Queen Juana: August 1518

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: August 1518', 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. 171-174. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/spain/supp/vols1-2/pp171-174 [accessed 19 March 2024]

August 1518

10th August. 36. The Marquis of Denia to Charles, King Of Spain.
[Archivo General de Simancas. Estado. Legajo 5. f. 308. Holograph.]
A su Al. del marques de denia. de x de Agosto. San pablo de la Moraleja.
Muy alto y muy Catto y muy poderoso Señor,
Recebi la carta de V. Al. de vj. del presente ayer a las siete oras de la tarde. sea N[uest]ro Señor loado que V. Al. esta con la salud que deseamos y avemos menester. asi sea syenpre.
el cuydado que V. Al. tiene de la salud de la Reyna N. Sa y de la Señora ynfante es muy justo, y como de V. Al. se espera especialmente con la poca salud que N[uest]ro Señor es servido de dar en esta comarca. yo he hecho poner muy grand recaudo en esta villa tapiando todas las puertas que no quedan sino dos en las quales he puesto guardas por la Reyna Na Sa. agora por lo que V. Al. manda si mas diligencia pudiere aver en la guarda mas se terna.
ha syete o ocho dias que yo despache uno mio con el qual escrevi largo a V. A. lo de aqui y entre las otras cosas escrevi a V. Al. la poca salud que ay en esta comarca y enbie memorial de los lugares que estan sanos hasta agora donde la Reyna N[uest]ra Señora y la Señora ynfante podrian yr si lo de aqui se dañase, este sera ya llegado. suplico a V. Al. a la ora me enbie a mandar lo que en tal caso se hara, pues por ser de la calidad que es no sufre la dilacion que en otros casos, porque aunque de la salud de la Reyna N[uest]ra Señora se deve tener el cuydado que es razon la Señora ynfante por su hedad y por ser la que es en todo, dios la guarde, le pone mucho mayor. seria tan dificultosa cosa la salida de aqui que sobre averse provado todos los buenos medios que para ello se pudieren provar no aprovechando estos seria forçado de hazerse, y esto no deve ser sin mandamiento y permision de V. Al. a la qual suplico que en esto por su carta me lo haga saber.
despues que a V. Al. escrevi con el mio que arevalo y madrigal y omeldo (fn. 1) y toro pasandose la chancelleria de alli seria uno destos lugares bueno para estar la Reyna N[uest]ra Señora he sabido que madrigal no esta bueno olmedo esta muy cercada de lugares donde mueren, y esto mismo ay cerca de arevalo. en toro ha salpicado porque no se han tan bien podido guardar de los de valladolid que no se les aya pegado. con este correo escrivo al corregidor de aranda que enbie la relacion de la salud que ay en aquella villa a V. Al. y sy esta sana pareceme que aquel seria el lugar donde Su Al. podria estar mejor asi porque no es grand lugar como porque no ay en el personas que puedan poner enbaraço en nada, y sy este no estuviere bueno, yo sabre luego de çamora que tal esta y lo hare saber a V. Al. como quiera que la poca salud que ay en toda parte me haze tocar en lugar fuera de proposito de lo que para Su Alteza conviene.
sy tal necesidad viniese sera menester una mula para la Reyna N. Sa con un syllon y guarnicion de paño de buriel y otra mula con su guarnicion y syllon de terciopelo negro para la Señora ynfante. si V[uestr]a Alteza es servido de mandarlo proveer de su cavalleriza seria mejor asi por que Su Al. no tiene mulas como porque medina y valladolid estan dañados y con esto no ay aca tan buen aparejo para hazerse.
tanbien ha V[uestr]a Al. de saber que en caso que la Reyna N[uest]ra Señora partiese de aqui serya necessario llevar el cuerpo del Rey N[uest]ro Señor que aya gloria v[uest]ro padre con Su Alteza. y no pudiendose esto escusar thenerse ha la forma que se tuvo en traerle aqui. y para esto yo he hecho adereçar el carro en que vino que estava desbaratado. y las azemilas tomarse han quando sehan menester. suplico a V. Al. que a todo me mande responder luego con persona que venga con diligencia. muy poderoso señor Nuestro Señor guarde la muy Real persona de V. Al. bienaventuradamente con acrecentamiento de su Real corona. de tordesyllas x. de Agosto. (fn. 3) Muy poderoso señor syervo y vassallo de V. Al. que sus Reales manos veso. el marques. [Rubrica.]
[Sobre :] Al muy alto muy Catholico muy poderoso señor el Rey ñro Señor.
(Translation.)
36. To his Highness. From the Marquis of Denia. 10th of August. San Pablo de la Moraleja.
