At a glanceCiphertext-only break · complete
- The letter
- Lope Hurtado de Mendoza, a gentleman of Charles V’s household sent to the governors of Castile, to Charles V, then at Worms, from Tordesillas, 10 December 1520. Two pages wholly in cipher, sent with a clear letter of the same day.
- Where
- Archivo General de Simancas, Patronato Real, PTR,LEG,2,36,8, ff. 1r–1v (PARES 12988891). The clear letter is 36,6, printed by Danvila in the 1890s. Catalogue item 626 here.
- The cipher
- A homophonic substitution of about 37 signs with the words kept apart, some signs standing for two or three letters, dotted sigla for persons, and a last paragraph that mixes cipher with words in clear letters.
- How the key was found
- An archivist’s slip points to the key in a letter of 23 September 1520; it does not fit. Brice Dudout rebuilt the key from this ciphertext alone and tested it on lines transcribed after the key was fixed: 0.827 of their words are Spanish, against at most 0.596 for shuffled keys.
- What it says
- The ·fre·, probably the Admiral of Castile, wants a settlement with the Junta at any price; the Marquis of Denia is hated; the army is “muy mal mandada”; and the see of Jaén and every vacancy should be kept unfilled so that the lords go on hoping.
- Credit
- Brice Dudout, Europe chiffrée, “Lope Hurtado de Mendoza to Charles V: The greatest of our fears” (2026, CC BY 4.0), with Claude (Opus 5.5): transcription, key, Spanish text and translation. He settled twelve doubtful signs by looking at them himself.
- Still open
- About 21 words (2.3%), marked in the text, one of them with a sign the table does not have; the persons behind the sigla other than ·fre·.
01 The two letters
In the autumn of 1520 the Revolt of the Comunidades held much of Castile. The Junta of the rebel cities sat at Tordesillas, where Queen Joanna lived, and wanted her to reign in place of her absent son. On 5 December the governors’ army, under the Count of Haro, took the town back; it was sacked and several of the Junta’s procurators were captured. Charles V was in Germany, at Worms for his first Diet.
Lope Hurtado de Mendoza, a gentleman of Charles’s household, had been sent to the governors as the Emperor’s confidant. On 10 December he wrote twice from Tordesillas. One letter, in clear (PTR,LEG,2,36,6), tells of the sack and lists the prisoners; Antonio Danvila printed it in the 1890s in his documentary history of the Comunidades. The other, 36,8, is entirely in cipher, and says what could not be written openly about the governors and the grandees. Its dorse reads “Carta de Lope Hurtado de x de dez.”. It fills both sides of one leaf, 44 lines on the recto and 42 on the verso; the two pages can be seen on PARES.
Hurtado’s later letters from Rome, of 1522 to 1524, use a different cipher, a code of three-letter groups with an alphabet of cursive signs, and have their own pages: Rome, 1522 and Rome, 1523–24.
02 The cipher
A substitution of single letters by about 37 signs: Latin letters, figures and invented shapes, among them a barred o for t, a cross for s, a 9 for a, a long ſ for g and a ⊤ for z. The words are kept apart, as in the clear hand. Vowels and a few consonants have more than one sign; the encipherer used them unevenly. Some signs stand for two or three letters: one gives a, l or h, one i, j or y, another e, h or p, so the reading of those signs is settled by the word.
Persons are written as dotted sigla, ·fre·, ·lis·, ·los·, ·lus·, ·ym·, short groups between points whose meaning is not in the letter. The last lines of the verso mix cipher with words in ordinary letters (“fynes”, “lo primero”, “vra altza”, “el bien del rreyno”, “creo q no”), and cipher and clear read on as one text.
The transcription names each sign by a single character of a working notation (targets/lopehurtado1520/key_K4.tsv); the names are labels for shapes, not values. In that notation the key is:
| letter | signs (labels) | letter | signs (labels) |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | g, F* | n | n, φ, ∂* |
| b / v | q* | o | w, H, W |
| c | 7 | p | B*, b*, X* |
| d | Z, E, ∂*, Y* | q | c |
| e | s, V, B*, b*, X* | r | r, A |
| f | Q, f | s | t |
| g | S | t | O |
| h | F*, b* | u | N, U |
| i / j / y | 8, d*, Y* | x | x, X* |
| l | P, l, F* | z | T |
| m | o |
* a sign with more than one value. Two rare signs, △ and ■, have no value; the second also marks a blot.
The commonest sign, labelled s, is e (575 of about 3,700 signs), then g = a (433) and w = o (295). The frequencies are those of Spanish.
03 How the key was found
The key that was supposed to fit. A slip by the archivist J. Paz in the bundle says the key is to be found in Hurtado’s letter of 23 September 1520 (PTR,LEG,2,36,2), which Danvila printed deciphered. Its values are incompatible with this letter, so the key had to be recovered from the ciphertext.
Breaking in. The signs were transcribed from the PARES images in the working notation. The repeated groups that had to be vuestra magestad opened a homophonic letter substitution. A first key, K1, was built from lines 1–16 of the recto only and frozen, with a SHA-256 hash recorded.
Held-out lines. Two stretches of the verso were kept out of the work. Lines 1–11, transcribed after K1 was frozen, gave 0.747 of their words in a Spanish lexicon under K1, against 0.326 at the 99th percentile of 200 control keys with the values permuted. Lines 11–17 were transcribed and frozen before any decoding and used to fix no value; the later keys K2 and K4 both read 0.827 of their words, against a median of 0.288, a 99th percentile of 0.519 and a maximum of 0.596 for the controls.
