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: November 1520, 16-30', 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. 321-328. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/spain/supp/vols1-2/pp321-328 [accessed 26 April 2024]
November 1520, 16-30
| 17th November. |
71. The Cardinal Of Tortosa to the Emperor Charles. [Archivo General de Simancas. Patronato Real. Comunidades de Castilla. Legajo 2. ff. 170, 171. Autograph. The passages printed in italics are in cipher. Contemporary deciphering.] A su Mt del Cardenal. a xvij de Novienbre. S. Cesa. C. R. Mt. A xiij. del presente tengo escrito a V[uest]ra Al. abora postreramente muy largamente. a xiiij del mesmo ha entrado el Almirante en esta villa suya y el dia siguiente me hablo y dixo las diligencias que hizo dende cigales para placar y assossegar el furor de Valladolit. lo qual diz que todo fue de balde porque estava ya alli don pedro giron recebido por aquel pueblo con mucho amor. y que a mas desto havia escrito al dicho don Pedro que le quisiesse hablar. y el de mucha civildat le respondio que primero lo havia de comunicar con Valladolit, del qual como digo fue recebido tan bien y con tanta benivolencia. y ahun diz que havia escrito a los procuradores de la Junta de Tordesyllas que tuviessen por bien de querer comunicar con el sobre los medios que conviniessen a la paz y buena reformacion deste Reyno. respondieronle que para esto les hallaria muy aparejados y que luego embiarian sus procuradores ad algun lugar conveniente al dicho almirante el qual ha de partir hoy viernes paral dicho lugar y para comunicarlo con ellos. y cierto viendo el dicho almirante que todos los grandes y pequeños del Reyno estan tan embebidos en favorecer las cosas de Cornunidat que no solamente diz que tiene el Reyno por perdido pero ahun le parece que no se tiene por seguro en confiar de sus propios vassallos y qe v[uest]ra magt. ha de negociar lo destos Reynos como si no tuviesse nada en ellos y que assi qualquiera cosa que acquira v[uest]ra mt. en ellos ha de hazer cuenta que lo gana de nuevo. la primera vez que ahora el dicho almirante vino a mi posada se me declaro en presencia del comendador mayor de Çapata y de Vargas que en ninguna manera accordava de aceptar el cargo de la governacion sino con dos condiciones precedentes. la primera es que haya respuesta de V. Mt. a las cartas que dende Cathaluña diz que le escrevio sobre la dicha gobernacion y que tiene cartas de su hazedor que reside en essa corte en que le escrive como han sydo leydas dos vezes a V[uest]ra Alteza y que por la celeridat del correo que estonces se despacho que no fue possible que con el fuesse la respuesta, pero que dentro de quatro o cinco dias esperava despues de embiarla con otro correo. la otra condicion es que se le de todo el poder cumplido sin restriction alguna y qual lo tiene V. Mt. para consentir y perdonar, castigar, hazer mercedes, y condenar, segun que a el mas uttil le pareciere y viere cumplir al servicio de V. Mt. a todos estos de aqua parece que se mueve en ello con justa razon y que los que aconsejaron a V[uest]ra Alteza en limitar el poder a sus gobernadores que le han persuadido de cosa inutil y dañosa al Reyno. en el mesmo dia yo fui despues de comer a la posada del dicho almirante para visitar a la condessa, y despues me aparte alli con el y secretamente le hable diziendole la mucha pena que sentia que no quissiesse sin estas condiciones aceptar el cargo de la governacion, porque de la dilacion se podria ofrecer mucho animo a los de la junta, y que seria en gran daño y mengua de la autoridat de V[uest]ra Mt. y de los que tenemos su parte, y que por esto no devia estar ni parar. que yo tengo creydo que v[uest]ra Mt. le ha respondido y que las cartas quiça se le han perdido en el camino o le han sydo tomadas, y ofreciendole que procuraria que V[uest]ra Alt. le diesse libre y suelta la dicha governacion sin restricciones algunas, las quales cierto en este tiempo no convendrian. y al ende de todo esto le dixe como el condestable ha aceptado, como vehe, el cargo sin restrictiones, y que yo tambien fui forçado de hazer lo mismo. respondiome que el condestable ha fecho lo que le cumple, porque toda su tierra se le levantava y que no tenia otro remedio para allanar y remediar aquello, sino aceptando la dicho governacion cobrando con ella la auctoridad que havia perdido en Burgos y sus tierras. pero que este almirante es mas vezino al fuego y dize que no tiene cosa ninguna fuerte sino este lugar, y en fin me dixo que no tiene nada seguro en su tierra y que facilmente lo perderia todo si se pussiesse contra estas comunidades, si ya de parte de V. Mt. no se diesse grande y rezio poder assi de dinero como de gente, de lo qual diz que no tiene esperança. a esto le respondi que tenemos facultad de V[uest]ra Al. para vender y empeñar y de procurar todo lo necessario, mas por escusar larga escriptura digo que me resuelvo en esto, que a lo que pude alcançar de su manera y habla todo esto crehia que abastaria poco, ca en esta tempesta el que compra algo de la corona Real en el mesmo punto es enemigo de todo el Reyno, y mucho mas el que lo vende. dinero emprestado no podemos haver tanto que abaste para nuestras necessidades. algunos me dizen que