Calendar of State Papers, Spain: Supplement To Volumes 1 and 2, Queen Katherine; Intended Marriage of King Henry VII To Queen Juana. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1868.
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'Queen Juana: March 1507', in Calendar of State Papers, Spain: Supplement To Volumes 1 and 2, Queen Katherine; Intended Marriage of King Henry VII To Queen Juana, (London, 1868) pp. 85-90. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/spain/supp/vols1-2/pp85-90 [accessed 15 April 2024]
March 1507
| 1507. 15th March. |
13. King Ferdinand The Catholic to Katharine, Princess
Of Wales. [Archivo General de Simancas. Patronato Real. Tratados con Inglaterra. Legajo 5. f. 96. Draft written by Almazan.] Princesa de Gales. esta se embio despues que vino Melchior. |
(Translation.) 13. Princess of Wales. This letter was sent after Melchior had arrived. |
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| fiat. |
con çavallos recebi v[uest]ras letras y dios sabe quanto yo
siento en mi alma no ver os en el descansso y contentamiento
que yo vos desseo porque sin duda os amo mas que padre
nunqua amo a fija y para fablaros claro si el Serenisimo Rey
don felipe mi yerno dios le perdone no os hubiera sido tan
enemigo como os fue vuestra dote se cumpliera antes que yo
partiera despaña, mas como el dinero con que se a de conplir
y las joyas que para ello se han de vender estan en Castilla
en deposito pudo el entonces estorbar que no se os enbiase
y no solamente en esto mas en todas las otras cosas tocantes
a mi o a mis fijas se mostro muy contrario faciendole yo obras
de mas que de padre. y despues que el murio como la Serenisima
Reyna de Castilla mi fija v[uest]ra hermana no entiende
en negocios por su retraymiento y yo estoy absente y aquello
en ninguno manera se puede conplir sin mi presencia esta es
la causa porque la dote no es ida que si en absencia lo pudiera
yo porveer para que hubiesse efecto mucho ha que fuera fecho.
mas como digo no hay remedio sin mi presencia. yo mediante
N[uest]ro Señor estoy determinado de partir para Castilla
esta primavera porque la Reyna mi fija v[uest]ra hermana me
enbia de continuo a rogar con grande instancia que vaya y
todos me escriven que para que aquellos rreynos no se pierdan
ni se destruyan despues de dios no hay otro remedio
sino mi yda y me suplican muy ahincadamente que vaya. y
viendo yo quanto va en ello a la Reyna Serenisima Reyna (fn. 1)
mi fija v[uest]ra hermana y al bien de aquellos Reynos he determinado
de dexar mi descanso y de me poner a todo trabajo
para remediar a ella y a sus Reynos. y allende los otros
respectos por el v[uest]ro particular me dare mas priesa en mi ida
y en siendo alla mediante Nuestro Señor proveere en que se os
enbie la dote que creed que lo desseo mas que vos misma.
y esto tenedlo por certisimo y si por otra via o de otra
manera yo lo pudiera antes proveer yo lo hubiera fecho por
que demas que me sois fija yo estimo mucho el valor de
v[uest]ra persona y querria os ver honrada y contenta y descansada
y asi lo he de travaiar como por la salvacion de mi alma,
y en siendo en Castilla si place a Ntro Señor vos enbiare el
Confesor que pedis que aqua no lo hay tal de la nacion y
asimismo enbiare ahi embaxador y si don pedro de ayala
tuviere dispusicion para ello enbiare a al (fn. 2) con todo el recaudo
que conviniere y esto sera sin falta placiendo a Ntro Señor.
