SEDE VACANTE 1521

December 1, 1521 — January 9, 1522






Letter of Pope Adrian VI  to Emperor Charles V

(Saragossa, May 3, 1522)


William Bradford, Correspondence of the Emperor Charles V. and his ambassadors at the Courts of England and France (London: Richard Bentley, 1850), 41-45:

 

Trés Chier et trésamé Filzl

Salut et Apostolique benediction: j’ay esté fort joyeux vener les lettres que votre Majesté m'a escript de sa propre main, veant que ne luy est cheu de la memoire ce que de moi avoit ouy et aprius aux ecoles, assavoir, les François estre rices et abnndans de promesses, belles et doulces paroles; mais mesurer l’amitié à leur proûct; desorte, que changeant la fortune et condition des choses si ne leur vient à profict sonbz quelque couleur guise et à la fois mains que veritable; ilz, desirent et laissent l'amitié, ce que maintenant avés aprins par experience si que la seule vexation et tribulation aésté cause de ce croyre, à la myenue volunté que les autres en ces afaires vous eussent aussi diligentement ingeré la verité, j’extime et croy que ne fussions tombez et escheux ès inconveniens et dangiers du temps qui court. il est besoing que d’ici en avant, nous cheminons et marchandons plus sagement; aux choses passées n’y a conseil, soit votre Majesté toute asseuré que quand je vondroye, je ne pourroye oublier ce que à cautelle vous ay enseigné, et depuis peu de temps au Roy Don Phelippes votre pere, et en l’Empereur Maximilien votre Aœul de glorieuses memoires, et en vostre Majesté maintenant que l’ay veu et experimenté. De la faveiu· que les François me portent et moi à eux, votre Majesté l’entendra d'ung notre amy commun, elle le ooguait, il se presentera de soi meisme ad oe, il n’est ja besoing exprimer son nom.

Je suis plus que certain de la joye que avés eu de mon election à la Papalité, et me suis toujours tenu pour asseurè, que, si votre pure affection et entiere amour vous seul eussiés deast eslire ung Pape, vous fussiés decliné vers moy et m’eussiés donné votre vot, mais je savoie qu’il ne convenoit n’y à voz afaires, n’y à la Republique christienne que sollicitissiès pour moy, pour ce que eussiés solut et enfraint l'amitiè avec eestuy qui de tous estoit le plus necessaire aux choses de Italie, savoie aussi que icelle mon election vous donneroit quelque tristesse et desplaisance pour le detriment à venir èschoses de pardeça, à cause de mon absence; mais l'excessive et vehemente delectation survenue en chassera et expulsers toute tristesse non seulement contraire, mais aussi toute aultre quelconque, je croy bien toutefois que icontemplacion de votre Majestè, comme le Sacré collège des Cardinaulx doibt avoir dit à Don Jehan Manuel, j’aye éste esteut, sachantz iceulx Cardinaulx moy estre aggreable à votre Majesté et jamais n’eussent osé eslire homme mal aggreable, et à vous et au Roy dé France; je suis toutefois bien joyeux non estre parvenu à l'election
par voz prierez, pour la puretè et sincerité que les droictz divins et humains requierent en semblables afferes, je vous en scay neantemoins aussi bon gre, ou meilleur que si par vostre moyen et prières vous le m’eussies impetré.

Votre Majesté ne doibt aucunement doubter de ma constance et perseveranœ en son amour; et comme en procurant et negociant, j’ai toujours preferé vos affairs aux miens, aussi le ferai icy après; il vous prie que ja ne vous monte en la fantasie que de laissez et postposez vos aiïaires je procure et entende privement aux miens.

Sire ! la cause de nostre malheur et grandes aversités comme dit St. Jan Chrisostomus est, que pervertissons le vrai et deu ordre de cercher et demander choses à nous convenables, plus a promis que adjutera les biens temporels a ceux qui premierement cerchent les biens spirituels, nous pour ce que cerchons plus affectueusement et
devant tous les biens temporels pour ce maledicti sumus.

 

 

 

"Tres cher et tres amé Filz!

Health and apostolical benediction. I have been rejoiced on receiving the letter which your Majesty has written to me with your own hand, in finding that it has not eseaped your memory what you have heard from me, and learned in our hours of study, that the French are ever rich and abundant in promises, as well as in all fair and soft speeches ; whilst their acts of friendship are always measured by the standard of their interest.

This you will now prove by your own experience; henceforward therefore, we must deal with more wisdom and foresight; for as to the past, counsel is unavailing, though I might speak of the caution which I never failed to urge on your father King Philip, and formerly on the Emperor your grandfather, both of glorious memory, as well as latterly upon your Majesty.

Conceming the favor borne towards me by the French, and that which I bear towards them, you will hear from a common friend, whose name I need not mention.

I am fully convinced of the satisfaction which you will derive from my election to the popedom; and I never entertained a doubt that had it depended alone on your good will and affection towards me, your suffrage would have been in my favor; but I was equally aware that it was neither suitable to your own interests nor to the good of the Christian commonwealth, that you should have used any sollicitation in my behalf; knowing that such interference would have been fatal to your good understanding with one, who at this moment is of all others most necessary to your welfare in Italy.

Although my election may in one respect be attended with inconvenience, in taking me away from the management of your affairs in Spain, yet this will be so much overbalanced by other considerations, as nowise to diminish the joy which it will occasion you. And in this my election, the feeling which influenced the Sacred College of Cardinals, as you will readily believe, and as has been intimated by them to Don John Manuel, was, that it would be a choice agreeable to your Majesty: for no one, it appeared, would have obtained their votes who could be considered objectionable either to you, or to the King of France.

I cannot therefore suppress my satisfaction in having attained to this elevation without the exercise of your iniiuence, inconsistent as that would have been with the purity and sincerity which divine and human rights require in such proceedings ; and in saying this, you will be assured that I feel as much, if not more truly devoted to your Majesty, than if I had owed to your means and prayers my present advancement.

Your Majesty will nowise doubt of the constancy and continuance of my afection; and as hitherto in all matters of negociation and treaty, I have ever considered your interests before any personal objects of my own, I shall not cease so to view them; and therefore beg you never to entertain an idea of my being led to reverse this order, and to think of any self aggrandizement, to the detriment and undervaluing of what may concern your Majesty.

Sire ! The cause of all our misfortunes and our adversity in general is, as St. Chrysostom observes, that we pervert the divine rules, by setting our affections on what we think convenient for us, rather than on that promise, which adds all temporal good to those who first seek the things eternal. For this malcdicti sumus.

Sire! I pray God to grant you a happy and long life.

Written at Saragossa the third of May ad tempus sacrae Romanae ecclesiae.

Entirely yours.

 

 

 

 

 


J. A. BergenrothCalendar of Letters, Despatches, and State Papers, relating to the Negotiations between England and Spain, preserved in the Archives at Simancas and elsewhere, Vol. II. Henry VIII. 1509-1525 (London: Longmans, Green, Reader and Dyer, 1866).

Rawson Brown (ed.), Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts, relating to English Affairs, existing in the Archives and Collections of Venice, and in other Libraries of Northern Italy Vol. III (1520-1526)  (London: Longmans, Green & Co. 1869)

 

 

June 16, 2015 9:41 PM

© 2015 John Paul Adams, CSUN
john.p.adams@csun.edu

Valid HTML 4.01 Transitional
Valid CSS!

| Home | | Papal Portraits Home | | Medals Bibliography | | List of Conclaves | | Conclave Bibliography |