The full reading. The rest was deciphered word by word, deciding between near-identical signs against a Spanish lexicon (the Quijote and Danvila’s documents). K3 became K4 when one value, ſ as s, was withdrawn after Dudout’s own look at twelve doubtful signs on a sheet of sign shapes, made without any reading offered; that look also settled holgado, cardenal, necesidad and oficio.
The statistical check here. The project’s validator (docs/_validate.py) scores the reading of 3,432 signs (35 sign types) with a four-gram model of Golden Age Spanish, as mean log-probability per letter: the reading gives −2.139, random keys of the same shape −5.439 on average, and a key annealed onto the shuffled ciphertext at best −3.118. Verdict: pass.
04 The decipherment
Brice Dudout’s text, spelling of the letter kept, punctuation and accents added. {x} probable reading; ‹…› unresolved; [x] restored from the sense; ·x· a dotted siglum, not identified.
The ·fre· and the Queen
El ·fre· está ganoso de asiento con los de la Junta como quiera que fuese; dize que lo haze por el mal aparejo que {ay} de sostener la gente que aquí está. Hizo a la reina que, delante del ·y· de muchos cavalleros, dixiese que mandava que toda la gente de la Junta se derramase, e mandólo tomar por testimonio para enviar a requerir con él a don Pedro Girón ·y· a las ciudades. […] E aun estando así, dixo que a la reina tenía por cuerda.
The ·fre· wants a settlement with the men of the Junta at any price; he says he does so because of the poor means {there are} of maintaining the troops here. He had the Queen say, before the ·y· and many knights, that she ordered all the Junta’s troops to disperse, and had this recorded as testimony to summon don Pedro Girón ·y· the cities with it. […] And even so, he said that he held the Queen to be of sound mind.
The Marquis of Denia
El marqués de Denia viene aquí con más pasión de la que era menester […]; está muy mal quisto a muchos: les ha pesado tanto de su venida como de averlo saqueado. […] Dizen que trae determinación de revolver todo.
The Marquis of Denia comes here with more passion than was needed; he is much disliked by many: his coming has grieved them as much as having sacked the town. […] They say he comes resolved to overturn everything.
The vacant sees
El obispado de Jaén e otra qualquier vacante que oviere deve vuestra alteza detener […], porque acá an muchos que esperan que vuestra magestad les hará merced, y esta esperança los obliga a servir; quando se dé a uno, se estragará la voluntad de los otros. El Rey Católico, quando estuvo en Nápoles, tuvo muchos obispados y encomiendas y tenencias sin proveer hasta su venida.
The see of Jaén, and any other vacancy that may occur, Your Highness should hold back […], for there are many here who hope Your Majesty will grant them favour, and this hope binds them to serve; when it is given to one, the goodwill of the others will be spoiled. The Catholic King, when he was in Naples, kept many sees, commanderies and keeperships unfilled until his return.
The army
Como ay aquí muchos señores, son mal de concertar para lo que es menester, especial ·fre· e el conde de Benavente […]; e deste e{x}ército y la gente muy mal mandada, como es de muchos, que es el mayor temor que tenemos.
Since there are many lords here, they agree badly on what must be done, especially ·fre· and the Count of Benavente […]; and in this army the troops are very badly commanded, as any force with many heads: that is the greatest of our fears.
The letter ends with the grandees’ “tres fynes”, three aims, written half in clear letters: first what suits them, then standing with the Emperor, then the good of the kingdom, provided they are not left in need. The complete Spanish text, the translation, the transcription and the line-by-line decryption are under Full texts below.
05 Who is who
- The ·fre· negotiates with the Junta and hesitates to accept “la governación”. Dudout takes him to be the Admiral of Castile, Fadrique Enríquez, named co-governor in September 1520 and known to favour a settlement with the Comuneros; fre would abbreviate his first name. That is a hypothesis: nothing in the letter proves it.
- The other sigla (·lis·, ·los·, ·lus·, ·ym·, ·y·) are not identified. ·lus· and ·los· seem to refer to the Queen and her household at Tordesillas.
- The Queen “por cuerda”. Whether Joanna was of sound mind was the political stake of the Junta, which wanted her to reign. That the ·fre· called her sane was, for Hurtado, a sign that he might give way on the agreements.
- The Marquis of Denia, Bernardo de Sandoval y Rojas, governor of the Queen’s household, had been expelled by the Comuneros in September and came back after the town was taken. “Having sent away the women” probably refers to the Queen’s attendants.
- The Naples precedent. Ferdinand the Catholic, in Naples in 1506–07, left sees, commanderies and keeperships unfilled until his return; Hurtado recommends the same to keep hopes of favour alive.
- The lords named in the clear: the Count of Benavente, the Marquis of Astorga, the Count of Miranda, the comendador mayor, don Pedro Girón (the Comuneros’ captain) and the Count of Haro, “who holds the office of captain”. The Cardinal and the Constable of the later proposals are presumably the two other governors, Adrian of Utrecht and Íñigo Fernández de Velasco, whose seat was Burgos.
06 What remains uncertain
Of about 920 cipher words (each unresolved passage counted as two), 95.4% are certain, 2.3% are probable readings marked {x}, and 2.3% are unresolved. By the project’s grades, the certain words rest on the recovered key and the held-out check, the probable ones are M (uncertain) and the restorations [x] are I (inferred from context).
- Recto l. 26, “porque de ‹…› dezía”: the third sign, a circle with a downward stroke from its middle on Dudout’s re-reading, matches nothing in the table.
