THE PLUNDERING OF MADEIRA - Lot 291

THE PLUNDERING OF MADEIRA BY THE ADVENTURER PEYROT DE MONLUC CATHERINE DE MÉDICIS. Letter signed "Caterine", countersigned by Jacques Bourdin as secretary of state, addressed to the French ambassador in Madrid, Raymond de Beccarie, sieur de Fourquevaux. Château de Saint-Maur [in the present department of Val-de-Marne], November 24, 1566. 1 p. 1/2 in-folio, address on the back with armorial seal of garnet wax, cracks due to the closing system of the letter, trace of tab. Son of the marshal and memorialist, Captain Pierre-Bertrand dit Peyrot de Monluc had attacked the island of Madeira in early October 1566: he had sacked Funchal, laid hands on sugar and wine, looted the cathedral and convents, and taken prisoners to sell them as slaves. Often presented as a response to the massacres of the French settlers in Florida (although perpetrated by Spaniards), this act of piracy was nevertheless unanimously condemned in Europe. At the time of this letter, Catherine de Medici had not yet received the news that Peyrot de Monluc had been killed as a result of the pillage. "Making you the king my son [Charles IX] ample answer on the contents in the depesche that you have made of the first of this month, I will add only one thing which is that I am so ENNUYED AND OFFENSIVE OF THIS INCURSION AND INVASION THAT THE YOUNG MONTLUC HAS DONE IN THE ISLE OF MADAIRE, FOR THE TORT HE DID IN THIS TO OUR REPUTA[TI]ON for the other depredations he exercised not only on the subjects of the princes our friends and allies but on our own, that I only desire to see him in a place where the king my [ict] sr. sonz can MAKE SUCH A PUGNICION DEMONSTRA[T]ON THAT THE [CHRET]IENTE COGNOISSE HOW MANY INTENTIONS ARE ENEMYES AWAY FROM SUCH HOSTILITIES, desirons vivre en amitié avec tous princes [chret]iens nos amys, ne pouvant penser qu'il y at homme vivant qui, considering the deportems of the young Montluc, without passion, does not judge that they can only come from the rage of a desperate man, who, serving his misfortune, wants to make everyone talk about him at the expense of all those to whom he feels he can do some damage as he has done since his departure. I am very pleased with the hope you give me that the queen my daughter [Elizabeth of Valois] will accompany the king her husband [Philip II of Spain] on his journey to Flanders, or, living in Spain, that it will be with the authority that belongs to her, in which you will advise her to conduct this action with all the gracious prayers and remonstrances she will know best to persuade her husband king. And for what it would be very important for us to be well assured of the occasion of this misunderstanding that you tell us occurred between the emperor and the king of Spain, if you can discover the particulars, you will do the king my son little service to inform him and if it will be to continue or not... ". Catherine de Medici then mentions, among other things, the pension that is granted by France to a double agent, António de Almeida. AT THAT TIME THERE WAS A FRAGILE DIPLOMATIC AGREEMENT BETWEEN FRANCE AND SPAIN: as a result of the peace of Cateau-Cambrésis in 1559, King Philip II of Spain had married Elisabeth de Valois, daughter of Henry II and Catherine de Medici, and therefore sister of Charles IX. A WARRIOR, MILITARY THEORIST AND DIPLOMAT, LE SIEUR DE FOURQUEVAUX (1508-1574) began his military career in Italy, notably with the marshal of Lautrec. Taken prisoner by the Spaniards at the siege of Naples (1528), he returned to France only in 1530 after the peace of Cambrai. He took part in the Savoy campaign, and was then governor of the city of Narbonne from 1557 to 1565 and from 1572 to his death. He drew from his military experience the material of a treaty entitled Instruction sur le fait de la guerre, which he published in 1548 (Paris, Galliot Du Pré). Fourquevaux, whose fidelity and skill were quickly recognized, was entrusted with several diplomatic missions, in Scotland (in 1538, to escort Marie de Lorraine who was going to marry James V), in Ireland, in Italy and in Bohemia, before being named ambassador of Charles IX near Philippe II of Spain: from 1565 to 1572, he held this strategic position working to maintain peace between the two nations, which he accomplished successfully, appeasing, for example, the conflict raised following the massacre of the French by the Spanish in Florida (1565). It was he who asked for his recall on the death of the Spanish queen Elisabeth de Valois, believing that the end of her beneficial influence on Spanish politics posed a renewed threat of war, and that he himself would therefore be more useful to the Spanish government.