Correspondence of Castillon et Marillac

29th July 1540. Marillac au Connetable.

The matter of Monsieur de la Rochepot remains in the same state, quite unresolved, every day they promise to give a final answer.

Master Thomas Cromwell, long since condemned by Parliament, was this morning beheaded at the customary place where such executions are carried out. He was granted clemency in the manner of his death, having originally been sentenced to a harsher and more shameful punishment. Alongside him, Lord Hungerford was likewise beheaded, a man of about forty years of age, convicted of sodomy, of having violated his own daughter, and of practicing magical arts and the invocation of devils. And since midday, I have been informed that Doctor Barnes and several others are to be burned, which is why I shall withhold this present letter until the evening, in order to report the full account to you, the total is said to be around forty-two. It is believed, Monseigneur, that further executions will take place this very week of those who were condemned by the said Parliament and are not included in the general pardon and amnesty granted by the King. All of them have received sentences either of death or of perpetual imprisonment, depending on whether the King chooses to exercise mercy or severity toward them. Of these, beyond those already executed, I have noted the names of some whose cases deserve to be known, and mention of them is made in a list that I enclose herewith for your review.

My Lord, the brother of the Duke of Ferrara, Lord Pietro, after having stayed here for seven days, during which he was ceremoniously entertained, and after having seen some of this king’s residences, such as Hampton Court and Greenwich, departed yesterday with the evening tide to return to the Emperor. This king gave him a gift of only two fine hackneys, just as he had done for the Prince of Salerno, from which it can easily be understood that they did not come here to negotiate, but only to see the country.

My Lord, the new ambassador of the Emperor, of whom I wrote earlier, arrived six days ago and has received a rather cold welcome at this court, where, in truth, he is not much liked. According to what this king has said to me about him, he does not hold him in good esteem. Moreover, the Duke of Norfolk, who now has the principal management of affairs, clearly shows that he likes him very little, telling me among other things that he will no longer find his Cromwell to shield him from the follies he has previously undertaken. Besides this, the poor man has long been so broken and now is so weakened by illness that people believe he has come more to make his last will and testament in England than to render any great service to the Emperor, his master. The Emperor, for his part, was quite willing to send him back in this role, knowing he is of no use elsewhere, being a man who can neither walk nor ride. For this reason, he has taken lodging near mine, beside the river, so that he might conveniently travel by water to court whenever affairs require it. My Lord, I cannot omit, as a matter of duty, to mention a courtesy worthy of note that this ambassador showed me: namely, that he informed me of his arrival as soon as he landed here although he concealed it from others, especially from his predecessor in the ambassadorship, which has surprised everyone. He excused himself for not being able to visit me before speaking with the king, in order to comply with English ceremonial protocol; but as soon as he had had his audience, he came directly from court to my lodging without even stopping at his own, thereby anticipating the courtesy I had intended to extend to him. He told me that he was charged by the Emperor to communicate to me everything he would do here, which I assured him was likewise my instruction from the king — just as I had done with his predecessor. However, in practice, he told me he had said nothing to the king beyond offering the Emperor’s greetings and presenting his letters of credence. Since then, we have frequently visited one another to demonstrate the friendship between our masters. That, my Lord, is all I can write for now, though I hope soon to give you full information on what has been decided in this Parliament, which closed only two days ago.

L'affaire de M. de la Rochepot est toujours en mêmes termes bien nue tous les jours on promette d'en donner finale réponse.

Maistre Thomas Cramvel piéça condempné par le parlement, ce matin a eu la teste trenchée au lieu acoustumé ou telles exécutions se font, et luy a esté faicte grace sur la facon de mourir, pour avoir eu condamnation d’endurer plus griefve et plus ignominieuse peine. Avec luy a esté semblablement décollé le seigneur de Haigrefort, homme aigé d’ung quarente ans, attaint de sodomye, d’avoir foreé sa propre fille et d’avoir usé d'art magieque et invocation de dyables. Et depuis midy on m’a adverty que le docteur Barnes et quelques aultres seront bruslez, qui sera cause que je retiendray la présente jusques au soir pour vous advertir du tout, qui sont environ quarente deux (sic). L'on estime, monseigneur, que ceste sepmaine mesmes se feront encores quelques aultres exécutions de ceulx qui ont esté condamnez par ledit parlement, qui ne sont comprins dans le pardon et abolition générale que ce roy a octroyé, lesquelz tous ont eu sentence de mort ou aultres de prison perpétuel, selon qu'il plaira au roy user envers eulx de grace ou rigueur, desquelz j'ay observé oultre les exécutez les noms d’auleungs qui méritent bien d’estre sceuz, dont mention est faicte en ung brevet qu'il vous plaira icy veoir encloz avec la présente.