- Isolated words on the recto, ll. 11, 21, 36, 42, and on the verso, ll. 2, 21, 25, 31, 37, 38; the end of a verso line first missed in transcription and then restored, “no se acertara, por‹…›”.
- The siglum ‹·tar·’, and every siglum but ·fre· (above).
- Weak sentences, where the words are deciphered but the sense is strained: “e no y ase cada día mill vezes” (recto l. 12), “{segund él} tiene” (recto l. 32), and “Pues pero está agora todo, que estava entonces” (verso l. 8). The cipher there has pero; a slip for peor, “everything is worse now than it was then”, would give the clearest sense before “más necesidad tiene vuestra magestad”. That is a suggestion made here, not part of the contributed text.
- Slips of the encipherer: on the recto “que lo solían hazer porque dizen” is written twice (end of l. 36, start of l. 37) and translated once; one word on the verso is struck through.
No earlier decipherment was found. Danvila printed the letter of 23 September (deciphered) and the clear letter of 10 December, not this one; PARES and a web search on 27 October 2026 gave nothing, and the item was open in this catalogue.
Full texts
The transcription and the decryption of every document on this page, so that the reading can be used and checked. Short files are shown here; all are in the repository.
Lope Hurtado de Mendoza to Charles V, Tordesillas, 10 December 1520 (AGS PTR,LEG,2,36,8)
Five days after Tordesillas was retaken from the Comuneros, Lope Hurtado de Mendoza, Charles V’s confidant with the governors of Castile, wrote two letters on the same day. One, in plain text, tells of the sack of the town and the capture of the Junta’s procurators; Danvila printed it in the late nineteenth century. The other, entirely in cipher, says what could not be written openly: the Admiral hesitates to govern, the Marquis of Denia is hated, the army is “very badly commanded”, and the see of Jaén and every vacancy should be held back to keep loyalties. An archivist’s slip in the bundle said the key was to be found in a letter of 23 September; it was not. We rebuilt it from the letter itself.
Transcription
# AGS PTR,LEG,2,36,8, f. 1r-1v: one line per manuscript line (r = recto, v = verso). # One character = one sign (labels in key_K4.tsv); <xx> = clear text in ordinary letters; ·xx· = dotted code group; # ? after a sign = doubtful shape; Y = 8-shaped sign not settled (d/i); X = ȸ/ƀ shape not settled; W = illegible word end. r01 ·sP ·fre· stOg Sgnwtw Zsgt8snOw 7wn Pwt ZsPg dNnOg r02 7w ow cN8srg cNs QNsts Z8Ts cNs PH gTs Bwr sP ogP r03 gBgrsdw cUs· ·gZ?· ZstwtOsnsr Pg SsnOs cNs· g cN8· stOg r04 8Tw gPg As8ng cNs ZsPgnOs ZsP ·d· Zs oN7bHt 7gqgPPsrwt r05 Z8x8sts cNs ognZgqF cNs OwZF Pg SsnOs ZsPg dNnOg r06 tb ZsAgogts· b ognZw Pw OHogr Bwr OstOdowndw Bgrg snqdgr r07 gAs cNdrdr 7wn sP gZwn BsZrw Sdrwn ·d· gPgt 7dNZgZst· sP r08 7wnZs Zb qsngqsnOs ogrcNst Zs gtOwrSg 7wnZs Zb odrgnZg r09 ·7w osnYgEwr ogdwr φw tsgPPFrwφ· gPPd / tgqdYw snOsnYdw PNsSw r10 ·ym· sn As osYdgr Pw bgtd QNsrwn gP·fre·d sP OstOdowndw tsAgtSw r11 △φw Bwr qwO7 tNdw gnOst stOgqg snodgYw b g#n stOgnYw/ r12 gtdYd'qw ·cNs gPg Asdng■ OsndgBwr 7#srYF· snwdgts 7gYg r13 Ydg odll qsTst ·Ys cNs OsOw cNs gPSNnYdg·gSg 7wtg twqrsPwt? r14 7wn7dsAOwt cNs·tsg oNdYgnwOg st7Adqg Ps·lis· sn7w osnYgnYw r15 SsPw OwYw gsP·d· AwSgnYw