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Page 46
"Joao da Silveyra was well received at the court of France; but as
respects the specific matters of negotiation in his charge, he was
answered every way indefinitely, with reasons more specious than
sound which appeared to be given not so much to conclude the affaire
upon which he treated as to procrastinate and consume time.
* * * * * * *
"Joao da Silveyra continued to solicit with much urgency the matters
in his keeping at the court of France, and received answers
respecting them according as the matters which were proposed in
Portugal, [the marriage of Carlota, daughter of Francis, with the
prince Dam Joao], gave hopes of advancement. The king said through
one Luys Homem that he greatly desired the fostering and increase of
ancient friendship. Following upon that in a few days he ordered the
vessels in his ports preparing for India to be stopped, stating that
he would arrange this in such a way that the king should be
satisfied. Measures were adopted for the restoration of all property
that was known to have been taken from the king or his vessels, and
expectations were entertained of an order making such provision
throughout as should put a stop to all the robberies and the evils
arising from them. Since this had been the principal object for
which the embassador had been sent to France, it appeared to the
king of Portugal, that it would be for his service that he should
order the return of Joao da Silveyra, and that the licentiate Pedro
Gomez Feixeira with Master Diego de Gevoeya, (to whom he likewise
wrote of this matter) should demand justice respecting certain
matters of his property and assist such of his vessels as were
seeking it. But before the order for the return of Silveyra had left
this court, information was received by one Jacome Monteyro (who by
authority of the king of France sought the restitution of property)
that Francis had issued new orders, commanding the general
sequestration of all the property of the king of Portugal and of his
people, the embargo of all his vessels to be found in the ports of
France, without the declaration of any new cause, or the statement
of any reason for this order, the opposite of what had before been
promulgated. The king in consequence, directed Joao da Silveyra to
take truthful information of the particulars and the reasons for
this proceeding and commanded his presence before the council, to
make them known.
"Following this, hostilities having been declared between the
kingdoms and seignories of the emperor and the king of France, they
waging cruel strife by land and sea, the French with an armament
afloat took a Spanish ship with gold, belonging to the emperor,
within the limits of the Portuguese coast, besides much property of
individuals, regardless of where she had been found, so little
attentive were they in those times, to Portugal and Portuguese;
seized her by force as belonging to their enemies, and carried her
off, as good prize of war. Pedro Batelho was sailing the while,
giving protection to the coast of Portugal, by the royal order,
according to the ancient custom of this kingdom, held always to be
useful and necessary, the value of which became evident from what
occurred afterwards, when it fell into disuse.
"The captain coming out one morning with his fleet, near those who
were carrying of the Spanish ship, he obliged them by force to take
in sail, as they hesitated to obey for some time, until he informed
himself of what had passed. Discovering that there were some doubts
and that deliberation would be necessary to do justice, he brought
all before him to the port of Lisbon, where the prize was
sequestrated and they made prisoners, and the case, by order of the
king, was sent to the Casa da Supplicacam where sentence was
pronounced the following year. This news, which was directly known
in France, made great change in the order of affairs with Portugal,
and produced the state they were afterwards in, during the following
nine consecutive years that Joao da Silveyra was there, in which
time, he accomplished nothing he had in hand, except to EMBARGO THE
VOYAGE OF THE FLORENTINE, of which mention is made before, and of
some few vessels of corsairs which was but sheer justice to
us."[Footnote: Cronica de muyto alto, emuyto poderoso rey destes
reynos de Portugal Dom Joao o III deste nome. By Francisco
d'Andrade. Part I, c. 13 and 14. (Lisbon 1613.)]
The time when these preparations were being made by Verrazzano is
more definitely fixed by a despatch of Silveira to the king, from
Paris on the 25th of April 1523, in which he states that "Verazano"
had not yet left for Cathay that this whole story of an intended
voyage of discovery was proposed for the purpose of concealing the
real object of the preparations which were going on in Normandy, of
seizing the treasure which had been sent from Mexico, by Cortes to
the emperor, of the successful accomplishment of which we have
now to speak. [Footnote: Sautarem gives the date of this dispatch
as the 23d of April 1522, Quadro Elementar, tom III, sec. XVI, p. 165.
But the letter of Silveira will be found in full in the Appendix (III)
from the Portuguese archives. Santarem]. It is highly probable,
therefore, is evidently mistaken as to the year, inasmuch as the
news of Magellan's death, to which Andrade refers as a prior event,
did not reach Spain until September 1522 and Silveira's appointment
as embassador was after that news was received.]
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