William Makefyrr to Darcy and Alyngton

Add. 27446, f. 108

17 January 1506

Gairdner, Vol VI, item 1078; Fenn, Vol V, Henry VII item 40

LETTER XL.

To the ryght Worschypfull
      M Roger Darcy and M Gylys
      Alyngton beyng at y^e Jeorge
      in lu˜berd Strett be y^is
      delyu^ryd in hast.

RYGHT Worschypfull Mast^r J Recomend me on to yo˜
c’tyfying yor that y^e kyngs g’ce and y^e kyng of Castyle mett
y^is day at thre of the cloke upon Eleworth greyn ij myll owt
of Wyndesower and y^t ye Kyng reseyued hym in the good-
lyest man^r that eu^r I sawe and ech of them eubracyd od^r in
Armys to shew yo the Kyngs Aparell of Yngland thus it
was hys hors of bay Trappyd w^t nedyll worke A gown of
purpuyr ueluyt A Cheyn w^t A Joerge of Dyamonds and a
hood of purpuyr ueluyt Whych he put not of at y^e mettyng
of y^e seyd Kyng of Castylle hys hatt and hys bonett he
avaylyd And y^e Kyng of Castylle in Cas lyke And y^e King of
Castyll red apon sorellyd hoby which y^e Kyng gaue un to
hym hys Apparell was all blak a gown of blak ueluyt a blak
hood a blak hatt and hys hors harnes of blake ueluyt to
schew yo^u of y^e Kyngs Company My lord Harry of ¹Staf-
forth red in a gown of Cloth of Tuyssew tukkyd furryd w^t
Sabulls a hatt of goldsmyth worke and full of stons dya-
monds and rubys rydyng Apon a sorellyd Courser Bardyd
w^t a bayrd of goldsmyths wark w^t rosys and dragu˜s red
And my lord ²M’kas rydyng apon a bald sorelyd hors w^t a
deyp trapper full of long Tassels of gold of Venys and
Apon y^e Crowp^r of hys hors a whytt fedyr w^t a Cott Apon
hys bak y^e body goldsmyths wark y^e sleuys of cremysyne
ueluyt w^t lett’s of gold My lord of ³Kent Apon a Sorelyd
hors bald y^e harnes of Venys gold w^t a deyp fryng of half
yerd of lengh My lord of Kent Cott was on barr of Cloth of
gold an oder of Cremysyn veluyt purlyd w^t a demy manche
Cut of by y^e Elbowe Thyes be y^e lords y^t bare y^e bruyt S^r Hew
⁴Waghan Apon a bay hors trappyd w^t c’mysyn veluyt full of
gylt bels a gown of blak veluyt and a Cheyn of gold bawdryk
wys worth v hondreth pownd thys be y^e sperys M. ⁵Sant
John Apon a blak hors w^t harnes of Cloth of gold w^t Tassels
of Plunkytt and whytt A Cott of Plunkytt and whytt y^e
body of goldsmyths werk y^e slevys full of spa˜guls John Carr
and Will’m Parr Cotts lyke y^e horsys gray of Parr Trappyd
w^t Cremysyn veluyt w^t Tassels of gold and bels gylt Carr
hors Bay w^t an Almayn harnes of syluer An ynch brod of
Betyn sylu^r both y^e Cotts of goldsmyths wark y^e bodys y^e
sleuys on stryp of sylu^r y^e od^r gylt Edward neuell Apon a
gray hors trappyd w^t blak velueyt full of small bells hys
Cott the on half of ⁶greyn veluyt y^e od^r of whytt Cloth of
gold thyes to y^e rutters of y^e spers dyu’s well appontyd On
the Kyng of Castyles party y^e lord Chamberlayn cheyf I can
not tell hys name yett hys Apparell was sad and so was all
y^e resydeu of hys Company w^t Cottys of sad tawnye blake
gardyd su˜ w^t veluyt and su˜ w^t sarsnyt not passyng a dosyn
in nowmber it is sayd y^r is many by hynd wych cu˜s w^t y^e
queyn of Castyll wych schall cu˜ Apon Teyusday when y^e
Kyng rod forth to Wyndesor Castyle The Kyng rede Apon
y^e ryght hand y^e Kyng of Castylle how be it y^e Kyngs g’ce
offeryd hym to take hym Apon y^e ryght hand y^e whych he
refussyd And at y^e lyghtyng y^e Kyng of Castylle was of hys
hors a good space or owr kyng was a lyght and ye? y^e
Kyngs g?ce offeryd to take hym by the Arm y^e whych he
wold not bot toke y^e Kyng by y^e Arme and so went to y^e
Kyngs of Castylle Chamber whych is y^e rychestly hangyd
that eu^r J sawe vij Chambers to geder hangyd w^t Cloth of
Arras wrogh w^t gold as thyk as cowd be and as for iij beds
of Astate no Kyng ⁷Crystyned Can schew sych iij thys is as
fer as J Can schew yo^u of y^is Day and when J can know mer
y^e schall haue knowlege from Wyndesou y^is Sat?day at v of
y^e Cloke.