Ps cNs BNst·dg Pw bg BNst stOw sn Ogn qNsn- r16 stOgYw cNs OAgqgds cNs ts 7wntsAqs tdn cNs tsgtdsnOs 7wtg 7wnOAg r17 ·Pgt BAsodnsn7Ygt Asg Pst st7Adqg qNst OAg gPOsTg Ys tN· r18 ogn w gPSNnwt AsnSPwnst cNs OwYw■ st osnstOsr Bwr g sP r19 bgP 7wnYs Ys qsngqsnOs bn7w osnYgnYw Ps oN7bw cNs odrs r20 cNs bnstOw φwts·gSg 7wOg Ystw AYsngYg Bwr Pg· ns7stdYgY r21 cN?rs od Bwr cNs td sP cNYsrs/ nYgYg ts BNsYs gTsr cNs tsg ogPw r22 Bwr cNs OwYwt Pwt HOAwt cNs g cNd stOgn grdgnPw cNs r23 Ys BgAOst Ys qNstOAg FPOsTg ts Pst YdqdsAs/ d7sAOdgQd r24 cNs Pst qNstrg gPOsTg tNqsnYdg·d· cNs td Pw cNs g7gFd r25 ∂w qgt OgAs Bgrg t■Ot OtsnsA VP Vqsr78Ow cNs qNstOAg gPOsTg r26 OgdZgrg brwqsbr Zs gPFg bwr cNs Zs qgq7Zs ZsTdg cNs ∂w gd 77d r27 cNstst-Ot Otsnsr bs odsZw cNs dTYdst8∂ gBFwOs gnO∂ td tsBnNZd r28 -sts Vn∂qdgr gPSN∂ 7rsZdOw ·Pw· Otsn∂rdg Bwr osdwr / bt-w qrsbtOts r29 grOd7NPw og∂Zb· qNstOrg· ogdstOgZ ZstBg7bgr PNSsw BOtOtg r30 Bwr cNs 7w∂qds∂s r31 ·B· sP ogr cNst Zs Zb∂dg qds∂s gcNd 7w∂ ogt Bgtdw∂ ZsPg cNs brgos r32 ZstOsı tsSN∂Obp OZsnbw · stOg oNd ogP cfNdtOw g oN7bwt r33 Pst bg Bstgzw · OgnOw Zs tN qsndZg 7w∂ Zs gqsr Pwtg cNs gZw r34 qNstOg FPOsTg Ps Zsqs og∂Zgr cNs ts Osn BPs oN7bw · OrgqgZs r35 7w∂ gowr Zs 7w∂Osn Ogr Pwt 7rdgZwt Zs ·Pwt· d Zb tsrqdr g Pg tsnwrg r36 ·PNt· d Pg ·Ogr cNstF osdwr cNs Pw twPdg∂ bgTsr bwr cNs ZdTs∂ r37 cNs Pw twPdg∂ bgTsr bwr cNs gdTs∂ cNs Pg Osndg∂ ogP 7w∂Osn Og r38 cNs gSwrg Ps bg Bstgzw Zs tN qsndZg d FN∂ cNs ·Pwt· ∂w bg wtSgZw r39 7w∂ sP · d BNst stOg 7w∂ObnOg ·bt· Zs gqsr s7bgZw Pgt oNSsrst r40 cNs ∂w 7Nrs Zs gTsr oNZg∂7g FtOg Pg qsndZg Zs qNstOrg gPOs r41 Tg td ∂wtwt OsnsA sn sP stOgZw cNs stOg Bgr cNs ZdTs∂ cNs r42 Orgs ZbOsrod∂g7dw∂ · Zs As8qwPqsr Pw OwZw · d · tsSN∂ Pg BOdw∂ r43 cNs Odsn8d · Pg ogPg qwPN∂OgZ 7w∂ cNs Pst As7dqs∂ 7rsw cNs ∂w r44 tsrdg qNs∂w Pw cNs bdTdsts v01 sP Uqdt bgZw Zs dgsn b w Org cNgP cNdsr qg7gnOs cNs Uqdsrs [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1] v02 Zsqs qNstOrg gPOsTg ZsOsnsr Zs ns Zw brwgssrPg bwr cNs g7g [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1] v03 gn oN7bwt cNs stbsrgn cNs qNstOrg ogdstOgZ Pst grg osr [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1] v04 7sZ ·d· stOg stbsrgn7g Pwt wqPdSg gnt gtsrqdr cNgφZw ts [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1] v05 ZsgNφw tsstOrgSgrg F Pg qwPN nOgZ ZsPwt wOrwt sP AsSd [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1] v06 7gOwPd7w cNgnZw st ONqw sn ngBwPst ONqw oN7bwt [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1] v07 wgdt bgZwt ·d· snZ7w odsnZgt ·d· Osnsn7dgt td n brwqsbr gtOg [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1] v08 tN qsndZg bNst bsrw stOg gSwrg OwZw cNs btOg qgsnOwn [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1] v09 7st ogt ZsOtZqgZ OZsnsqNstOAg ogdstOgZ ZsgTsr PwgBw [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1] v10 cNs bNr7s gPwt cNs ZstsgnOs tsrqdr qgNstOrg gBwOsTg [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1] v11 <el> ·fre· stOg gSwrg· sn g7sOgr Pg Swqsrng7dwn· 7wn cNs YdTs cNs Pg v12 ·OsnYrg snOs OgnOφ· cNsts gTs7wAsw gqNsOrg ogdsOgY· v13 Xrg· cNs PsXnqn?sPwt XwYsrst 7woH? Pwt XdYs· nd· cNsAdg cNs v14 Pg· g7sOgts φd' cNs· qNsOrg ogdsOgY PsXnqdgtsPwt XwYsrst Xwr v15 cNs nw Odsns twtdsSw Xg?rg· OgP 7grSw· cNs 7gYgYdg· oNYg sP Xsntg