a lo que dezys que creeys quel Serenisimo Rey de inglaterra
mi hermano no querra tomar las joyas y cosas de oro y de
plata que llevastes en el precio que fueron estimadas bastara
que las tome en el precio que verdaderamente valen en el
qual seran estimadas por maestros con juramento. mas mirad
que es muy necesario que conserveis enteramente toda la plata
y oro y joyas que llevastes porque estan puestas en la quenta
de v[uest]ra dote y si eso se gastase no havria despues de donde
conplirlo de manera que una vez fasta quel matrimonio sea
consumado es forçado que conserveis las dichas cosas por lo
que en ello os va, y con esto el que llevare el dinero de la dote
llevara tal razon de todo que el dicho Serenisimo Rey de
inglaterra mi hermano terna razon de contentarse que a el
no se le pedira cosa cerca desto sino conforme a lo que esta
assentado y capitulado. y en fin el embaxador yra ynformado
a proposito de todo lo que decis de manera que yo espero
que todas vuestras cosas se faran bien. no queda sino que
entretanto os goberneis con el Rey de inglaterra sabiamente
y que trabajeis de le tener contento. y en lo que toca a v[uest]ro
casamiento fablad siempre con presupuesto que dello no teneis
ninguna duda ni sospecha y como en cosa que dios solo lo
podria desatar. vi lo que el Rey de inglaterra mi hermano vos fablo sobre lo de su casamiento con la Reyna de Castilla mi fija vuestra hermana y plugome saber todo lo que sobre ello de su parte me escrebistes. respondedle a ello de mi parte que yo no se ahun si la dicha Reina mi fija esta en voluntad de casarse y que si ella se ha de casar que yo folgare mas que case con el dicho Rey mi hermano que con otro ningun principe de la Christiandad y mayormente con las condiciones de la Capitulacion que dice que quiere asentar conmigo sobre ello y que yo estoy determinado mediante Ntro Señor de yr a Castilla esta primavera a proveer en el remedio de la dicha Reyna mi fija y de sus Reynos, y que me parece que el Rey de inglaterra mi hermano me debe enbiar un enbaxador suyo a la misma hora que supiere que sere llegado a Castilla plaziendo a Ntro Señor para que con aquel negocie yo lo que tocare al Rey de inglaterra mi hermano y a mi, y que estando yo con la Reina mi fija v[uest]ra hermana y sabida su voluntad podre mejor endereçar las cosas a este proposito. mas estad sobre aviso que esta cosa este muy secreta porque si la Reyna mi fija se ha de casar yo se que podria antes inclinarse a otra cosa que seria muy contraria para esto y no hay quien en tal caso la pudiese desviar de lo uno y poner en lo otro sino yo. y desto creame a mi el Rey mi hermano que se mas en ello que todos y como he dicho tenga esta cosa secreta fasta que sepa que este yo en Castilla con la Reyna mi fija que me enbie el dicho enbaxador. aqui enbio una carta mia para el Rey de inglaterra en respuesta de la quel me escribio y en fin della me remito a lo que a vos escrivo. fazedgela dar, y lo desta cifra que es para el facedlo sacar aparte a persona fiel. tanbien escribo al dotor de la puebla algo del casamiento del Rey de inglaterra remitiendome en fin a vos. en tanto que yo enbio otro enbaxador aprovechaos de el en lo que vieredes que pueda aprovechar y servir en los negocios con el Rey de ynglaterra mi hermano. |
fiat. |
I received your letters sent by Zavallos, and God knows
how much I feel it in my heart that you do not enjoy that tranquillity
and contentment which I desire for you. Certainly
I love you more than ever a father loved his daughter ; and
to tell you the truth, if the most serene King Don Philip, my
son-in-law, God forgive him, had not always been such an
enemy of yours as he was, your dower would have been paid
before I left Spain. As, however, the money wherewith to
pay, and the jewelry which was to be sold, were deposited in
Castile, he had it in his power to prevent your dower from
being sent. And not only in this, but in all other things
which concerned me or my daughters, he was always an
enemy, although I rendered him more services than a father.
