The First Governess of the Netherlands, Margaret of Austria Part 16

Just before the battle of Pavia Margaret had sent amba.s.sadors to England with instructions to try and persuade King Henry to send substantial help to the imperial troops, which were badly in need of money, suggesting that an attack might now be made on France during the absence of the king in Italy. Margaret concludes her instructions by proposing that the Princess Mary (who was only nine years old) should be sent to Spain with an increased dowry, and placed under the emperor's care until old enough to be married. The amba.s.sadors are told to add 'that madame and the legate (Wolsey) having already been match-makers in two different cases, there is no reason for not promoting this one. She herself desires this marriage more than any other thing whatsoever, and will leave nothing undone that can bring it about.'[100]

[100] _Ibid._

Wolsey replied to these requests by stating that the king, his master, was quite ready to cross the Channel into France under the following conditions: 1st. That madame (Margaret) should provide 3000 horse and 3000 foot. 2nd. That the army should enter France by way of Normandy.

3rd. The emperor should procure sufficient money to keep up his Italian army, etc., etc. But when the envoys stated that 200,000 ducats, which the emperor was sending to his army in Italy, had fallen into the hands of the enemy, the cardinal replied, that if madame agreed to make remittances of 50,000 crowns, the king would contribute an equal sum, to which the envoys answered: 'Madame has not the means to do that; n.o.body will lend her money, though she is willing, for the stipend of the said 3000 horse and 3000 foot, to sell or p.a.w.n her own rings and jewels.' Respecting the delivery of Princess Mary, the cardinal said 'that she was too young, and that the English looked upon her as the treasure of the kingdom, and that no hostages were sufficient security for her.'[101] But soon after the small princess was made to send a fine emerald to the emperor with a message that when they married she would be able to know by the clearness or otherwise of the jewel 'whether his Majesty do keep himself as continent and chaste as, with G.o.d's grace, she will.' The emperor being twenty-five, whilst his little fiancee was only nine, the cases were hardly similar; and three months later Charles had engaged himself to marry his cousin, Isabella of Portugal.[102]

[101] _Calendar of Spanish State Papers_, vol. iii.

[102] Martin Hume, _Wives of Henry VIII._

A council was held in Spain in order to decide what was to be done with King Francis, in which the Duke of Alva suggested the most exorbitant terms as the price of the king's freedom. The Bishop of Osma pleaded for more generous treatment, but the duke's advice prevailed, and Francis was offered the most humiliating terms, which he indignantly rejected, but finally agreed to the proposals that he should marry the emperor's sister Eleanor, the Dowager-Queen of Portugal, and settle the duchy of Burgundy upon the issue of the marriage; that he should pardon Bourbon, restore the whole of his possessions, giving him his sister, the d.u.c.h.ess of Alencon, in marriage; pay a large ransom, and furnish troops to attend the emperor's coronation in Rome.

Francis was sent to Genoa and thence to Spain in charge of Lannoy, Viceroy of Naples, to the indignation of Bourbon and Pescara, who both hoped to have had the honour of escorting the royal prisoner to Madrid.

On his arrival in Spain Charles sent a courteous letter to Louise of Savoy, who was acting as regent during her son's absence. Louise in reply says: 'Monseigneur! By the letter which it has pleased you to write to me, I have learned the arrival of monseigneur the king, my son, in your country, and the goodwill and good disposition you entertain to treat him well, for which I know not how sufficiently to express to you my thanks and grat.i.tude, humbly beseeching you, sir, to continue to act in this liberal manner, which so well befits your greatness and magnanimity. As for the rest, monseigneur, in pursuance of what you have required of me, I have given a safe conduct to your courier, desiring to do your pleasure in this and all other things, as I would for the said monseigneur, my son, the king, and this the Lord knows, whom I pray to give you a good and long life.--Your most humble LOYSE.'[103]

[103] W. Bradford, _Correspondence of the Emperor Charles V._

On June the 25th, 1525, Charles wrote a long letter to his brother Ferdinand from Toledo, in which he says: 'As to the movement of the Lutherans, and the evil they have done, and to all appearance mean to do, it has annoyed, and does continue to annoy me bitterly. If it were in my power to remedy it speedily, I would spare neither my person nor my estates in the cause, but you see the difficulty there is in it, especially since I hope to be in Italy so soon, in order to take possession of my crowns[104] as I have already written you word.