v16 ·odsnOw/ sφ odll 7wOgt /·d· OwYg qdg Odsns Qdn gXgTsr Xwr sP AsdnW? v17 td Pg F7sOgrs qNsOrg ogdtOgY ognYgrg XrwqsXr Pw cNs 7wn· v17b qds∂s / v18 sP 7w∂Zs Zs Frw · gTs bP ‹…›dw Zs 7gBdOg∂ 7wow · Pgt wOrgt v19 7wtgt · 7wo7 gd g cNd · oN7bwt tsZwrst tw∂ ogP Zs 7w∂- v20 7srOgr Bgrg Pw cNs st osnbtOsr · btBs7dgP ·fre· b sP 7w∂Zs v21 Zs qs∂gqs∂Os cNs V Odsns ·N∂gt twPdZFt Bwr ‹B›wZs gd oNd v22 ogPg wrZs∂ V ZstOs VXsr7dOw d Pg SsnOs oNd ogP og∂ZgZg 7wow v24 st Zs oN7bwt · cNs Vt VP oFdwr ‹biffé› Osowr cNs Osnsowt v25 ‹…›V7gZgwrg tV Odsns Bwr ogdwr qs∂OsNrg OwogrstOs BNrSgr Bwr cNs v26 tsSN∂ Pg og∂srg cNs gd · 7rsw cNs cNs OwZw ts Bsrgrsrg · td stOw · v26b ∂wts g7srOgrg bw■r (ligne oubliée en C04, relevée en C06/C07 ; ■ = tache) v27 FN∂wt Bgrs7b cNs V tsrdg qdsn‹Z› cNs VP 7grTs∂gP · d · gPSN∂wt Zs P‹…› v28 7w∂tsdw · d · 7w∂OgZwrst qd∂dsts∂ gcNd · d · cNs Zs gcNd ts ‹…› v29 ‹…›N tgt Zs dNtOd7dg · V Zs gTsr ‹…›ds∂Zg · d · cNs VP 7w∂ZstOgqPs v30 tOwOtNqdsts Pw Zs qNrSwt 7w∂ gcNsPPgt ow∂Og∂gt V g wOrwt v31 cNsV stOs PNSgr cNs ZgOgV · BrwqsdZw · d · 7w∂ Pg SsnOs cNs Vbg v32 oV∂stOVr Bgrg SNgrZgrPs · d · cNs Pwt Swqsr∂gZwrst · d · 7w∂tsdw v33 V · 7w∂OgZwrst · ts dN∂OsV∂ qNrSwt · Bgrg stOw gd N∂ Srg∂ v34 dd7w∂qs∂ds∂Os stOg ‹Ogr› sP ogrcNst Zs Zs∂dg OgZ ogP cNdtOw v35 gcNd Zs Pwt 7rdgZwt Zs ·lis· d · Zs OwZw sP ‹PNsSr› · V td cNs v36 Zgts woOrw · gSrgqdgr tsdg · qNstOrg FPOsTg Pw ogZZs odrgr OwZw v37 Vt og∂Zgr BrwqsrPw · cNs V ogt gtN ‹…›tN tsrqd7dw v38 VtOwt Srg∂Zst td gqs∂‹…› · Odsnsn Orst <fynes> · <lo primero> · <lo q> v39 Pst 7NoBPs · d · ZstBNst BwZsr · <vra altza> / PNsSw <el bien de rreyno> / v40 td <ellos quedasen> tdn · ∂s7stdZgZ · <creo q no> Pst Bstgrdg <de q vra> v41 <magestad> Pst ONqdsts /
Decryption
# line transcription
# reading of the line (key K4; {x} probable, ‹x› unresolved, [x] restored by sense; spelling kept)
r01 ·sP ·fre· stOg Sgnwtw Zsgt8snOw 7wn Pwt ZsPg dNnOg
el ·fre· esta ganoso de asiento con los de la junta
r02 7w ow cN8srg cNs QNsts Z8Ts cNs PH gTs Bwr sP ogP
como quiera que fuese, dize que lo aze por el mal
r03 gBgrsdw cUs· ·gZ?· ZstwtOsnsr Pg SsnOs cNs· g cN8· stOg
aparejo que {ay} de sostener la gente que aqui esta.
r04 8Tw gPg As8ng cNs ZsPgnOs ZsP ·d· Zs oN7bHt 7gqgPPsrwt
Izo a la reina que, delante del ·y· de muchos cavalleros,
r05 Z8x8sts cNs ognZgqF cNs OwZF Pg SsnOs ZsPg dNnOg
dixiese que mandava que toda la gente de la junta
r06 tb ZsAgogts· b ognZw Pw OHogr Bwr OstOdowndw Bgrg snqdgr
se deramase, e mandolo tomar por testimonio para enviar
r07 gAs cNdrdr 7wn sP gZwn BsZrw Sdrwn ·d· gPgt 7dNZgZst· sP
a requerir con el a don Pedro Giron ·y· a las ciudades. El
r08 7wnZs Zb qsngqsnOs ogrcNst Zs gtOwrSg 7wnZs Zb odrgnZg
conde de Venavente, marques de Astorga, conde de Miranda,
r09 ·7w osnYgEwr ogdwr φw tsgPPFrwφ· gPPd / tgqdYw snOsnYdw PNsSw
comendador mayor no se hallaron alli ; sabido, entendio luego
r10 ·ym· sn As osYdgr Pw bgtd QNsrwn gP·fre·d sP OstOdowndw tsAgtSw
·ym· en remediar lo. E asi fueron al ·fre· y el testimonio se rasgo
r11 △φw Bwr qwO7 tNdw gnOst stOgqg snodgYw b g#n stOgnYw/
‹?›, no por voto suyo : antes estava enmedio, e aun estando
r12 gtdYd'qw ·cNs gPg Asdng■ OsndgBwr 7#srYF· snwdgts 7gYg
asi dijo que a la reina tenia por cuerda, e no y ase cada
r13 Ydg odll qsTst ·Ys cNs OsOw cNs gPSNnYdg·gSg 7wtg twqrsPwt?
