Henry VIII, the Reign

Letters & Papers: 1534 Volume 7

Date: 19 Dwcember 1534

No. 1554

Title:Chapuys to Charles V

[Cromwell will make his master wealthier than all the other

princes]

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Chapuys to Charles V.

19 Dec 1534
Having received your majesty's letter of the 9th ult., I informed the Queen and Princess of what concerned them, which has been to them the greatest joy and consolation; of which they stood much in need, considering the rudeness to which they are continually subjected: for there is no amendment in their treatment, but it rather gets worse, and there is no news of any of their servants being returned to them, as was written from Rome to your majesty, but rather some are taken from them every day, as I wrote lately of a young lady of the Princess who had been put in prison. She has been now released and forbidden to return to the said Princess, and I think all that has been done about the said young lady was at the desire of the Lady, without the knowledge of the King, who sometimes shows affection for the Princess, and has given proof of it of late, when she was ill, by sending his physician to her, telling him that he would not on any account that anything should happen amiss to her. On learning afterwards from the same physician that her illness partly arose from her illtreatment, the King heaved a great sigh, saying it was a great misfortune that she remained so obstinate, and that she took from him all occasion to treat her as well as he would. The physician advised him to send her to the Queen her mother, where she would be kept at less expense and more honoorably and safely for her health, and at least, if anything did happen to her, the King would be freed from all suspicion; to which the King replied that it was quite true, but there was one great obstacle, that if he did so there would be no hope of bringing her to do what he wanted, viz., to renounce her lawful and true succession.

Since the date of the said letters, your majesty will have received several of mine, satisfying fully almost every one of the articles contained in yours. I will therefore touch upon them at present as lightly as possible. As to the King being dissatisfied with the Lady, it is true he sometimes shows it, but, as I have written before, they are lovers' quarrels, and not much weight is to be attached to them, unless the love of the King for the young lady of whom I wrote to you should grow warm and continue some time; of which it is impossible to form a judgment, considering the changeableness of this king. I have learned from the Master of the Horse that when the Lady began to complain of the said young lady, because she did not do either in word or deed the reverence she expected, the King went away from her very angry, complaining of her importunity. As to the instigation of this king against the relations of his said Lady, it does not appear otherwise (il ne sen appart autrement). It is true that Rochford's wife was sent from Court for the reason that I have heretofore written, and the King has lately shown this favor to the said Rochford in some question he had with master Bryan. The Lady's sister was also banished from Court three months ago, but it was necessary to do so, for besides that she had been found guilty of misconduct (malefice), it would not have been becoming to see her at Court enceinte.

Although it was at first given me to understand that the French admiral had spoken of the marriage of the Princess with the Dauphin, nevertheless I was informed on good authority, before the receipt of your letters, that he had asked the said Princess for the duke of Angoulême, and that the said King had twice refused to entertain such proposals, taking it in jest, and as if it proceeded from a suggestion of the Admiral himself. And though the latter gave him to understand the second time that he had charge to that effect from the King his master, the King still persisted in saying that the French king might have spoken of the affair to the said Admiral in jest; so that for the third time the Admiral was compelled to show his instructions under the great seal of France, in which, as I am informed by an honest man, who knows a person who read them, the said Admiral was charged to urge the said marriage, and exhort the King to resume his obedience to the Church of Rome and to acknowledge his daughter's legitimacy. The answer of the King as to the said marriage was, as I am informed, that he would be willing, if the husband and she made a solemn renunciation of all rights they could pretend in this kingdom. I think, from the Admiral's saying to me that he expected shortly to do good service to the Princess, that he imagined beforehand he could effect the said marriage; yet I doubt when they have thoroughly considered the matter on all sides, the project will cool.

Those of this Court have set agoing a rumor that their men have gained a castle from the carl of Kildare, but it is not believed. The English and Irish have treated together to make better war than they have done hitherto, and that they shall not hereafter burn on either side. From Scotland there is no news, and I do not find that the King has sent thither any person since those who went for the ratification of the peace, nor has the king of Scots had any one here since the departure of the Abbot, who came to receive the ratification of the said peace. A Scotchman who came from Scotland seven days ago said that your majesty's man was still there. I am told that Cromwell, since the Admiral's departure, boasted in good company that he had begun to weave a web from which your majesty could not extricate yourself in a whole year. The French ambassador, I am told, has spoken of it lately more openly and like a Frenchman, saying that your majesty after doing so many injuries to the King his master had offered him for sole recompense some marriage, and that his wrongs would have to be redressed, and what had been violently taken from him restored, otherwise you would lose Sicily and the rest of Italy, and the Turk in person, or at least Ymbraym Bassa, would descend on Italy with a horrible power, besides that of Barbarossa, to the arrival of whose ambassador in France the said ambassador attached great importance. I am told that the 100,000 cr. which the French ought to pay to the English for the term of St. John last, had taken the road of Germany to make a brewing, of which Cromwell boasts.

This king, besides the 30,000l. which he has newly obtained from the clergy, and an ordinary fifteenth from the laity which was granted him last year, and which may amount to 28,000l., has just imposed a tax by authority of Parliament of the 20th penny of all the goods of his subjects, and that foreigners shall pay double, which will amount to a great sum.

These are devices of Cromwell, who boasts that he will make his master more wealthy than all the other princes of Christendom; and he does not consider that by this means he alienates the hearts of the subjects, who are enraged and in despair, but they are so oppressed and cast down that without foreign assistance it is no use their complaining, and it will not be Cromwell's fault if they are not oppressed further, taking example of the Turk, who, he says, may well be called King and Prince, for the absolute authority he exercises over his subjects.

The distress of the people is incredible, and the anxiety they have to declare themselves, especially the Welsh, from whom by act of parliament the King has just taken away their native laws, customs and privileges, which is the very thing they can endure least patiently. I wonder how the King dared to do it during these troubles in Ireland, except that God wishes so to blind him.

Two days since a secretary of the Waywode arrived here, who left Hungary four months ago, and has been staying in the court of France. I am told Parliament will be prorogued today till Thursday after Ascension Day. Nothing has been said of matters of the faith; at which the doctors of Lubeck and Hamburg are dissatisfied, and say that is evident the King does not care about the reformation of religion, but only filling his coffers (afferes, qu. coffres?). The King does not trust greatly the oath that he has forced people to make about the validity of his last marriage and the succession, and he has not been pleased at the discretionary punishment that had been appointed (ordonnec) against those who murmured at it, for which reason he has caused a more severe statute to be passed inflicting a penalty of death and confiscation on whosoever should call the Queen and Princess by the said titles, or speak against the second marriage; at which the people are in great fear. The statute which had been passed last year, against importing new wines from France before Candlemas or shipping goods except in English bottoms, has been revoked, as contrary to the treaties with France. London, 19 Dec. 1534.

​...master wealthier than all the other princes below

​master wealthier than all the other princes