el Reyno se podria algo apaciguar si yo me quisiesse juntar con los procuradores de la dicha junta y con ellos tratar los negocios del Reyno como ahora con los consejeros por ellos deputados, en lo qual muestran tener fin a dos cosas, es a saber, a echar los grandes de la govemacion, a los quales sobresto tienen por sespechosos diziendo que todo lo procurarian para en uttilidad y provecho dellos y en daño del Reino, lo otro es que los dichos procuradores continuen en la governacion y que juntamente con ello puedan hechar a los del consejo, a los quales dizen ladrones y robadores. yo he respondido ad algunos que no desseo cosa mas que la pacificacion del dicho Reyno y que para procurarla no recuso ningun travajo, ahunque no dessee cosa mas que ser libre deste cargo, y que cada dia solicite dello y lo suplique a V[uest]ra Alt., mas que no embargante esto seria contento hazer con los procuradores todo lo que piden, pero con condition que se hiziesse aquello sin ofensa e indignation de V[uest]ra Mt. Lo que en grande manera me mueve en çufrir estos trabajos es que desta manera pueda sacar estos procuradores de tordesyllas para que no insten mas en que la reyna nuestra Señora firme que este es un solo punto con el qual se perderia todo el Reyno mas de lo que ya lo esta como por otra lo he escrito a V. Mt. mandeme V[uest]ra Alt. escrevir sobresto su parecer y voluntad con toda presteza porque en ninguna cosa puede ser mayor peligro para V[uest]ra Mt. que en la perdition deste Reyno al qual sinduda perderia V. Mt. si Su Alteza firmase lo qual muchas vezes les promete y si pocos buenos no la desviassen del frmar mucho ha que firmara. oy me ban dicho que Su Alteza se empieza de vestir buenas ropas de atavio e hizo ataviar a la Señora Infanta para que salliesse con Su Alt. hasta el monasterio de Santa Clara, todas estas cosas solicitan para que con ellas puedan espargir fama por el Reyno como Su Alteza esta en si y con toda salud y que se han de obedecer sus Reales mandamientos los quales dizen que ha de signar o dezirlos de palabra, pues los escrivanos luego hazen fe dellos y lo testifican. nmchas villas y casi todas piden socorro de gente contra los sediciosos para que les puedan constreñir y ahun apretar. el alcayde de Vcles ha sido requerido de parte de Toledo que les entregue aquella fortaleza. habemos proveydo en ello de capitan y de alguna gente, mas dizesse que Joan de padilla haze gran exercito para tomarlo. por todas partes nos corren muchos peligros y la confiança que podemos haver de nuestra gente es tan poca que me parece que del todo havemos de temer de qualquier pelea o batalla y que assi sera bien procurarnos solamente la defension. los malos son tantos que mas fruto hazen las mentiras dellos que nuestras verdades, y si V[uest]ra Magt. no viene con toda celeridat y presteza temo que hallara pehor el Reyno de lo que el Rey don Alonso quando bolvio a estos Reynos despues de la elecion que estonces se hizo del paral Imperio. el Condestable se esta en Burgos y no osa salir de alli por el peligro que havria de la mudança en que aquella ciudat no hiziesse lo mesmo que Yalladolit. los del consejo que estan con el temen que no les tomen como hizieron en Valladolid a los que conmigo quedaron. es cosa de grandissima piedat ver el trebajo en que estan los que bien clessean servir a V[uest]ra Mt. ahunque son pocos. a los grancles que sirven es menester pagar de parte de V[uest]ra Mt. el suelde de la gente que han traydo. muchos dellos son fieles, los quales sienten mucho esta perdicion, mas sin la presta y rreal presencia de V[uest]ra Mt. crea que en cosa ninguna hay remedio. bien seria que V[uest]ra Alteza mandasse escrevir al Rey y Reyna de Portugal dandoles especiales gracias, porque con favor dellos y por algun temor que ha sabido V. Mt. que en estos Reynos les tienen, se abstienen y refrenan estos procuradores de otras pehores cosas, y a mas destos parece ahun a los del consejo que comigo residen que V[uest]ra Mt. deve mandar escrevir al dicho Rey y Reyna que a las muchas mentiras que los de la junta les han escrito con propio mensajero en prejuizio de V[uest]ra Mt. que les responda sobrellas muy agramente y con grande reprehension informandoles de la verdat. y tambien dizen los del dicho consejo que no solamente sera util mas ahun es casi necessario que regraciandoles Vra Mt. la grande venivolencia que le amuesbran y el socorro que le ofrecen, que juntamente con esto procure V. Mt. con sus cartas que el Rey escriva a V. Mt. y a nosotros de quanta gente, tanto de pie como de cavallo, y de quanto dinero podremos hazer qnenta si por ventura fuere necessario. y porque la voz comun de todo el Reyno es dessear que V. Mt. se cassasse con la Señora Infanta de Portugal la qual diz que es muy prudente y de grandes virtudes y de muy buenas partes y a mas desto tiene muy hermoso gesto y gentil dispusicion, cierto este casamiento aprovecharia mucho paral buen despacho y assiento de los negocios de V. Mt., o a lo menos ponerle en esperança del dicho matrimonio. Guarde nuestro Señor la vida y Real estado de V[uest]ra Magt. luengamente y con toda prosperidat. en Medina de Rioseco a xvij de Noviembre de mil quinientos y veynte. V[ost]re tres humble serviteur el Carl, dertusen. |