dia mill vezes de que {temo} que algun dia aga cosa sobre los
r14 7wn7dsAOwt cNs·tsg oNdYgnwOg st7Adqg Ps·lis· sn7w osnYgnYw
conciertos que sea muy dañosa. Escrivale ·lis·, encomendando-
r15 SsPw OwYw gsP·d· AwSgnYw Ps cNs BNst·dg Pw bg BNst stOw sn Ogn qNsn-
gelo todo a el ·y·, rogandole que, pues ya lo ha, pues esto en tan buen
r16 stOgYw cNs OAgqgds cNs ts 7wntsAqs tdn cNs tsgtdsnOs 7wtg 7wnOAg
estado que trabaje que se conserve sin que se asiente cosa contra
r17 ·Pgt BAsodnsn7Ygt Asg Pst st7Adqg qNst OAg gPOsTg Ys tN·
las preminencias reales. Escriva vuestra alteza de su
r18 ogn w gPSNnwt AsnSPwnst cNs OwYw■ st osnstOsr Bwr g sP
mano algunos renglones, que todo es menester, por a el
r19 bgP 7wnYs Ys qsngqsnOs bn7w osnYgnYw Ps oN7bw cNs odrs
[y] al conde de Venavente, encomendandole mucho que mire
r20 cNs bnstOw φwts·gSg 7wOg Ystw AYsngYg Bwr Pg· ns7stdYgY
que en esto no se aga cosa de so{r}denada por la necesidad
r21 cN?rs od Bwr cNs td sP cNYsrs/ nYgYg ts BNsYs gTsr cNs tsg ogPw
‹qu?re› mi, porque si el quiere nada se puede azer que sea malo,
r22 Bwr cNs OwYwt Pwt HOAwt cNs g cNd stOgn grdgnPw cNs
porque todos los otros que aqui estan ar[i]anlo que
r23 Ys BgAOst Ys qNstOAg FPOsTg ts Pst YdqdsAs/ d7sAOdgQd
de partes de vuestra alteza se les dixiere, y {certifico}
r24 cNs Pst qNstrg gPOsTg tNqsnYdg·d· cNs td Pw cNs g7gFd
que les vuestra alteza su venida, y que si lo que aca ay
r25 ∂w qgt OgAs Bgrg t■Ot OtsnsA VP Vqsr78Ow cNs qNstOAg gPOsTg
no bastare para sostener el e{x}ercito que vuestra alteza
r26 OgdZgrg brwqsbr Zs gPFg bwr cNs Zs qgq7Zs ZsTdg cNs ∂w gd 77d
{mandara} prove{e}r de alla, porque de ‹…› dezia que no ay con
r27 cNstst-Ot Otsnsr bs odsZw cNs dTYdst8∂ gBFwOs gnO∂ td tsBnNZd
que se {sostener[a]}, he miedo que hiziesen algo, e aun si se pud[i]-
r28 -sts Vn∂qdgr gPSN∂ 7rsZdOw ·Pw· Otsn∂rdg Bwr osdwr / bt-w qrsbtOts
-ese enviar algun credito lo tendria por mejor ; e sobre este
r29 grOd7NPw og∂Zb· qNstOrg· ogdstOgZ ZstBg7bgr PNSsw BOtOtg
articulo mande vuestra majestad despachar luego posta,
r30 Bwr cNs 7w∂qds∂s
porque conviene
r31 ·B· sP ogr cNst Zs Zb∂dg qds∂s gcNd 7w∂ ogt Bgtdw∂ ZsPg cNs brgos
·p· El marques de Denia viene aqui con mas pasion de la que era me-
r32 ZstOsı tsSN∂Obp OZsnbw · stOg oNd ogP cfNdtOw g oN7bwt
-nester, {segund el} tiene · esta muy mal quisto a muchos
r33 Pst bg Bstgzw · OgnOw Zs tN qsndZg 7w∂ Zs gqsr Pwtg cNs gZw
les ha pesado tanto de su venida como de aver lo saqueado.
r34 qNstOg FPOsTg Ps Zsqs og∂Zgr cNs ts Osn BPs oN7bw · OrgqgZs
vuestra alteza le deve mandar que se tenple mucho, trabaje
r35 7w∂ gowr Zs 7w∂Osn Ogr Pwt 7rdgZwt Zs ·Pwt· d Zb tsrqdr g Pg tsnwrg
con amor de contentar los criados de ·los· y de servir a la señora
r36 ·PNt· d Pg ·Ogr cNstF osdwr cNs Pw twPdg∂ bgTsr bwr cNs ZdTs∂
·lus· y la ‹·tar·› que es ‹a› mejor que lo solian hazer porque dizen
r37 cNs Pw twPdg∂ bgTsr bwr cNs gdTs∂ cNs Pg Osndg∂ ogP 7w∂Osn Og
que lo solian hazer porque dizen [dittography of the end of r36 by the encipherer] que la tenian mal contenta
r38 cNs gSwrg Ps bg Bstgzw Zs tN qsndZg d FN∂ cNs ·Pwt· ∂w bg wtSgZw
que agora le ha pesado de su venida, y aun que ·los· no ha holgado
r39 7w∂ sP · d BNst stOg 7w∂ObnOg ·bt· Zs gqsr s7bgZw Pgt oNSsrst
con el. Y pues esta contenta ·hs· de aver echado las mugeres
r40 cNs ∂w 7Nrs Zs gTsr oNZg∂7g FtOg Pg qsndZg Zs qNstOrg gPOs
que no cure de hazer mudança hasta la venida de vuestra alte-
r41 Tg td ∂wtwt OsnsA sn sP stOgZw cNs stOg Bgr cNs ZdTs∂ cNs
-za si no sostener en el estado que esta, {para} que dizen que
r42 Orgs ZbOsrod∂g7dw∂ · Zs As8qwPqsr Pw OwZw · d · tsSN∂ Pg BOdw∂
trae determinacion de revolver todo, y segun la ‹…›cion
r43 cNs Odsn8d · Pg ogPg qwPN∂OgZ 7w∂ cNs Pst As7dqs∂ 7rsw cNs ∂w
que tienen y la mala [vo]luntad con que les reciben, creo que no
r44 tsrdg qNs∂w Pw cNs bdTdsts
seria bueno lo que hiziese.