[104] The emperor's coronation at Bologna did not take place till February 1530, when he received the crowns of Lombardy and of the empire.

'When that is done, I mean to exert all my power in the extermination of this said sect of Lutherans....' Charles goes on to say, in answer to his brother's request that he would use his influence to get him (Ferdinand) elected King of the Romans, that for the present the matter had better be kept secret until he had been crowned emperor, as the electors 'would probably allege, and with truth, that at present I am myself, in fact, no more than King of the Romans, and that on this account the election of another ought to be deferred....

'The King of France is now here. I have caused him to be placed in the castle of Patina, where he will be well treated. He has offered me certain articles of peace, which I send you a copy of, and has promised to do still better. I will let you know the result; and if it tends to my honour and advantage, and to the preserving of my friends, I will follow your advice in coming to terms, well knowing that it would be very propitious to my interests to make peace before I leave this for Italy. If the said peace cannot be concluded, I shall order the said King of France to be kept here in all safety, and will deliberate on the subject of a war for next year....

'In order to leave these kingdoms under good government, I see no other remedy than to marry the Infanta Donna Isabella of Portugal, since the Cortes of the said kingdoms have required me to propose myself for such a union, and that on his part the King of Portugal offers me a million of ducats, most of them to be paid at once, in order to a.s.sist in defraying the expenses of our said journey to Italy. Were this marriage to take place, I could leave the Government here in the person of the said Infanta, who should be provided with a good council, so that there would be no apparent cause to fear any new movement.'[105]

[105] W. Bradford, _Correspondence of the Emperor Charles V._

On the 31st of July Charles again writes to Ferdinand: 'As to the affairs of my marriage in Portugal, it remains in the same state as when I last wrote to you, waiting for the consent of England, as also for your advice on the subject. Besides, it is right that before my departure, I should know whether I shall have peace or war; and seeing that there is every hope of the said peace being concluded, only that time is requisite for it, I have settled to put off my Italian journey till next March or April. Thus I shall have time enough to be married in September, by which arrangement also I shall be able to receive the said consent, and your advice, and to ascertain the fact or failure of the said peace.'[106]

[106] _Ibid._

The following letter from Charles to Henry VIII., breaking off his marriage with Princess Mary, and giving all his reasons for so doing, is a most interesting diplomatic doc.u.ment. It is a pity that King Henry's answer has, as far as we know, not been preserved:--

'My good Father and Brother,--I had ordered Penalosa to tell you what you must since have heard through your amba.s.sadors at this my Court, who have likewise delivered your message to me. My answer to them has been that no alliance in the whole of Christendom could give me more pleasure than yours, not only owing to the great friends.h.i.+p which has existed of old between our royal houses, but on account of the great affection and love which you have shown me, whenever we have met together. I believe that my sentiments are well known to you, and I can a.s.sure you that my affection has not diminished in the least, but, on the contrary, is daily increasing, so as to become in time an almost indissoluble tie betwixt two brothers.

'You must know as well as I do the disasters and public calamities which this present war has brought on the Christian world at large, and on the empire in particular, and the great lack there is of appropriate remedy. To the cure of those evils it is my intention to apply myself entirely, since I am duly bound to do so; but I find one great obstacle in my way. You are aware of the great evils and disasters which my absence from these kingdoms once caused, owing to my not having been able to make such provision as was needed for the government of this country. In consequence whereof my subjects are pressingly requesting me to marry a princess who may fill my place, and govern during my absence, which is, in my opinion, the only way to keep them contented, and enable me to go about freely, and attend to my personal affairs. The only remedy I see for this difficulty, and for many others--which to so poor a writer as myself would take too much time to describe--is to antic.i.p.ate the time of my said marriage, and likewise the payment of the sums to be allotted as the princess's dower. But as your amba.s.sadors here have positively declared to me, in your name, that this expedient can nowise be adopted, nor the said marriage effected until the conclusion of a solid and lasting peace, I see no way to obviate the said difficulties, and ward off the impending evils. I hope you will be reasonable enough to appreciate at its due value the answer I have just given to your amba.s.sadors, and will consider it as both just and expedient in the present state of my affairs. As to the continuance of our mutual friends.h.i.+p, on that point there is not the least danger.

