FRANCOIS II DE BOURBON - Lot 99

FRANCOIS II DE BOURBON Born in Ham. 1491-1545. L.S. "Francoys" addressed "A Monsieur de Vely conseillier et ambassadeur du Roy à Fleurence" [Claude Dodieu, sieur de Vely]. S.l.n.d. [1528?]. 1 p. in-folio. Suscription. The upper, lower and right lateral edges of the letter have been reinforced on the verso with old paper (traces of 18th-century writing). IMPORTANT LETTER FROM FRANÇOIS DE BOURBON TO LAMBASSADOR OF FLORENCE DURING THE SEVENTH DITALIAN WAR, ALSO KNOWN AS THE WAR OF THE COGNAC LEAGUE.Context: Taken prisoner following the defeat at Pavia in February 1525, François 1er remained a prisoner of Charles V for a year. He only regained his freedom in March 1526, after signing the Treaty of Madrid, in which he undertook, among other things, to renounce all claims to Naples and Milan. But as soon as he was freed, he denounced the Treaty and allied himself with the Ligne de Cognac against Charles V's empire. He declared war on the Emperor in January 1528 and sent an army to Italy under the command of Lautrec. François de Bourbon was born in Ham (Somme) in October 1491. Younger brother of Charles, first Duke of Vendôme, he was the third son of Marie de Luxembourg. Entitled Count of Saint-Pol, he represented the Count of Champagne at the coronation of François I (January 1515), accompanying him to Italy. Armed as a knight at Marignan by Bayard, it seems, he was awarded the Order of Saint-Michel the same year, and in 1518 the king granted him the barony of Mortagne, near Tournai. The following year, replacing his brother Charles as governor of Picardy, François was appointed lieutenant-general of the city, provostry and viscounty of Paris, Ile de France, Soissonnais, Valois and the bailliages of Senlis, Melun and Vermandois.From 1520 to 1522, he undertook the Flanders and Artois campaigns, before moving on to Milan in 1524. At Pavia (February 24, 1525), François de Bourbon, wounded, was taken prisoner; but nothing is known of this captivity. Probably released like François I in March 1526, he was soon governor of the Dauphiné region, where the king granted him a pension of 12,000 livres tournois.1528 saw François once again command royal troops in Italy, comprising lansquenets, French adventurers, chevau-légers and men-at-arms. Several other deeds signed by the king reveal the dispatch, in his name, of reinforcements, food and ammunition, as well as large sums of money to pay the troops and maintain the armies....On February 9, 1535, he married Adrienne duchesse dEstouteville in Paris....Jay receu deux lectres que mavez escriptes du XXIIe de ce moy par lesquelles, par celles que escripvez au Roy, et aussi par ce que mescript la seigneurie de Fleurence, jay [...] entendu le besoing qu'il est que l'armée que je mayne [...] face toute extresme dilligence... afin dempêcher les ...diversion du chemyn que les ennemys menassent faire pour lever le siege de Naples... François asked for more time to assemble his troops: ...Bien vous prie-je, Monsieur de Velly, assurer hardiment ladicte seigneurie que jay fait et faitz plus que le povoir de faire toute dilligence, et combien que je suis encore de présent en ceste ville qui est pour assembler ma force sans laquelle je ne puis faire aucun exploict vallable comme vous entendez assez. Toutesfois voyant madicte force quasi joincte [...] je suis desliberé pour le plus tard partir mardy ou mercredy de cestedicte ville et faire telle et si bonne dilligence que de brief je me trouveray en lieu pour donner toute layde, confort et faveur que je pourray non seulelement aux affaires du Roy, maiz generallement à toute la ligue... Claude Dodieu, sieur de Vely, ecclesiastic and diplomat, was French ambassador to the court of Florence from June 1527 to August 1529. He was entrusted by François 1er with important diplomatic missions, in particular to Charles Quint in 1535. It was he who accepted, on behalf of the King of France, the Emperor's challenge to settle their differences by a duel.