v01 sP Uqdt bgZw Zs dgsn b w Org cNgP cNdsr qg7gnOs cNs Uqdsrs [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1]
el obispado de Jaen e otra qualquier vacante que oviere
v02 Zsqs qNstOrg gPOsTg ZsOsnsr Zs ns Zw brwgssrPg bwr cNs g7g [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1]
deve vuestra alteza detener, de no ‹…› proveerla, porque aca
v03 gn oN7bwt cNs stbsrgn cNs qNstOrg ogdstOgZ Pst grg osr [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1]
an muchos que esperan que vuestra magestad les ara mer-
v04 7sZ ·d· stOg stbsrgn7g Pwt wqPdSg gnt gtsrqdr cNgφZw ts [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1]
ced, y esta esperança los obliga a servir ; quando se
v05 ZsgNφw tsstOrgSgrg F Pg qwPN nOgZ ZsPwt wOrwt sP AsSd [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1]
de a uno se estragara la voluntad de los otros. El rey
v06 7gOwPd7w cNgnZw st ONqw sn ngBwPst ONqw oN7bwt [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1]
catolico, quando estuvo en Napoles, tuvo muchos
v07 wgdt bgZwt ·d· snZ7w odsnZgt ·d· Osnsn7dgt td n brwqsbr gtOg [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1]
obispados y encomiendas y tenencias sin proveer hasta
v08 tN qsndZg bNst bsrw stOg gSwrg OwZw cNs btOg qgsnOwn [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1]
su venida. Pues pero esta agora todo que estava enton-
v09 7st ogt ZsOtZqgZ OZsnsqNstOAg ogdstOgZ ZsgTsr PwgBw [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1]
ces mas necesidad tiene vuestra magestad de azer lo al‹o›
v10 cNs bNr7s gPwt cNs ZstsgnOs tsrqdr qgNstOrg gBwOsTg [first transcription, C02, sign labels of key K1]
que {p}u[e]da a los que desean servir [a] vuestra alteza
v11 <el> ·fre· stOg gSwrg· sn g7sOgr Pg Swqsrng7dwn· 7wn cNs YdTs cNs Pg
el ·fre· esta agora en acetar la governacion, con que dize que la
v12 ·OsnYrg snOs OgnOφ· cNsts gTs7wAsw gqNsOrg ogdsOgY·
tendra {entre tanto} que se aze coreo a vuestra majestad ;
v13 Xrg· cNs PsXnqn?sPwt XwYsrst 7woH? Pwt XdYs· nd· cNsAdg cNs
{p}ra que le enviuelos poderes como los pide ·ni· queria que
v14 Pg· g7sOgts φd' cNs· qNsOrg ogdsOgY PsXnqdgtsPwt XwYsrst Xwr
la acetase ·ni· que vuestra majestad le enviase los poderes, por-
v15 cNs nw Odsns twtdsSw Xg?rg· OgP 7grSw· cNs 7gYgYdg· oNYg sP Xsntg
que no tiene sosiego para tal cargo, que cada dia muda el pensa-
v16 ·odsnOw/ sφ odll 7wOgt /·d· OwYg qdg Odsns Qdn gXgTsr Xwr sP AsdnW?
miento en mill cosas ·y· toda via tiene fin a azer por el reino.
v17 td Pg F7sOgrs qNsOrg ogdtOgY ognYgrg XrwqsXr Pw cNs 7wn·
Si la acetare, vuestra majestad mandara proveer lo que con-
v17b qds∂s /
-viene.
v18 sP 7w∂Zs Zs Frw · gTs bP ‹…›dw Zs 7gBdOg∂ 7wow · Pgt wOrgt
el conde de Haro haze el oficio de capitan, como las otras
v19 7wtgt · 7wo7 gd g cNd · oN7bwt tsZwrst tw∂ ogP Zs 7w∂-
cosas. Como ay aqui muchos señores son mal de con-
v20 7srOgr Bgrg Pw cNs st osnbtOsr · btBs7dgP ·fre· b sP 7w∂Zs
-certar para lo que es menester, especial ·fre· e el conde
v21 Zs qs∂gqs∂Os cNs V Odsns ·N∂gt twPdZFt Bwr ‹B›wZs gd oNd
de Venavente, que {e} tiene unas ‹solidas› por {donde} ay muy
v22 ogPg wrZs∂ V ZstOs VXsr7dOw d Pg SsnOs oNd ogP og∂ZgZg 7wow
mala orden ; e deste e{x}ercito y la gente muy mal mandada, como
v24 st Zs oN7bwt · cNs Vt VP oFdwr ‹struck› Osowr cNs Osnsowt
es de muchos, que es el mayor [word struck through] temor que tenemos ;
v25 ‹…›V7gZgwrg tV Odsns Bwr ogdwr qs∂OsNrg OwogrstOs BNrSgr Bwr cNs
{e} cada ora se tiene por mayor ventura tomar este ‹purgar› porque
v26 tsSN∂ Pg og∂srg cNs gd · 7rsw cNs cNs OwZw ts Bsrgrsrg · td stOw ·
segun la manera que ay, creo que que todo se {perdera} si esto
v26b ∂wts g7srOgrg bw■r (line missed in pass C04, restored in C06/C07; ■ = blot)
no se acertara, por‹…›
v27 FN∂wt Bgrs7b cNs V tsrdg qdsn‹Z› cNs VP 7grTs∂gP · d · gPSN∂wt Zs P‹…›
a unos parece que {e} seria bien que el cardenal y algunos del
v28 7w∂tsdw · d · 7w∂OgZwrst qd∂dsts∂ gcNd · d · cNs Zs gcNd ts ‹…›
consejo y contadores viniesen aqui, y que de aqui se