Very high, very catholic, and very mighty Lord,
Yesterday, at 7 o'clock in the evening, I received a letter from your Highness, dated the 6th of the present month. God be praised that your Highness enjoys such good health as we desire and stand in need of. Be it so always.
The anxiety which your Highness has for the health of the Queen our lady and the Señora Infanta is very praiseworthy, and nothing else than this could be expected from your Highness, especially as our Lord is pleased to give such bad health to this province. I have taken measures of great precaution, walling up all the gates of the town, with the exception of two, at which I have placed guards, by command of the Queen our lady. Now, in obedience to the commands of your Highness, if greater precautions can be observed, the watch will be made stricter.
Seven or eight days ago I sent a servant of mine with a long letter to your Highness, in which I wrote all that had occurred here, and, among other things, I mentioned the bad health of this province, adding a list of towns where the health is still good, and where the Queen our lady and the Señora Infanta could go to in case that this place should become infected. He is probably already arrived. I beseech your Highness immediately to send me your orders what is to be done in such a case. For this is a matter which does not suffer delay, as others do. Although it is necessary to take great care of the health of the Queen our lady, the necessity [to take care of the health] of the Señora Infanta is much greater still, considering her age and her accomplishments in every respect. God protect her! The departure from here would be a very difficult thing to accomplish, and after having tried all possible good means without effect, it would be necessary to [employ] force, which cannot be done unless I have an order and the permission of your Highness, whom I entreat to let me know by letter.
After I had written to your Highness by a servant of mine that Arevalo, Madrigal, Olmedo, and Toro, if the chancery were removed from it, would be towns in one of which the Queen our lady could stay, I have been informed that Madrigal is unhealthy, Olmedo surrounded by places where the mortality is great, and Arevalo is in the same predicament. Toro also is unclean, because it has not been possible for them to keep at a distance those [who come] from Valladolid. Thus they have been infected. I write by this courier to the Corregidor of Aranda to send information about the state of health in that town to your Highness, and if its sanitary conditions are good, I think that would be the place best suited for her Highness to stay at ; for it is not a large place, and no persons live there who would become troublesome in any way. If this should not suit I shall soon know how Zamora is, and let your Highness know. The state of health alone is the reason why I think of this place, which in other respects is not suitable for her Highness.
If this should become necessary (fn. 2), a mule for the Queen our lady, with a saddle and trimmings of kersey, and another mule with trimmings and a saddle of black velvet for the Señora Infanta would be required. It would be best that your Highness should order them to be provided from your stables, because her Highness has no mules, and Valladolid and Medina being infected, it would be somewhat difficult to procure them.
Your Highness must also know that in case her Highness should undertake the journey, it would be necessary to take along with her Highness the corpse of the late King, our Lord, your father, as that cannot be avoided. The same manner must be observed as when it was brought hither. For this purpose I have had prepared the cart in which it came, which was broken ; and the mules have to be taken when they are wanted. I beseech your Highness to answer me directly on every point by a special courier, who must travel with great haste. Very mighty lord, our Lord guard the very royal person of your Highness, and bless you with augmentation of your royal states.
From Tordesillas, 10th of August.
Very mighty lord, your Highness' servant and vassal kisses your royal hands.
The Marquis.
[Sign manual of the Marquis of Denia.]
[Addressed :] To the very high, very catholic, and very mighty lord, the King our lord.

Footnotes

  • 1. Sic.
  • 2. The departure from Tordesillas.
  • 3. letra del Marques.