(Translation.) 71. To his Majesty. From the Cardinal. 17th November. Sacred, imperial, catholic, royal Majesty, Now quite of late, on the 13th of the present month, I wrote to your Highness a very long letter. On the 14th of the same month the Admiral entered this his town, and spoke with me on the following day, telling me what he had done when staying in Zigales to calm and pacify the furor of Valladolid. All that he said was in vain, because Don Pedro Giron was already there, received by the people with great love. Moreover he said he had written to Don Pedro, telling him that he wished to speak with him. He (Don Pedro) had answered very courteously that he must first communicate on this subject with Valladolid, by which town, as I have already stated, he had been received very well and with great goodwill. Furthermore, he said he had written to the Procurators of the Junta in Tordesillas, asking them to be so good as to enter into communication with him on the means best calculated to secure peace and a reformation of the kingdom. They answered him that he would find them very ready to do so, and that they would directly send some commissioners to any place which was convenient to him, the Admiral, who will start today, Friday, for the said place, and enter into communications with them. And certainly the said Admiral knows that all the grandees and the lower classes of these kingdoms are much inclined to favour the affairs of the Commons. He, therefore, not only thinks that the kingdom is lost, but also he is not sure whether he can trust his own vassals, and says that your Majesty must treat the affairs of these kingdoms as though nothing in them belonged to you. Everything that your Majesty acquires in them must be reckoned as a new acquisition. The first time that the Admiral came to my house he declared to me, in presence of the Comendador Mayor, of Zapata and of Vargas, that under no circumstances would he accept the office of governor, except on these two conditions previously granted : in the first place he must first have an answer from your Majesty to the letters which he says he has written to you from Catalonia about the form of government, and which, as his agent at that court (fn. 1) has written to him, were twice read to your Majesty, but, owing to the haste with which the courier was despatched, it was not possible to send the answer with him, and it was said that within four or five days it would be conveyed by another courier. The other condition is that full power, without any restriction, in fact as your Majesty yourself possesses it, be given to him to settle terms, to pardon, to punish, and to grant and revoke favours, according to what should seem to him best, and what he should think useful for the service of your Majesty. To all here it seems that his demands are reasonable and just, and that those who persuaded your Highness to limit the power of your governors have advised you something unprofitable and injurious to the kingdom. I went the same day to dine with the Admiral in order to visit the Countess. (fn. 2) Afterwards I spoke with him in private and told him how sorry I was that he refused to accept the office of governor without these conditions, because the delay would much encourage the members of the Junta and much injure and lower the authority of your Majesty and of us who are your servants. For these considerations he should not hold back nor stop short. I said I believed that your Majesty had answered him, but that the letters, perhaps, have been lost or intercepted on their way, promising him to procure that your Highness should give him the office of governor free and unfettered by any restrictions, which certainly at this time would be inconvenient. Moreover, I told him that the Constable had accepted the office without condition, and that I was also obliged to submit to the same. He answered that the Constable has done what is profitable to him, as all his estates have risen in rebellion, and he had no other means to arrange and remedy this, except by accepting the place of governor, regaining thereby the authority which he has lost in Burgos and over his estates. But he (the Admiral) was nearer the fire, and had no other strong place than this. At last he said that he could trust no one on his estates, and would lose all if he took part against these Commons, unless your Majesty would give great and strong assistance of men as well as of money, which seemed by no means likely. I answered to this that we have authority from your Highness to sell and pledge all in order to procure what is necessary. Wishing to avoid writing too long a letter, I shall briefly state that, judging from what I understood from his behaviour and words, he thinks that all this would be of no advantage ; for in these tempestuous times whoever buys anything from the crown becomes at the same moment an enemy of the whole kingdom, and he who sells much more so. In the form of a loan we cannot obtain as much as is necessary for our own wants. Some say that the kingdom would be pacified to some extent if I united with the Procurators of the said Junta, and despatched the business of the kingdom with them, in the same manner as I despatch it now with the councillors