I can a.s.sure you there is nothing I desire so much, being of opinion that, although the form and terms of our alliance might be altered through my marrying in another quarter, yet our amity is to continue the same as ever, and so to be increased as to secure the mutual and lasting alliance which would have ensured from my union with the princess, your daughter. The better to accomplish the said object, and provide for our common interest, thereby promoting the welfare of Christendom at large, I propose that you and I should work together for the conclusion of a durable peace, likely to turn to our own mutual advantage and profit, so as to satisfy our consciences and discharge our duty towards G.o.d as Christian princes; and if, through our enemy's fault, the said peace should not be made, to devise together such means as may ensure the fulfilment of our common wishes, and the satisfaction of our claims.

'If, therefore, owing to the above-named reasons, I were obliged to marry (another princess), I beg you not to take it in bad part, or suffer it to be the cause of our mutual love and affection being lessened, for I can a.s.sure you that I shall wait for your answer, and delay as much as possible the said marriage; and that when the amba.s.sadors receive your powers and communicate your wishes to me, you will be convinced of my goodwill and desire to foster and increase our mutual amity, and to procure your welfare as much as my own. And that you may trust to the sincerity of my professions I hereby affix my signature as a proof of my constant wish to be for ever your good son, brother, nephew and good friend.

CHARLES

'(Toledo) 12th August 1525'[107]

[107] _Calendar of State Papers_, vol. iii.

We do not know how King Henry received the above communication, but soon after, the news reached Margaret that he was thinking of entering into an alliance with France. This she foresaw would probably lead to another war, and at once prepared to put the Netherlands into a state of defence. She summoned the States, and again begged for 100,000 florins. The States refused to grant her request, saying the country had been drained to the uttermost, and commerce was at a standstill.

But Margaret would not give in, and the States were convoked again at Gertruydenberg. The Count of Hochstrate, as head of the council of finance, going from town to town trying, by coaxing and promises, to raise the desired sum.

Louise of Savoy now sent her secretary, Viardi, to Brussels to persuade Margaret to arrange a truce of six months in order to give her time to treat for the king's ransom and conclude a peace. Margaret listened favourably to Viardi's mission, and commanded the Count of Hochstrate, the Archbishop of Palermo, and the Count of Berg to meet him at Breda, where a truce was arranged in Henry of Na.s.sau's palace.

Charles does not appear to have been consulted as to the terms of this armistice, and, much annoyed, he sent the following sharp rebuke to his aunt:--

'Madame, my good Aunt!--I have received your letters by Richard, and quite approve what you were able to communicate to him in what your memory served you.

'I have received also a copy of the treaty of cessation of hostilities, which you have concluded. But I cannot conceal from you, madame, that I have found it very strange, and very far from satisfactory, that this should have been done without knowing my intentions, and without receiving instructions on this behalf, and powers from me. I have found it convenient, both for the advantage of my affairs and the preservation of my authority as heretofore, to declare to the amba.s.sadors of England, and still more to those of France, that since the said treaty has been entered into without instructions and powers from me, I shall neither acknowledge it, nor ratify it, nor cause it to be observed.

'Before the arrival of the said Richard, I was already in communication on the subject of a cessation of hostilities in all my kingdoms and countries generally, which I consider much more suitable than any partial or particular arrangement, and have just concluded a treaty, with the partic.i.p.ation and consent of the said amba.s.sadors of England (as princ.i.p.al contracting parties jointly with myself), wherein the articles are much more to my honour than they were in yours. In fact, there are two points in the latter so ill-advised as to condemn the whole. You bring forward England alone as an ally (as does also the Duke of Cleves), and promise to offer no a.s.sistance to the enemies of France, which is directly in contradiction with the treaties in force with England, and tending to call forth war against Spain and other of my states, in which case you become incapable of offering any a.s.sistance whatever. Thus the amba.s.sadors of England know very well how to pretend that they cannot escape from the position in which they would be placed, which is in fact as much, or more, to my disadvantage than theirs; and as to the French, they may fairly say that all which has been demanded has been granted them.

'I am quite sure that this great error, madame, is not arising from any oversight of yours, and that you have been led to understand that there was some necessity for it; at the same time I am very far from being satisfied with those who have allowed themselves to proceed in this matter without my command, and who have presumed to counsel you on subjects of such grave importance as ought never to be treated of without my knowledge and approval.