Monseigneur, le frere du due de Ferrare, le seigneur Petro, apres avoir icy séjourné sept jours oir il a esté solennellement festoyé, et aussi apres avoir veu quelques maisons de ce roy comme Hampteourt et Grenvys, partit hier a la marée du soir pour s’en relourner devers I'em- pereur. Ce roy lui a faict présent de deux belles hacquenées seullement, comme il feit le semblable au prince de Salerne, par ou l'on peult aisément congnoistre qu’ilz n’estoient icy venuz pour négocier, ains seullement veoir le pays.

Le nouveanambassadeur de 'empereur, dont cy devant j'avoys escript, depuis six jours est arrivé et trouve bien meigre racueil en ceste court, out a la vérité il n'y est guéres aymé, aux propoz que ce roy m’a lenuz de luy, qui ne le tient en bonne estime, avee ce que le duc de Norfolk, [qui a] maintenant le principal maniment des affaires, monstre clairement ne 'aymer guéres, me disant entre aultres choses qu'il ne trouvera plus son Cramvel pour le garentir és follyes que aultres foys il a entrepris. Au demourant le pouvre homme est de longtemps si cassé el maintenant si abattu de maladye que I'on estime qu'il soit plus tost venu pour faire son dernier testament en Angleterre que grant service a I'empereur son maistre, lequel I’a bien voulu renvoyer en ceste charge congnoissant que ailleurs il Iuy estoit inutille comme celuy qui ne peult aller ny a pied ny a cheval, et pour aultant s'est logé aupres de moy joignant a la riviere, pour avoir commodité d’aller par eaue en ceste court quant les affaires le requerront. Monseigneur, je ne puis obmettre pour le debvoir une gratieuseté digne d'estre sceue dont le dit seigneur ambassadeur a usé envers moy, qui est de m’avoir adverty de son arrivée aussitost qu'il print icy terre, bien qu'il la celast aux aultres et spéciallement & I'ambassadeur son prédécesseur, dont tout le monde s'est esmerveillé; et s‘estant excusé de ne me pouvoir visiter avant que avoir parlé a ce roy, pour satisfaire a la cérymonie des angloys, incontinent qu'il eust eu son audience, il veint tout droit de la court me trouver en mon logis sans descendre au sien, en me prévenant de loffice que j'avoys délibéré de faire envers luy, et me dict avoir charge de I'empereur de me communiquer tout ce qu'il feroit par deca, ce que pareillement je luy confermay avoir eu du roy ainsi que j'avoys faict a celluy qui avoit esté devant luy. Toutteffoys en effect il ne me dict riens avoir dict a ce roy si n'est de I'avoir salué de la part dudit seigneur empereur et luy avoir présenté ses lettres de créance. Depuis nous nous sommes souvent entre visitez pour donner a entendre 'amityé qui est entre les maistres. C'est en effect, monseigneur, ce que pour 'heure puis escripre, espérant bien tost vous donner ample advertissement de ce qui aura esté résolu en ce parlement qui fut cloz il y a seullement deux jours.

345. [London], 29 May 1541. Marillac to the King.