³By yo?r WILLI?M MAKEFYR.

12 by 8¾.

This curious Letter, describing a state procession, requires a short historical
Introduction.

Isabella, the wife of Ferdinand, the first King of all Spain, dying in 1504,
the kingdoms of Castile and Leon came by succession to Johanna, their
daughter, married to Philip, Arch-Duke of Austria, Governor of the Nether-
lands. In January, 1505-6, Philip and Johanna set out on their voyage in
order to proceed to Spain, to take possession of those kingdoms, which Ferdi-
nand still continued to govern as administrator to his late queen.

A violent storm arising during their passage through the English Channel,
they were forced into Weymouth, where, overcome with fatigue, they landed.

News of their arrival having been immediately conveyed to the King of Eng-
land, Philip found he would not be permitted to re-embark till his pleasure
was known. Henry instantly dispatched the Earl of Arundel to congratulate
the king and queen, and to assure them of his good will, and that he would
come without delay and embrace them.

The King of Castile wishing to make his undesigned visit here as short as
possible, thought to gain time by coming to Henry; he therefore proceeded
towards Windsor; the royal meeting near which place is here described in the
most accurate manner.

The behaviour and address of the two monarchs; the striking superiority
claimed by Henry in every the minutest article, with their dress, and that of
their several attendants; the caparisons of their horses, &c. are here so parti-
cularly delineated, that an ingenious painter might from this sketch easily form
a most accurate picture of the whole proceeding.

During the time that these royal personages remained here, Henry concluded
several treaties with them for his own and his kingdom’s advantage. He like-
wise claimed the delivery of Edmund de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, son of Eli-
zabeth, the sister of Edward IV. and Richard III., who had put himself under
this king’s protection. This was obtained likewise upon condition that his life
should be safe. The duke returned, and was committed a prisoner to the
Tower, where he continued till 1513, when Henry VIII. ordered him to be
beheaded, his greatest crime being his nearness to the crown.

Henry detained his royal guests here between three and four months, during
which time Philip was personally installed a Knight of the Garter. They ar-
rived in their own kingdoms in May, where they were received with loyalty and
affection. Philip’s reign, however, was short, he dying the September follow-
ing, in the 29th year of his age; and his death so affected his queen that she
lost her reason, and Ferdinand, her father, resumed the administration of those
affairs he had so reluctantly desisted from on their arrival. These royal per-
sonages were the parents of the Emperor Charles V.

¹ Henry, Earl of Stafford, eldest son and heir of Edward Stafford, Duke of
Buckingham, who was attainted and beheaded in 1521, owing to the machina-
tions of Cardinal Wolsey.

This earl was in 1523 restored in blood, but summoned to parliament only
as Baron Stafford.

² Thomas Grey, Marquis of Dorset, was the son of Thomas, the late Mar-
quis, who was the son of Elizabeth, Queen of Edward IV. by her first hus-
band, Sir John Grey of Groby.

This nobleman in the next reign became Lord of the Marches between Eng-
land and Scotland, which he stoutly kept, and boldly maintained. He died in
1530, 22 H. VIII.

³ George Grey, Earl of Kent, was a true soldier to, and a favourite of,
Henry, but survived this pageant a very short time, dying within the year.

⁴ Sir Hugh Vaughan was a gallant gentleman and valiant soldier.

⁵ Master St. John, John Carr, William Parr and Edward Neville, were gal-
lant young men and the king’s military attendants. Parr was probably of the
family of Catharine, afterwards the wife of Henry VIII.; and Neville was per-
haps the knight who was beheaded in 1538 for being concerned with others in
a correspondence with the exiled Cardinal Pole.