'Madame! I send you a copy of the cessation of hostilities concluded here, in order that you may cause it to be published duly, and at the time therein declared, and to be strictly kept and performed according to its form and tenor, setting aside your own as null and void, as well as the publications which may have taken place; for it is my express intention that it should not be held of the smallest force or value; insomuch that if I had not even concluded a treaty, as aforesaid, here, I would not have permitted yours to be carried into effect.

'Madame! may our Lord have you in His holy keeping. Written at Toledo, the 13th of August.

'Further, madame,... I have ratified the neutrality of Burgundy, as you desire, and I have included you, as well as my brother the archduke and all your country and subjects, in the treaty for the cessation of hostilities, which has been here negotiated; and in all I may be able to do for you, for your affairs and your welfare, I shall always and most willingly do the same for you, my good mother and aunt, as for myself, praying G.o.d to give you all your heart's desire. Written at Toledo, the 15th of August 1525.'[108]

[108] W. Bradford, _Correspondence of the Emperor Charles V._

We can imagine how much upset Margaret must have been at receiving this severe rebuke which was called forth by the report that the emperor had just received from his amba.s.sadors in London giving an account of an interview they had had with Wolsey, in which he expressed great surprise and annoyance at the truce which Margaret had just concluded with France. 'The treaties of Windsor stipulated,' he said, 'that neither of the contracting parties was to conclude a truce without the consent and full approval of the other one. We have so far adhered to this, that, though the king has been often solicited by the French, he has never given his consent to it.... I should never have thought that, after so many stipulations, promises, and declarations made by madame, she would have been the first to break through them.

'... Any plans and designs which the emperor, Mons. de Bourbon, and the king, my master, may have formed in this particular matter are ruined for ever through madame having granted this truce to our common enemy.

'... In fact, I do not know how I shall be able to appease the king's anger when he hears of it, for he has always maintained that madame was incapable of doing anything in this matter without letting him know first. The perplexity and doubt by which madame is said to be a.s.sailed, and which have induced her to take this step, are no excuse for her acting thus; for she ought first to have consulted the king, my master, and stated her reasons, instead of deciding, as she has done, for herself, and then sending an agent to acquaint him with her resolution, which was by no means an honourable proceeding....'[109]

[109] _Calendar of Spanish State Papers_, vol. iii.

Margaret's reply to her nephew explaining her reasons for her conduct has unfortunately not been preserved, but she evidently found means to soothe his anger, for ere long they were again on the best of terms.

Charles was genuinely devoted to his aunt and held her in the highest esteem, and to the end of her life Margaret enjoyed his full confidence, and was always consulted by him on every occasion of importance.

King Francis had been brought to Spain in June, but it was not until August that he was removed from Valencia and its neighbourhood to Madrid. On his arrival in the latter town he was bitterly disappointed to learn that the emperor was away hunting in Segovia, for he had hoped much from a personal interview and his own powers of persuasion.

Although comfortably lodged and treated with every mark of respect, the unaccustomed life of seclusion soon told on his health, and the report spread that he was dangerously ill. On hearing of his illness his sister Margaret, d.u.c.h.ess of Alencon, hastened to Spain, provided with full powers from her mother, the regent, to treat for peace. On the evening of September the 18th Charles was out hunting when he received the news that the French king was dying. Immediately he set out for Madrid, and without hardly drawing rein he rode straight to the Alcazar. Francis was asleep when he arrived, but the emperor waited until his prisoner awoke, and then as the invalid slowly raised himself, exclaiming, 'Here I am, my lord emperor, your servant and your slave!' courteously replied, 'Not so; you are my good friend and brother, and I hope that you will always be so.' He begged Francis to keep up his spirits, and only to think of getting well: saying 'that when his sister the d.u.c.h.ess of Alencon arrived, peace and liberty would soon follow, for he only asked for what was reasonable, and did not doubt that Francis would do what was just.'[110] The next day Charles paid the king another visit, and was equally kind and considerate, leaving him very much improved in health. As the emperor descended the stairs from the invalid's room, he met the d.u.c.h.ess of Alencon, who had just arrived, and after warmly greeting her, conducted her to her brother. The d.u.c.h.ess Margaret was a very attractive, graceful woman, and Charles had been warned by his Ministers not to receive her, for as they said, 'Being young and a widow she comes... to see and to be seen,' and they feared that the emperor might fall in love with her; but though Charles kissed her and had private interviews, not all her charms could make him relax one point in his conditions of her brother's release. After many fruitless efforts and endless discussions Margaret was obliged to return to France without having secured the much-desired peace. On the 19th of November 1525 Perrenot de Granvelle[111] wrote a long letter to Margaret of Austria from Toledo, giving her an account of the d.u.c.h.ess of Alencon's visit:--

