The Last Knight Errant: Sir Edward Woodville & the Age of Chivalry (33 page)

‘...there having been heard thought nearly the whole world the resonance of
the war which, against the kingdom of Granada, enemy of the name of Jesus
Christ, we are waging, motivated by zeal of faith and charity the remarkable
Count of Scales, when these years had already passed, came to us, bringing
with him numbers of men, horses and arms, prepared for war, so that he could
fight bravely against the Moors: amongst which men was Petrus Alamanç, a
native of the said city of Bruges, assembled with his brother and two relatives.

Thus, with troops of armed men, with the opportunity of time given to us
we ordered them to be moved against the kingdom itself of Granada, where
we performed great and noble deeds for we subjugated some cities, towns
and settlements which were a great impediment to our reducing the city of
Granada and other cities of its kingdom to the Christian religion and to our
rule. In this war the courage of the Count and his men was great, for they
conducted themselves in an energetic and manly fashion. But Fortune, enemy
of all favourable events, permitted the same Petrus Alamanç, his brother and
his relatives, to be captured by the Moors, in fighting with them. In which
captivity he remained for three years, and would have remained, as there
remained and remain his said brother and relatives in the city of Fez, were it
not that he had brought the daughter of his master to the faith of Christ and into
union with him, whom he brought to these our realms of Castile, and made to
be adorned with holy Baptism, and took her as his wife. Whereon, that all this
should be noted by you, at the humble supplication of the said Petrus Alamanç,
we have ordered these our letters to give testimony of the truth.

Juan de Colona

30 June 1490, Córboda’

Documentos sobre Relaciones Internacionales de los Reyes Católicos, volumen III 1488–
1491
(Barcelona: Antonio de La Torre, 1951), trans David Hook, document
59, p 323.

‘Windsor, Tuesday the 20th May 1488.

Most High, Most Excellent, and Most Powerful Prince, Most Dear and
Most Beloved Cousin, we believe you remember well that by one of our equer
ries named Michelet, who lately saw you, we have written about the rumour,
prevalent and certified, that no one of our subjects had been in Brittany; and
that was the truth, for we had forbidden, under the pain of death, anybody to
go there.

However, we have just been informed that the Breton ambassadors, who
came lately from there with the intention of procuring our help and assistance,
seeing that they could not obtain their wishes nor have any aid, have gone to the
Isle of Wight to Sir Edward Woodville, Knight, calling himself Lord of Scales,
who had his residence there and who has had for some time the custody of the
Isle of Wight, and have by their subtle ways and intrigue so much exhorted
and seduced him, that to our very great displeasure he went away with them
to Brittany and managed to take with him up to some 300 men, most of whom
he extracted from places of asylum where they had been for several years on
account of their crimes and misdemeanours; most of these men went without
armour and the apparel of war. [Clearly a bunch of ill-armed miscreants.]

These people gathered in that Island, which is entirely surrounded by the
sea, so secretly and hastily, that we did not know of it until after their depar
ture. True, it is that the said Sir Edward Woodville has asked us many times
for a permission to go and we not only have never given him permission, but
we have expressly forbidden him to go there so positively that he knew he
would incur our indignation, and we would never have believed he would dare
to infringe our order.

There was also a young knight; brother of the Earl of Arundel [Edward’s
sister, Margaret was married to Arundel] who made ready to go after the said
Sir Edward; but as soon as we knew it, we seized his ships and his company
and caused him to be arrested, and because, Most High Most Excellent, Most
Powerful Prince, Most Dear and Most Beloved Cousin, we are certain that
these things will come to your knowledge, and we know not in which way you
would accept or interpret them, for concerning such matters many tales are
often reported, we apprise you willing of the truth, earnestly praying you that
concerning these things you would not entertain any suspicion or imagination
that there is any fault on our part, for we certify to you upon our honour that
all has been done without our knowledge and assent and against our prohibition and interdiction and we are as much displeased as of anything that has ever
happened since we have been in this kingdom.

For we would by no means allow anything to be done to your prejudice or
displeasure and believe for certain that before long we shall know by the result
that Edward and his people have been badly counselled in making such a fool
ish attempt.

And so that you be fully aware of these things and our intentions upon this
point, we send to you our Garter King of Arms, by whom you will be able
to know the exact truth, praying you to believe him and to put faith in what
he will say to you, and to inform us by him of your good news and if there is
something you desire to be done by us, we shall accomplish it most willingly,
as the good Son of God helping, Most High, Most Excellent, Most Powerful
Prince, Most Dear and Most Beloved Cousin, and may He have you in His
Holy Protection and grant you the full accomplishment of your good desires.

Written in our Castle of Windsor the 27th day of May,

Your good cousin

Henry’

There was a further superscription, ‘to the Most High Most Excellent, and
Most Powerful Prince, our Most Dear and Most Beloved Cousin, King Charles
of France’.

Letter from King Henry to King Charles, written in French and published in
Correspondence de Charles VIII et de ses consellors avec Louis de la Trémoille
, pp 213,
238.