⁶ Grain colours were red and purple colours dyed with the grain called
Cochineal, now known to be an insect.

⁷ No king in Christendom.

⁸ I can find no account of the writer of this letter, nor of the persons to
whom it is directed, more than that they were gentlemen and men of worship.

Autograph, Pl. xxxi. No. 24.

LETTER XL.

To the Right Worshipful Master Robert Darcy and Master
Giles Alington, being at the George in Lombard Street, be
this delivered in haste.

RIGHT Worshipful Masters, I recommend me unto you,
certifying you that the King’s Grace and the King of Cas-
tile met this day, at three of the clock, upon Elworth
Green, two miles out of Windsor, and there the king re-
ceived him in the goodliest manner that ever I saw, and
each of them embraced [the] other in [his] arms.

To show you the King’s apparel of England, thus it was,
his horse of bay, trapped with needle work; a gown of pur-
pure [purple] velvet; a chain with a George of Diamonds,
and a hood of purpure velvet, which he put not off at the
meeting of the said King of Castile; his hat and his bonnet
he availed, and the King of Castile in case like.

And the King of Castile rode upon a sorrelled hobby,
which the king gave unto him; his apparel was all black, a
gown of black velvet, a black hood, a black hat, and his
horse-harness of black velvet.

To show you of the king’s company; my Lord Harry of
¹Stafford rode in a gown of cloth of tissue, tucked, furred
with sables; a hat of goldsmith’s work, and full of stones,
diamonds and rubies, riding upon a sorrelled courser barded
with a bard of goldsmith’s work, with roses and dragons
red; and my Lord ²Marquis riding upon a bald sorrelled
horse, with a deep trapper full of long tassels of gold of
Venice, and upon the crupper of his horse a white feather;
with a coat upon his back, the body goldsmith’s work, the
sleeves of crimson velvet, with letters of gold.

My Lord of ³Kent upon a sorrelled horse, bald; the har-
ness of Venice gold, with a deep fringe of half a yard of
length. My Lord of Kent’s coat was one bar of cloth of
gold and another of crimson velvet, purled with a demy
manche cut off by the elbow. These be the lords that bare
the bruit [were most noticed].

Sir Hugh ⁴Vaughan upon a bay horse trapped with crim-
son velvet full of gilt bells, a gown of black velvet, and a
chain of gold bawdrick wise [belt wise] worth five hundred
pounds. These be the spears: Master ⁵St. John upon a
black horse, with harness of cloth of gold, with tassels of
plunket [blue] and white; a coat of plunket and white, the
body of goldsmith’s work, the sleeves full of spangles.

John Carr and William Parr, coats like the horses, gray
of Parr, trapped with crimson velvet, with tassels of gold,
and bells gilt. Carr’s horse bay, with an Almayne harness
of silver, an inch broad of beaten silver, both the coats of
goldsmith’s work the bodies, the sleeves one stripe of silver,
the other gilt.

Edward Neville upon a gray horse trapped with black
velvet full of small bells; his coat the one half of ⁶grain
velvet, the other of white cloth of gold; these two the
rutters [casters or throwers] of the spears, with other divers
well appointed.

On the King of Castile’s party, the Lord Chamberlain
Chief, I cannot tell his name as yet, his apparel was sad
[dark coloured], and so was all the residue of his company,
with cloaks of sad tawny [dark dusky yellow] and black,
guarded, some with velvet and some with sarsenet, not
passing a dozen in number.

It is said there are many behind, which shall come with
the Queen of Castile, which shall come upon Tuesday.

When the King rode forth to Windsor Castle, the King
rode ever [always] upon the right hand of the King of Cas-
tile; however the King’s Grace offered him to take him
upon the right hand, the which he refused.

And at the alighting the King of Castile was off his
horse a good space ere our King was alighted; and then
the King’s Grace offered to take him by the arm, the which
he would not, but took the King by the arm, and so went
to the King’s of Castile chamber, which is the richestly
hanged that ever I saw; seven chambers together, hanged
with cloth of Arras wrought with gold as thick as could
be; and as for three beds of state, no king ⁷christened can
show such three.

This is as far as I can show you of this day, and when I
can know more, ye shall have knowledge.

From Windsor this Saturday at five of the clock.

By Yours,

³WILLIAM MAKEFYR.

             Windsor,
     Saturday, 17th January,
        1505-6. 21 H. vii.