'Madame!... In fulfilment of your wishes, and in accordance with the good pleasure of the emperor,... I forthwith went to take your letters to the king (Francis I.), and on your part to pay him a visit. I had long audiences with him, at four different times after the fever had subsided, when I found him in a good disposition to receive me, though extremely weak from the severity of his malady. He told me that he and his kingdom were much indebted to you, madame, for the desire you had manifested for peace, and a good intelligence and amity between the emperor and him, and consequently for his deliverance; which, if G.o.d should please to grant, he must always esteem you, even as a second mother, with whose advice and counsel he should be happy to govern his affairs; adding many other fair and courteous expressions. On this subject and his ardent desire for peace, as well as for the friends.h.i.+p and good graces of the emperor, he spoke much, devising at large the means of effecting it, and always recurring to the idea of a marriage as the princ.i.p.al thing to build upon. He also repeated his a.s.surances of the desire he had to contribute to the aggrandis.e.m.e.nt of the emperor, and to a.s.sist in forwarding all his enterprises, referring all the means and details to the aforesaid Madame d'Alencon.... Madame! I met on my journey the said lady, and delivered to her your letters; and whilst I had this opportunity, with the knowledge and will of the emperor, I went to visit her, and have reason to think that I gave satisfaction without any cause of distrust on the one side or the other.

'Madame! I have since recovered the copy of the letter which the emperor had written to M. de Praet, and of other writings which I now send, as a summary of the communications which here took place. At the commencement, the said lady recapitulated the proposition which had already been entertained respecting the marriage, the ransom, or the cession of the duchy (of Burgundy) on condition that it should be p.r.o.nounced by the Parliament of Paris a possession belonging of right to the king, who would be ready to give hostages in this case, to ensure its surrender. On this point, however, the emperor declared, as he had before done, without any reference to the marriage, that no ransom would satisfy him, nothing less than the duchy, his ancient heritage, the foundation of his order, of which he bore the name and arms, rejecting the conditions attached to it as wholly inadmissible. Some days afterwards, the said lady made a proposition to the emperor, who went to visit her at her lodgings, to choose arbitrators, which he had before refused, and which he then, as she told me the same day, was ready to agree to. Afterwards, however, when she was in conference with the amba.s.sadors, they came to a standstill when they touched on the aforesaid condition relating to the Parliament of Paris, and the hostages which the emperor, they maintain, would not accept.... Communications have pa.s.sed in writing on both sides, of which the result has been nothing more than is above related.

They have now taken their leave, both the d.u.c.h.ess of Alencon and the amba.s.sadors, declaring that the king has fully made up his mind not to resign the said duchy except on the condition already proposed, choosing rather to submit to perpetual imprisonment; and this very day the said lady has sent to demand her pa.s.sports, that she may return to France under the same security as she travelled hither, which has been granted her. No further movements or proposals have since taken place, the emperor continuing in the same determination to obtain possession of the duchy; and if the said lady takes her departure, as appears her intention, the hope of peace which has been excited by her arrival, and the subsequent attempts at negotiation, as well as by the arbitration supposed to be agreed on, will altogether vanish for the present.

'Madame! On Sunday last, the 15th of this month, I received by Richard the letters and other papers which you were pleased to send me. The emperor was at that time on a hunting expedition five leagues hence, with a few attendants, having previously taken leave of the d.u.c.h.ess of Alencon; and on his return I presented to him your letters. I discussed with him at length the two princ.i.p.al points relative to the peace or truce, and the commercial arrangements in which your country is concerned....

To all this his Majesty gave a willing ear, and seemed to take in good part all that was said....

'Madame! Whatever might have been the opinion offered, it has certainly come to pa.s.s... that peace has been made with England, and according to articles which had been proposed and resolved upon before the battle and capture of the king....