the answer of the King
of France to writing. The King of France and his Council have told the Duke of Suffolk that they do not know what claim the King of England may have on the kingdom of Castile. Not being acquainted with the customs and laws of Castile, they are unable to give any opinion on this subject ; but if the King of England and his Council are persuaded that they have a right to conquer a portion of Castile, and if they have made up their mind to drive the King of Aragon out of Navarra, and to conquer by force of arms a portion or the whole of the kingdom of Castile, the King of France promises to assist him as a good brother and friend, without troubling himself with the question whether the right is on the side of the King of England or not. The King of France, however, cannot conceal from the King of England that if they were to form a numerous army, and then to conquer Navarra only, they would spend more than the whole affair is worth. (fn. 1) If the King of England is nevertheless determined to carry out his enterprise against the King of Aragon, the King of France makes him two proposals. In the first place, he begs him to keep his own intentions secret, and to draw out the secrets of the ambassadors of the King of Aragon ; when that is done the King of England ought to send an ambassador to the King of France, and to communicate to him all the secret plans of the King of Aragon without concealing anything from him. The King of France, on the other hand, promises to send an ambassador to the King of England, and to tell him, without reserve, all that he knows about the secret plans and intentions of the King of Aragon. This is to be done with such secrecy that the King of Aragon must not suspect what they are intending to do, and that an open rupture with him may be avoided. The King of England is to bind himself to refer all his treaties and arrangements with the King of Aragon to the decision of the King of France, and the King of France promises to make his treaties and arrangements with the King of Aragon dependent on the consent of the King of England. In the second place, the King of France and the King of England must bind themselves not to conclude a separate treaty of peace with the King of Aragon. The King of France has already, on former occasions, explained to the late King Henry VII., his claims on the duchy of Milan, and has shown that the duchy belongs to him by right of succession and investiture from the Emperor. The Duke Jehan Galeazzo received the investiture of the duchy of Milan from the Emperor Wenceslaus, for himself and his issue, male and female. Jehan Galeazzo had two sons, Jehan and Philip, and a daughter, Valentine, who was married to Louis, Duke of Orléans. This Duke of Orléans is the ancestor of the present King of France. When Madame Valentine was married to the Duke of Orléans she received the county of Asti, a great sum of money, and rich jewellry, as her dower. The son of Louis, Duke of Orléans, and Madame Valentine was Charles of Orléans, of whom the King of France is the only male descendant and heir. After the death of Jehan Galeazzo, his son Jehan Maria was Duke of Milan, and after Jehan Maria, his second son, Philip. Their right to the duchy was never contested. Philip did not leave any legitimate issue, but only a bastard daughter, who was married to Maria Francesco Sforza. As all the legitimate male descendants of Jehan Galeazzo who had received the investiture were dead, Madame Valentine was, according to the wording of the investiture, entitled to claim the duchy for herself. When Madame Valentine was married to the Duke of Orléans her rights on the duchy of Milan were expressly reserved to her, and the treaty of marriage was confirmed first by the Emperor and afterwards by the Pope, who during the vacancy of the Imperial throne was entitled to exercise the rights of the Emperor, as is notorious to all. The father of the present King of France claimed the duchy, but, as France was involved in other wars, he could not make good his claims. When the present King of France ascended his throne, he drove Lodovico Sforza, son of Francesco Sforza, who was an usurper, out of the duchy of Milan, and took him prisoner. He died at Loches, in consequence of an illness which he had contracted before he was taken prisoner. The King of France always treated him well. The Emperor has twice given the investiture of Milan to the present King of France, and has thereby recognized his right. Francesco Sforza, who married Blanche, the bastard daughter of Duke Philip, was Captain of the Venetians, and occupied Milan by force. He has never been recognized by the Emperor as Duke of Milan, nor received any investiture. Lodovico Sforza murdered his nephew, Jehan Galeazzo, son of Francesco, the first usurper, and robbed him of the throne. In order to execute his criminal designs, he persuaded the late King Charles of France to make war on Alphons, King of Naples. The King of France has always declared to the King of England, and declares at present to the Duke of Suffolk, that he intends to make good his just claims on the duchy of Milan, begging the King of England to aid him in his enterprise by lending him the sum of 200,000 écus, which the King of France promises to repay within one year. The King of France promises to give good securities for the loan to the King of England. As the King of England is so good a friend and ally of the King of France, and so rich and mighty a prince, the King of France hopes he will lend him some money where with to alleviate the burdens of his subjects, and afterwards advance him a greater sum of money, which is to be employed in his expedition on Italy. It is the intention of the King of France to begin that expedition in the month of March next year.—Paris, the 26th of November 1514. French. Memoir or draft, written by Florimond Robertet. pp. 9. |