Since his death the most serene Queen of Castile, my daughter
and your sister, in consequence of her retirement, does not
occupy herself with affairs of state, and I am absent, and this
business cannot be despatched whilst I am not there. This is
the reason why your dower has not been sent. If it had
been possible to provide for this case during my absence,
it would long ago have been done ; but, as I have said,
it is impossible without my presence. I am determined,
with the help of God, to go to Castile during this spring,
because the Queen, my daughter and your sister, continually
sends and begs me very pressingly to do so, and all
write to me that, after God, there is no other means to preserve
those kingdoms from ruin and destruction except
my return to them. As they beg me very earnestly to
go, and as the happiness of the most serene Queen, my
daughter and your sister, and of those kingdoms greatly
depend upon it, I have decided to give up my own comfort
and to undergo all the labour of assisting her and her
kingdoms. In addition to these considerations, your particular
case induces me to make more haste, and as soon as I
arrive there I shall, with the help of God, provide that your
dower be sent. Believe me, I wish it even more than you,
and you may be perfectly sure that, if it had been possible to
provide for this case earlier, I would have done so. For you
are not only my daughter, but I also hold your person in high
esteem, and wish to see you honoured, and satisfied, and
tranquil. To obtain this, I shall as resolutely set to work
as for the salvation of my soul. As soon as I arrive
in Castile I shall also send you the confessor whom you
desire, for there is none of that nation (fn. 3) here. I shall
likewise send an ambassador, and if Don Pedro de Ayala
should be inclined, I shall despatch him with all the diligence
necessary. I shall not fail to do so, with the permission
of our Lord. As for what you say, that you think the most
serene King of England, my brother, will not accept the
jewels, gold, and silver at the price at which they were valued,
it is sufficient that he accept them at the price they are really
worth according to the valuation of sworn goldsmiths. But
you must remember that it is very necessary to preserve
intact all the plate and gold and jewels which you took with
you, for they are accounted for in your dower, and if any
of them should be wanting, it would be impossible to replace
them. Thus, until your marriage is consummated, it is
necessary to preserve the said things. It is your interest to
do so. He who is to go with the money will give such an
account that the most serene King of England, my brother,
will have good reason to convince himself that nothing
is demanded from him except what is in conformity with
the agreement and the treaty ; and, finally, the ambassador
will be fully informed about all you have mentioned, so that
I hope all your affairs will be well arranged. Meanwhile
nothing more remains to be done but that you behave prudently
towards the King of England, and endeavour to obtain
his goodwill. Speak of your marriage always as of a thing
of which you have no doubt and no suspicion, and which God
alone can undo. I have read what the King of England, my brother, said to you about his marriage with the Queen of Castile, my daughter and your sister. I had great pleasure in learning all which you wrote to me on this subject in his name. Answer him in my name that I do not yet know whether the said Queen, my daughter, be inclined to marry again ; but if she should do so, I should prefer her to marry the said King, my brother, rather than any other prince in Christendom, and above all on the conditions of the treaty which he says he is willing to conclude with me on this subject. I am determined, with the help of our Lord, to return this spring to Castile, to occupy myself in remedying the affairs of the said Queen, my daughter, and her kingdoms ; and it seems to me that the King of England, my brother, ought to send me an ambassador as soon as he knows that, by the help of God, I have arrived in Castile, so that I may settle with him all that relates to the King of England and to me. When I am with the Queen, my daughter and your sister, and know her wishes, I shall be better able to arrange all things for this purpose. But take care that the affair be kept very secret ; for if the Queen, my daughter, should marry again, I know that she might incline towards something else, very contrary to this. In such case, no one could dissuade her from the one and persuade her to the other, except myself. This the King, my brother, may believe me, as I know more of her than any one else does. As I have said, he must keep this secret until he knows that I am in Castile with the Queen, my daughter, and then he may send me the said ambassador. I send with this a letter for the King of England in answer to that which he wrote to me. At the end of it I refer him to what I have written to you. Give my letter to him, together with a deciphering of this paragraph in cipher, which is for him. Have it separately deciphered by a trustworthy person. I write also to the Doctor de Puebla something about the marriage of the King of England, referring him at the end of the letter to you. Until I send another ambassador employ him whenever you think he can be useful and render services in the negotiations with the King of England, my brother. |
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