Pages 166-171
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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Citation:
July 1518
| 30th July. |
34. The Marquis Of Denia to Charles, King Of Spain. [Archivo General de Simancas. Estado. Castilla. Legajo 5. folio 339. Autograph.] A su Magestad. lo que Pedro de Arues mi secretario ha de dezir al Rey nuestro señor es lo siguiente. que yo me he escusado de dar enojo a su Magt. creyendo que la marquesa e yo bastavamos a ordenar y corregir estas mugeres que sirven a la Reyna Nuestra Señora pero como ha tanto que estan desordenadas en la verdad ya no se puede escusar que su Magest. no lo sepa y mande remediar. y lo que mas es entre las otras cosas que hazen es las salidas que hazen de palacio a la villa tan continuadamente que no ay boda ni vautismo ni mortuorio que les toque en la quarta generacion a que no van y esto me ha sydo ynposible estorvalles porque hasta mandar a los monteneros que no les dexen salir he hecho y no aprovecha syno a agraviarse ellas mucho dello. y deste salir suyo nacen muchas cosas bien descusar. y lo uno quellas no pueden dexar de hablar a sus maridos y debdos y amigos y comadres cosas que no conviene saberse porque en la verdad en todo lo de aqui conviene secreto y cosas me an enbiado a dezir a mi del consejo que no se pudieron saber sino del licenciado Alarcon relator del consejo ques marido de una destas mugeres que llaman Leonor Gomez que tiene condicion de parlero. y a todos deve ser secreto lo de aqui y mucho mas a los del consejo. lo otro es que traen de la villa tantas nuevas y tantas cosas que hablar que hablando las unas con las otras llegan a oydos de Su Alteza y ningun provecho traen sino a desasosegarla. lo otro es que en lo quellas han de hazer alli dentro ponen muchas vezes tanta dilacion escusandose con su parecer que se dexa de hazer lo que conviene mas tarde o mas tenprano de como conviene y mas vezes. y sobresto vyno a que agora dixeron a la marquesa claro que solo el Rey tenia poder para despedirlas. y sin duda yo conosco que ha sydo yerro questo no lo aya sabido antes su Magestad de mi porque a my siempre me parecio que no convenia mugeres casadas para esto y mucho menos alguna dellas que tiene su marido en el consejo. y aun no es esta de las mas templadas syno harto desordenada y estando alli y hablando a su marido y a otros no se como se pueda escusar que no diga lo que no convyene y que dexe de traer otras nuevas escusadas. yo mande a dos mugeres destas que desacataron a la marquesa por reprehendelles estas cosas que no saliesen de su aposento hasta que yo se lo mandase. y aunque lo han cumplido no han dexado de juntarse y hazer motin como soldados diziendo que lo que ha de ser de una ha de ser de todas. todo esto viene de pensar ellas que aunque hagan gran yerro no las puedo despedir. suplicaras a su Magt. que mande dar una cedula en que diga que quando alguna destas hiziere lo que no deve o no cumpliere lo que la marquesa e yo les mandaremos de parte de su Magt. que la puedan quitar y poner otra en su lugar. y questo no se puede escusar porque de otra manera ni la marquesa ni yo podriamos cunplir con lo que somos obligados ny su Magestad podria syno recebir mucho deservicio y enojo. y que su Magt. crea que esto bastara para corregirlas y que quando yo despidiese alguna ha de ser con tan gran cabsa que su Magt. lo terna en servicio que se aya hecho. y aun que podria ser tal que antes de hazerlo yo lo haria saber primero a su Magt. pero no se entiende que la cedula ha de traer ninguna condicion syno que la marquesa e yo les mandemos lo que an de hazer y quando de aquello ecediere alguna la podamos quitar y poner otra. y puedes dezir que maria de cartama no es del cuento destas antes syrve mucho y muy continuo. y creeme que si esta cedula no viene que ni nosotros podremos servir a Su Magestad ni en lo de aqui avra ningun secreto ni se puede hazer lo que conviene. y diras a Su Magestad que en todas ellas no ay persona de suerte ni criada mas de avellas tomado per hazelles merced y limosna. el marques. [Rubrica.] |
(Translation.) 34. To His Majesty. What Pedro de Arues, my secretary, is to tell the King, my Lord, is the following. Hoping that the Marchioness and I were sufficient to keep these women who serve the Queen our lady in order and subjection, I have hitherto avoided giving annoyance to His Majesty, but as they have now for so long a time continued their irregularities, it is, indeed, no longer possible to conceal it from His Majesty, who ought to remedy it. Amongst other things, they go so continually out of the palace, paying visits in the town, that there is no wedding, no baptism, no burial [of people], to whom they are related in the fourth degree, to which they do not go. It has been impossible for me to prevent them from doing so, for even my orders to the guards not to let them go out have had no other effect than that they have much complained of me. And out of these visits have arisen many things which ought to be avoided. For instance, they cannot refrain from speaking to their husbands, relations, friends, and gossips, of things which ought not to be known, because in all that passes here, secrecy indeed is necessary. Members of the Council of State have told me things which they could not have known, except from the licentiate Alarcon, Relator of the Council of State, who is married to one of these women, Leonor Gomez, who is very loquacious. All that passes here ought to be a secret from all, and much more so from the Members of the Council. Another inconvenience is this, that they bring from the town so much news and so many things to speak of, and that then, in consequence of their speaking with one another about them, they come to the ears of Her Highness, who derives no advantage therefrom, and is deprived of her rest and tranquillity. Moreover, they often delay what they are bound to do, excusing themselves with their own opinions on the matter, or they do it too early and too often. They have gone so far as openly to tell the Marchioness that the King alone has the right to dismiss them. I clearly perceive that I have committed an error in not earlier informing His Majesty of this state of things. I, for one, was