chosen for that purpose. By this they aim at two things ; that is to say, to turn the grandees out of the government, whom, they say, they suspect would do all that is profitable to themselves and detrimental to the kingdom ; and the other thing at which they aim is to preserve the Procurators in the Government, and thus to enable them to dismiss the councillors, who they say are thieves and robbers. I have answered to some of them that there is nothing in the world I desire more than the pacification of the said kingdom, and that to bring it about I should not refuse to do any amount of labour, although I wish more than anything else to be relieved from this office, and solicit and supplicate your Highness every day to do so. Notwithstanding this I should be ready to transact with the Procurators all the business they desire, but only on condition that that were done without injury or affront to your Majesty. The principal reason which induces me to undergo these labours is that in that manner I could get the Procurators away from Tordesillas, and thus prevent them from insisting any more that the Queen our lady should sign ; for this one thing (fn. 3) suffice to raise the whole kingdom still more than it is already, as I have written to your Majesty. I beg your Highness to write to me your opinion and commands as quickly as possible, for in no other thing is there so much danger to your Majesty of losing this kingdom, which no doubt your Majesty would lose if her Highness should sign. She has often promised to do it, and if a few good men had not dissuaded her from signing she would have done so long ago. They have told me to-day that her Highness begins to dress in good robes and finery, and ordered the Señora Infanta to be adorned to accompany her to the convent of Santa Clara. They beg her to do all these things in order to be able to spread the rumour throughout the kingdom that her Highness is sane and in good health, and that all ought to obey her royal mandates, which they say she may either sign or give by word of mouth, as the escrivanos draw up an instrument and testify to her words. Many towns, in fact almost all, ask succour against the rebels, who are in a position to constrain and even compel them. The Alcalde of Ucles has been requested by Toledo to deliver to them that fortress. We have sent a captain and some troops, but it is said that Juan de Padilla assembles a great army to conquer it. We are surrounded on all sides by many dangers, and the confidence we can have in our men is so small that I think that above all things we ought to be afraid of fighting or of a battle, and remain on the defensive only. Bad people are so numerous that their lies produce more effect than our speaking the truth. If your Highness does not come with all speed, I am afraid you will find the kingdom worse than King Alonso found it when he returned to these kingdoms after his election for the empire which then took place. The Constable is in Burgos, and does not dare to leave it for fear of a revolt, in which that city might follow the example of Valladolid. The councillors who are staying with him are afraid they might be arrested, as those were who remained with me in Valladolid. It is a pitiful thing to see the troubles of those who desire to serve your Majesty, of whom there are not many. It is necessary for your Majesty to pay the troops which the grandees who serve you have brought with them. Many of them are loyal, and are very sorry for this ruinous state of affairs ; but without the speedy and royal presence of your Majesty I think nothing can avail. Your Highness would do well to write to the King and Queen of Portugal, thanking them very warmly ; for in consequence of the favour shown by them, and owing to a certain fear of them, which, as your Majesty knows, these kingdoms have, these Procurators abstain and refrain from doing other worse things ; and, besides, it seems to the councillors who are staying with me that your Majesty should write to the said King and Queen, asking them to answer and to reprimand the Junta severely for all the lies which they have written by a special messenger in prejudice of your Majesty, and to inform them of the truth. The same councillors say also that it would not only be useful, but that it is almost indispensable for your Majesty, whilst thanking them for the great goodwill which they show, and for the succour which they offer, to ask the King, by a letter, to write to your Majesty and to us as to how many troops, foot as well as horse, and how much money we could count on if perhaps we should want them. And as the whole kingdom desires your Majesty should marry the Señora Infanta of Portugal, who it is said is very prudent, possesses great virtues and good qualities, and, besides, is of a very beautiful appearance and of a gentle disposition, this marriage, or at least the hope of it, would certainly contribute much towards a good despatch and arrangement of the affairs of your Majesty. Our Lord preserve the life and royal state of your Majesty a long time in all prosperity. Medina de Rioseco, 17th of November 1520. Votre très humble serviteur, The Cardinal of Tortosa. |
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