Spain: July 1524

Calendar of State Papers, Spain, Volume 2, 1509-1525. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1866.

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'Spain: July 1524', in Calendar of State Papers, Spain, Volume 2, 1509-1525, (London, 1866) pp. 647-650. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/spain/vol2/pp647-650 [accessed 25 April 2024]

July 1524

14 July.
M. Re. Ac. d. Hist. Salazar. A. 21. ff. 455-459.
661. Lope De Soria, Imperial Ambassador in Genoa, to the Emperor.
News concerning the army. Viceroy. Prince of Orange, &c.
Is afraid that the money necessary to pay the army will not be found. Thinks that if the King of England does not vigorously attack France in the north, the Duke of Bourbon will soon be obliged to retreat, and the French will follow him to Italy.
News from Genoa, &c.—Genoa, the 14th of July 1524.
Addressed : "To his Sacred, Imperial, and Catholic Majesty."
Spanish. Autograph partly in cipher. Contemporary deciphering. pp. 6.
18 July.
M. Re. Ac. d. Hist. Muñoz. 56. f. 216.
662. The Emperor to the Duke Of Sessa, his Ambassador in Rome.
Has received his letters of the 19th and 26th of May.
Is very sorry to hear that the pestilence is so bad in Rome that he cannot stay there, and is obliged to carry on his business through third persons.
Is glad that the Pope has spoken so forcibly to the ambassadors of the King of England. Thinks that the army under the command of the Duke of Bourbon has already invaded France, and hopes that the King of England and Madame Margaret will do their best to occupy the French in the north.
The Pope is quite right to be careful in his dealings with England, as he has been informed that the Cardinal (Wolsey) has begun to treat with the French. Nevertheless, the intrigues of the Cardinal with the French are of little importance. It is probable that he has intrigued with the French for no other purpose than to get the negotiations concerning the treaty of peace or truce into his own hands, and to secure thereby greater advantages to the King of England than he could expect if the treaty were to be concluded in Rome in the presence of the Pope.
The English are not justified in complaining that he (the Emperor) has disbanded his army in Spain, for they were the first to disband their troops. His army has remained much longer in the country of the enemy than was stipulated in his treaty with the King of England. The Spaniards have conquered Fuentarabia, and it would have been useless to pay the army any longer, as the bad season had rendered all further warlike operations impossible, and had especially hindered the English from doing anything in Picardy.
The captains of his army have informed the King of England of all the occurrences in Italy, and they have communicated to him their plan to invade Provence. Most probably they have already received an answer from the King of England.
There is no reason to fear that the good understanding between him and the King of England will be disturbed. Is on excellent terms with the King of England, and it is his firm will not to give him any cause for discontent. Should, however, the King of England, against all expectation, break with him, he has taken measures that the King shall not gain anything by the rupture. Considers, therefore, the friendship of the King of England as safe.
He is to treat the Pope in the most friendly manner, but he must, at the same time, try to get as much money from him as he can without offending him.
Bishopric of Palencia. Church patronage.
Has just received his letters of the 4th and 7th of last month. Federigo da Bozzolo.
He is not to speak of the pension of 10,000 ducats which the Pope formerly received from the see of Toledo, if the Pope does not return to that subject.
Bishop of Avila. Bishopric of Utrecht. Palencia. Pestilence in Rome. Catalonia. The Auditor Casadoro. Cardinal of Santi Quatuor. Bishopric of Plazencia. The Bishop of Badajoz has died. (fn. 1) Cardinal of Tortosa.
Thanks the Pope for the secret bulls he has sent him, by which he has relieved him from his pangs of conscience.
Has received the brief of the Pope, in which his Holiness speaks of Luther, and of the decision of the Diet of Nuremberg to convoke a new diet of the whole German nation in Spire, in which the affairs concerning Luther, the war with the Turks, and other affairs are to be settled. Is very sorry that a diet has been convoked at Spire, as new and greater errors and calamities will be the only consequences of the debates which will take place. Has, therefore, sent letters to the Infante (Ferdinand), to the Regents of the Empire, to the Princes Electors, the Estates General and Provincial, and to other persons. Encloses copies of these letters, and authorizes him to show them to the Pope. Fears, however, that these letters will have no greater effect than his solemn edict given at Worms, and that the diet will assemble in spite of them. The evil, it is to be feared, will increase so much that it will be found impossible to eradicate it afterwards.
Two remedies only present themselves to him : either he must go to Germany, and punish the heretics with severity, or a general council must be convoked. As it is impossible for him to go soon to Germany, he begs the Pope to decide what he ought to do. Promises his Holiness, as a good son of the Church, to stake his person and his states to suppress a sect which is evidently dangerous to all religious authority. As the Germans have asked the Legate, Cardinal Campegio, to propose to the Pope a general council to be held in Germany, it would be well if his Holiness would anticipate the conventicle at Spire by the convocation of a general council at Trent. The Germans consider Trent as a German city, although it is properly speaking Italian. Although the council ought to be convoked at Trent early next spring, it can afterwards be prorogued and transferred to another city in Italy ; Rome, for example, or wherever the Pope likes. Promises to obey the orders of the Holy Father.
He is to complain to the Pope that he shows favour to the Bishop of Zamora and other rebels in Spain.
Cardinal Vich.—Burgos, the 18th of July 1524.
Spanish. Draft. pp. 12.
29 July.
M. Re. Ac. d. Hist. Salazar. A. 31. ff. 504-516.
663. The Duke Of Sessa, Imperial Ambassador in Rome, to the Emperor.
This letter is an answer to his despatches of the 25th of May and 14th of June.
Thanks him for sending Monsieur de la Roche to Rome. Bishop of Maldoñedo. Archbishop Fragoso. Pensions levied on the bishopric of Tarazona.
The 10,000 ducats which were intercepted near Parma.
Begged the Pope to assist him (the Emperor) resolutely in his enterprise, either publicly or secretly. The Pope answered that at no time has he intended to enter the league (with the Emperor and the King of England), as it is his duty to be a good Pope. No other answer can be obtained from the Pope, who, however, speaks in the most loving terms of him (the Emperor).
The letter of the King of England to Monsieur de Bourbon and the Viceroy of Naples has animated them and the whole army very greatly. The King of England has, however, spoken very differently to the nuncio of the Pope, who writes that the preparations (for the war) are made in a dilatory manner in England. Thinks that the French are so much discouraged since their losses in Lombardy that if he (the Emperor) and the King of England would only make a slight demonstration on the frontiers of Spain and in Picardy, the army under the Duke of Bourbon would find little resistance in France. Although the King of France has had enough time to repair his losses, it is well known that on the 15th of the present month the money for the Swiss had not arrived in Lyons. The King of France has some lansquenets and some French troops. He expects his salvation from Federigo da Bozzolo and the Italian troops which are coming with him.
The Swiss. The Archbishop of Capua has arrived. What he brings from France is not worth the money he has spent on his journey, The French boast and threaten. Fears only that they will succeed in intimidating the Pope, who still remains neutral. The Archbishop is to return to France.
Church preferment. The Pope has not spoken of late about his pension of 10,000 ducats out of the revenues of Toledo. Has advised the Spanish bishops who stay in Rome to return to their churches. The county of Carpi is not taken from Alberto Pio. Ecclesiastical affairs. Local affairs.—Rome, the 29th of July 1524.
Indorsed : "To the King. 1524. Rome. Duke of Sessa. The 29th of July. Answered."
Spanish. Autograph in cipher. Contemporary deciphering. pp. 9.

Footnotes

  • 1. Bernard de Mesa, ambassador in England.