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Francis I, King of France, Letter Signed. ...
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Description
Francis I, King of France, Letter Signed. One page, 8 x 11 ¼ inches; Beziers; September 4, 1542. An important letter written 10 days after Francis' proclamation of yet another war with Spain, in French to the Cardinal de Toulon, Francis' Lieutenant General at Lyon regarding the planning of the Siege of Nice. Signed "Francoys" at the conclusion. Matted and framed with a large engraving of Francis to an overall size of 25 x 19 ½ inches.The letter reads: "...I am enclosing a letter which the Lords Langey and Boutieres have written to me, in which you will see that they have done very well with the enterprise at Cheras, so that I will send them the three thousand men they request...I ask you to see if there is a way in which to find the money they will need to sustain them until the beginning of winter, which should be easily done unless the Swiss arrive. Meanwhile, I understand from Buoys that the Emperor [Charles V of Spain] is personally in a very difficult situation and his son [Philip II] even worse, with everything in short supply. So with the help of God, I hope that all will go well for me. The Chevalier [Gaspard de Raimond] d'Eaulx has returned and he tells me that there were 80 ships prepared to depart immediately and that next year the rest of the ships of that country will be in the seas by March. He further tells me that there was no news of the opening of the war between the Emperor and myself and that the Emperor's party has been saying that I was at the point of making peace with him..."
By 1542, France had been sporadically at war with Spain for many years and at the time of this letter they were heavily engaged in the Italian Wars. This same year Francis was involved in the third iteration of the long-standing Habsburg-Valois War, which was crucially intertwined with the Italian Wars, and which saw intense fighting in Italy, France, and the Lower Countries as well as an attempted invasion of Spain. This time the rivalry between Charles and Francis prompted Francis to attempt an alliance with the Ottomans. In early 1542, Francis successfully negotiated one with the Suleiman the Magnificent, and, in March 1542, designated the city of Perpignan as the objective of the Ottoman objective, as it created a seaway to Genoa. Although a sea campaign was never launched, Francis would again initiate hostilities against Charles V on July 24, 1542, laying siege to Perpignan and Flanders.
Condition: Flattened folds with toning and wear thereat. A few spots of dampstaining along the left margin.
Provenance: Kenneth W. Rendell Gallery. Estate of Ernest Henry Seelhorst; Brenham, Texas.
Auction Info
2024 April 5 Historical Manuscripts Signature® Auction #6285 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
April, 2024
5th
Friday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 15
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