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1480.
Jan. 16.
Potenze
Estere.
Francia.
Milan
Archives. |
364. Giovanni Andrea Cagnola and Carlo Visconti, Milanese Ambassadors at the French Court, to Bona, Duchess, and Gian Galeazzo Sforza, Duke of Milan.
The arrival of the English ambassadors is chiefly about the marriage alliance between the King of England and my lord the Dauphin, about which your Excellencies must be informed. We will make every effort to find out the purport of their embassy clearly, and the reply given to them, sending word of all to your Excellencies.
There are also some of no slight authority who say that the ambassadors also have instructions to make his Majesty here understand that he should move with due reserve with the Duke of Britanny and not make war on him, as he has threatened to do, because they say that seeing that the duke is in good friendship and alliance with their King of England, their lord does not consider it consistent with his honour that any hurt should be done to the duke. We have not heard what reply the king here will make to this. When we know anything further we will immediately advise your Excellencies. There is no doubt whatever that it will by no means suit the King of England for the Duke of Britanny to be undone, because at any time when that king wanted to make war on the king here the duke could always afford great help to the King of England, because his country is well situated to give him an entrance.
We cannot tell what will ensue; it is most true that there is much ill-feeling at present between the king here and the said duke, and for this cause the king has dealt severely with some of the leading merchants of this city, who had business in Britanny, and who had taken a certain quantity of arms thither, contrary to his Majesty's orders.
Tours, the 16th January, 1480.
[Italian.] |
Jan. 30.
Potenze
Estere.
Francia.
Milan
Archives. |
365. Gio. Andrea Cagnola and Carlo Visconti, Milanese Ambassadors in France, to Gian Galeazzo Sforza, Duke, and Bona, Duchess of Milan.
The king here has never made greater preparations. He proposes to go to the camp in person. He has arranged for a personal guard of 30,000 picked men, including 6,000 Swiss and 2,000 men-at-arms. They say he will go to give battle at an important place on the frontiers of Burgundy and will then proceed to Picardy.
The English ambassadors are still here, and press in and out of season for the conclusion of the marriage. However, nothing has been decided as yet, and we believe that the king here will try to keep this business on foot with fair words as long as ever he can, because he is acting against his will (cierchara de intertenere questa materia con bone parolle piu chel potera perche gli vene como fa la Bissa alincanto).
Tours, the penultimate day of January, 1480.
[Italian.] |
Jan. 30.
Potenze
Estere.
Francia.
Milan
Archives. |
366. Giovanni Andrea Cagnola, Milanese Ambassador in France, to Bartollomeo Chico, Secretary to the Duke of Milan.
Your worship will have understood from my letters that all the demonstrations made by the king here are in order to keep the King of England amused, not because he has any desire to carry the business to a conclusion, and I advised that his Majesty has his own plans to work out. Nevertheless, like a wise prince, he keeps the English king in a good temper by fair words, while he delays the business until he has accomplished his own plan by exterminating this Duke Maximilian and the Flemings.
I doubt, however, whether the King of England does not quite well see through this plan, and for that reason he has sent his ambassadors here to press this question as much as possible, while the king here stands in the fear of the King of England, on the supposition that if he will not pay him any heed while the Flemings still flourish, England will not be able to get his desire when this king has accomplished his purpose, and so diamond cuts diamond (dubito mo chel Re dinghilterra che forse anchor luy gli vede intenda molto bene questo pensiero e per questo ha mandato qua questi soy oratori per stringere questa materia piu che si po fin che questo Serenissimo Re sta in questo timore desso Re dinghilterra presupponendo sel non como cio chel vole durando questi Fiamenghi che poy non poria havere el desiderio suo quando havesse conzato li facti soy et sic ars deluditur arte).
Tours, the penultimate day of January, 1480.
[Italian.] |
June 5.
Potenze
Estere.
Francia.
Milan
Archives. |
367. Carlo Visconti, Milanese Ambassador in France, to Gian Galeazzo Sforza, Duke of Milan.
An embassy has recently arrived from the King of England, to which his Majesty showed great honour in receiving it and defraying its expenses. They had audience in this city. It is thought that they have come about this business of the Flemings, because the King of England wants to be the arbiter of those disputes, but the king here does not desire that at all.
Paris, the 5th June, 1480.
[Italian.] |
Oct. 29.
Potenze
Estere.
Francia.
Milan
Archives. |
368. Carlo Visconti, Milanese Ambassador at the French Court, to Bona, Duchess, and Gian Galeazzo Sforza, Duke of Milan.
As I wrote before, the Scots have attacked the English, and I think it is the handiwork of the king here, in order that others may have to think more of their own affairs than of those of others. I am confirmed in this opinion because I chance to have seen a letter of the King of Scotland to the king here, in which he advises him that the English, though it did not seem coacta manu, had made an incursion into his country, but his people had forthwith cast them out, and they had done but little harm and had gone away with the worst of it. In conclusion, he asks for one or two gunners or bombardiers and some artillery, saying that he has need of both. This makes me practically certain that the king here has a hand in it, since he asks him for help against the English, who are in league and close affinity with his Majesty (come per altre scripse, Scozesi si erano attachati con Anglesi et mi penso sia stato fabricha di questo Signore Re perche altri habii a pensare a'facti soi piu che a l'altrui. In questa opinione me li confirma che m'e accaduto vedere una lettera del Re de Scotia a questo Signore Re, dove lo avisa che Anglesi similmente non pareva coatta manu, erano corsi sul suo paese et che da le sue gente statim forono gitati fuora et che pocho damno havevano facto et se ne erano partiti col pegio. Infine rechede uno o doi canoneri sive bombarderi et qualche artigliaria che de l'uno et l'altro dice havere bisogno. La, quale cose mi fa quodammodo certo che questo Signore Re li tene mano poiche se li richiede adiuto contra Anglesi che sono in legha et stretta affinita cum essa Maesta).
Tours, the 29th October, 1480.
[Italian.] |