Sire, what has occurred here since the dispatch of my last letters on the 22nd of this month compels me now, from Salisbury, to write again and to begin with a matter more worthy of deep compassion than of long letters: the death of the Countess of Salisbury (deceased), mother of Cardinal Pole (age 41) and of the Seneschal of Montaigu. Yesterday, around seven in the morning, she was struck down with an axe in the Tower, in the presence of so few people that the truth of the event was still doubted by evening. This was all the more difficult for me to believe, for I had long held her in custody, and I considered her a lady of such noble lineage, of such advanced age, being eighty years old or more, and in any case already most bitterly punished for whatever fault or crime she may have committed: through the death of one of her sons, the exile of another, and the total ruin of her house. For all these reasons, I believed she should have been spared such a violent end, especially when nature herself was so near to taking her. Yet, Sire, neither her sex, nor her age, nor her noble blood, nor her long imprisonment, nor any other consideration, could prevent them from shortening those few days she had left to live. Not truly to live, but to languish for in the midst of so many misfortunes and desolations, she must have had more desire for death to be hastened than for life to be prolonged. And in this respect, perhaps one could say they did much for her. Still, Sire, the manner of the act raises thoughts among the people, who can hardly interpret the execution, much less the way it was carried out, in a favorable light. Especially when another execution was carried out at the very same hour, in the same place, on a lord whose name is still not made public. However, from certain signs and suggestions, it is presumed that it was Milord Leonard de Clidas, who had been lieutenant to the King in Ireland. And it seems, with all due respect, Sire, that these may be signs that those now in power prefer to put to death in secret those they dare not execute in public.

To this may be added that yesterday all the heads which had been set upon spikes on the bridge over the river that passes through this town were taken down, so that the people might gradually forget those whose memory these heads had refreshed daily unless, of course, it was simply to make room for new ones. For I hear from a very reliable source, Sire, that before St. John's Day, they intend to clear the Tower of those prisoners still held there for the crime of high treason. Of which, I shall surely have cause to write again, though the matter is sordid, and for the most part, deeply pitiable.

345. [Londres], 29 mai. 1541 Sire, ce qui est icy advenu depuis mes derniéres du XXII^e de ce moys m'a donné matiere de présentement escripre et commencer par ung cas plus digne de grande compassion que de longues lettres : c'est la mort de la comtesse de Saalberi<, mere du cardinal Pol et du séneschal de Montaigut, laquelle environ les sept heures du matin fut hyer dans la Tour décolée d'une cognée en présence de si peu de gens que jusques au soir I'on doubtoit encores de la vérité, qui m'estoit chose d'autant plus difficille & eroire que j'estimoys pour I'avoir longtemps détenue prisonniére, estre dame extraicte de si noble lignée, femme si aaigée, comme de quatre vingltz ans et plus, et an demourant tres aigrement punye en ‘ce qu'elle pourroit avoir délinqué et forfaiet pour la perte de I'ung de ses filz, bannissement de 'aultre et totalle ruyne de sa maison, que toutes ces choses I'exemptassent de prendre fin constrainete puys que la naturelle estoit si prochaine. Toutesfoys, Sire, ny le sexe, ny l'aige, ny le sang, ny la longue prison, ny les aultres considérations n'ont empesché qu'on ne lay ayt abregé ce peu de jours qu'elle avoil a vivre, non pas a vivre, mais a languir, car en tant de malheurs et désolations elle debvoit avoir plus de volunté qu'on luy accellerast sa mort que prolongeast sa vie, et bien, Sire, il semble que pour cest esgard on ayt faict beaucoup pour elle. Toutesfoys le cas donne a penser au monde qu'on ne peult interpréter a bien la facon dont l'on a proceddé non seullement a ceste exécution, mais a une aultre qui la mesme heure fust pareillement faicte au mesme lieu d'ung seigneur qui ne se nomme poinet encores; tant y a que par les indices et démonstrations qu'on en faict il se présume que ce soit milord Léonard de Clidas qui avoit esté lieutenant de ce roy en Yrlande. Et semble soubz correction, Sire, que ce soient argumens que ceulx-cy doublent faire mourir en publicq ceulx qu'ilz font exécuter en secret.

A quoy se peult adjouster que hyer mesme se habattit toutes les testes qui estoient fichées sur le pont de la riviere qui passe par ceste ville, affin que le peuple peu a peu ayt a oublyer ceulx dont ces testes leur reffreschissoient tous les jours la mémoire, si ce n'estoil que ce feust pour peupler le lieu de nouvelles. Car j'entends de bien bon lieu, Sire, que devant la sainct Jehan l'on faict compte de vuider la Tour des prisonniers qui y sont détenuz pour le crime de léze majesté, dont je ne fauldray avoir cause d'escripre bien que ce soit de matiére luetueuse et la pluspart pitoyable.