always of opinion that it was inconvenient to employ married women, and much more so the wife of a Privy Counsellor, who, indeed, is not one of the most moderate, but one of the most disorderly of them all. Whilst she is here, and has an opportunity of speaking with her husband and other persons, I do not know how she can be prevented from telling what ought not to be known, and from bringing news which are inconvenient. I ordered two of these women who had shown little respect to the Marchioness into my presence, in order to reprimand them, and commanded them not to leave their rooms until I should permit it, and although they have obeyed, they have combined and mutinied like soldiers, saying that what is done to one is done to all of them. The ground of all this is that they believe that I cannot dismiss them, even if they commit great faults. You are to supplicate His Majesty to be pleased to give an order empowering me to remove any of these women, and to give her place to another, in case that she does what she ought not to do, or refuses to obey what the Marchioness and I command. This is necessary, for in no other manner can the Marchioness and I fulfil our duties, nor can His Majesty avoid great injury and annoyance. His Majesty may believe that this will suffice to subject them. If I dismiss any of them, it will be from such weighty reasons that His Majesty will thank me for it. Although it may be ordered that before dismissing [any of these women] I am to inform His Majesty of it, yet the order must not contain this condition, but only state that the Marchioness and I are empowered to command what they have to do, and if any one of them does not strictly execute our orders, to dismiss her, and give her place to another woman. You can say that Maria de Cartama is not one of them, but on the contrary serves well and without interruption. I believe that without such an order we cannot serve His Majesty, nor can the secret be perserved nor that done which the case requires. You will say to His Majesty that amongst all of them there is not a single person of good position or education, but they have been taken in order to do them a favour and charity. The Marquis. [Sign manual.] |
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| 30th July (?) |
35. Instruction of the Marquis Of Denia for his Secretary
Pedro De Arayz. [Archivo General de Simancas. Estado. Legajo 5. f. 309. Written in the hand of a secretary of the Marquis.] La creencia del Marques de Denia con Pedro Darayz. (fn. 1) que la Reyna nuestra Señora esta buena de salud. y con el calor no tan buena de la otra yndispusicion. y que esto suele ser asy cada año en este tienpo porque el calor es contrario para su yndispusicion. que en lo de la misa se entiende cada dia y que se dilata por ver si se podra hazer con su voluntad porque asy sera mejor y que con ayuda de dios Su Al. la oyra presto. que los lugares de la comarca estan muy dañados y que si lo que Nuestro Señor no permita que aquella villa se dañase Su Al. mande lo que se haga en tal caso, y que los lugares que tienen salud e le parece donde su Alteza podria yr son arevalo y madrigal y hontiveros y olmedo y çamora mandando su Al. salir dalli la chancilleria, y que si oviere de yr a algun lugar de los del Reyno d Aragon Su Al. lo concierte aqua y mande la manera que en ello se tenga. que Su Al. deve enbiar a vesitar a la Reyna y embialle alguna cosa de oro o otra joya con que huelgue quel Rey Catholico lo solia hazer asi y olgava Su Al. dello. que se gastan en barreñones cada año para el servicio de Su Alteza cl. :[symbol]. ducados y que en la camara ay mucha chaperia de oro que no sirve para nada y que desta se podria hazer la plata. que seran menester quinientos marcos de la facion de los barreñones porque aya dos servicios porque son menester de la manera que Su Al. se sirve y que se escusaran de gastar cada año los cl. ducados y su Al. sera servida como es razon. la marquesa comunica a Su Al. muchas vezes e huelga con ella. y tanbien huelga Su Al. que las hijas del marques entren a servir a la Señora ynfante. lo de los bestidos de la Señora ynfante. lo de las cosas de la camara. lo de alonso cabeças. lo del hijo del camarero Rivera. una mula para la Reyna. |
35. The Instruction of the Marquis of Denia
to Pedro de Arayz. The health of the Queen is good, but her other indisposition is not very well during this hot weather. That is usually every year the case, during this season, for the hot weather is unfavourable for her indisposition. As for mass, we are daily occupied in this affair. It has been delayed in order to see whether it cannot be done with her consent, for that would be much better. With the help of God, her Highness shall, however, hear it very soon. The towns of this province are very unhealthy, and if this town, which God forbid, should be infected, his Highness must order what ought to be done in such a case. The places which are healthy, and where, it seems, her Highness could go to, are Arevalo, Madrigal, Hontiveros, Olmedo, and Zamora, if his Highness orders the Chancery to make room. If it should be necessary to go to some place in Aragon, his Highness can arrange it there, and order what is to be done. His Highness ought to send some one to visit the Queen, and send her some object of gold or some jewelry to gladden her. The Catholic King used to do so, and her Highness was very pleased at it. The expenses for the table plate of her Highness are one hundred and fifty thousand (fn. 2) ducats a year. In the wardrobe is a good number of ornaments of gold which are of no use, and could be converted into plate. Five hundred marks would be necessary, for, according to the manner in which her Highness is served, two sets of plate would be necessary. The one hundred and fifty ducats a year would thereby be economized, and her Highness would be properly served. The Marchioness converses sometimes with her Highness, who likes her very much, and her Highness is also pleased that the daughters of the Marquis should enter the service of the Señora Infanta. Dresses of the Señora Infanta. The things in the wardrobe. Alonzo Cabezas. The business of the son of the Chamberlain Rivera. A mule for the Queen. |