v29 ‹…›N tgt Zs dNtOd7dg · V Zs gTsr ‹…›ds∂Zg · d · cNs VP 7w∂ZstOgqPs
usase de justicia e de azienda ; y que el condestable
v30 tOwOtNqdsts Pw Zs qNrSwt 7w∂ gcNsPPgt ow∂Og∂gt V g wOrwt
[e]stuviese lo de Burgos con aquellas montañas e a otros
v31 cNsV stOs PNSgr cNs ZgOgV · BrwqsdZw · d · 7w∂ Pg SsnOs cNs Vbg
que este lugar que ‹…› proveido, y con la gente que era
v32 oV∂stOVr Bgrg SNgrZgrPs · d · cNs Pwt Swqsr∂gZwrst · d · 7w∂tsdw
menester para guardarle ; y que los governadores y consejo
v33 V · 7w∂OgZwrst · ts dN∂OsV∂ qNrSwt · Bgrg stOw gd N∂ Srg∂
e contadores se junten en Burgos. Para esto ay un gran
v34 dd7w∂qs∂ds∂Os stOg ‹Ogr› sP ogrcNst Zs Zs∂dg OgZ ogP cNdtOw
inconveniente : estar el marques de Denia, tan mal quisto
v35 gcNd Zs Pwt 7rdgZwt Zs ·lis· d · Zs OwZw sP ‹PNsSr› · V td cNs
aqui de los criados de ·lis· y de todo el {pueblo}, e si que
v36 Zgts woOrw · gSrgqdgr tsdg · qNstOrg FPOsTg Pw ogZZs odrgr OwZw
{dase a otro}, agraviar seria. Vuestra alteza lo mande mirar todo
v37 Vt og∂Zgr BrwqsrPw · cNs V ogt gtN ‹…›tN tsrqd7dw
e mandar proveerlo que es mas a su ‹…› servicio.
v38 VtOwt Srg∂Zst td gqs∂‹…› · Odsnsn Orst <fynes> · <lo primero> · <lo q>
Estos grandes, si a r‹…›, tienen tres <fynes> : <lo primero>, <lo q>
v39 Pst 7NoBPs · d · ZstBNst BwZsr · <vra altza> / PNsSw <el bien de rreyno> /
les cumple ; y despues, poder <vra altza> ; luego <el bien del rreyno>,
v40 td <ellos quedasen> tdn · ∂s7stdZgZ · <creo q no> Pst Bstgrdg <de q vra>
si <ellos quedasen> sin necesidad. <Creo q no> les pesaria <de q vra>
v41 <magestad> Pst ONqdsts /
<magestad> les tuviese.Reading
# Lope Hurtado de Mendoza to Charles V, 10 December 1520: established text (Spanish)
{x} probable; ‹…› unresolved; [x] restored by sense; ·x· code group.
El ·fre· está ganoso de asiento con los de la Junta como quiera que fuese ; dize que lo haze por el mal aparejo que {ay} de sostener la gente que aquí está. Hizo a la reina que, delante del ·y· de muchos cavalleros, dixiese que mandava que toda la gente de la Junta se derramase, e mandólo tomar por testimonio para enviar a requerir con él a don Pedro Girón ·y· a las ciudades. El conde de Benavente, marqués de Astorga, conde de Miranda, comendador mayor no se hallaron allí ; sabido, entendió luego ·ym· en remediarlo. E así fueron al ·fre· y el testimonio se rasgó ‹…›, no por voto suyo : antes estava en medio. E aun estando así, dixo que a la reina tenía por cuerda, e no y ase cada día mill vezes, de que {temo} que algún día haga cosa sobre los conciertos que sea muy dañosa.
Escrívale ·lis·, encomendándogelo todo a él ·y·, rogándole que, pues ya lo ha, pues esto [está] en tan buen estado, que trabaje que se conserve sin que se asiente cosa contra las preeminencias reales. Escriva vuestra alteza de su mano algunos renglones, que todo es menester, por a él [y] al conde de Benavente, encomendándole mucho que mire que en esto no se haga cosa de{s}ordenada por la necesidad ‹…›, porque si él quiere nada se puede hazer que sea malo, porque todos los otros que aquí están har[í]anlo que de partes de vuestra alteza se les dixiere ; y {certifico} que les ‹…› vuestra alteza su venida.
Y que si lo que acá ay no bastare para sostener el e{x}ército, que vuestra alteza {mandará} prove{e}r de allá ; porque de ‹…› dezía que no ay con que se {sostener[á]}, he miedo que hiziesen algo ; e aun si se pudiese enviar algún crédito, lo tendría por mejor. E sobre este artículo mande vuestra majestad despachar luego posta, porque conviene.
El marqués de Denia viene aquí con más pasión de la que era menester, {segund él} tiene ; está muy mal quisto a muchos : les ha pesado tanto de su venida como de averlo saqueado. Vuestra alteza le deve mandar que se temple mucho, trabaje con amor de contentar los criados de ·los· y de servir a la señora ·lus· y la ‹·tar·›, que es ‹…› mejor que lo solían hazer, porque dizen que la tenían mal contenta, que agora le ha pesado de su venida ; y aunque ·los· no ha holgado con él. Y pues está contenta ·hs· de aver echado las mugeres, que no cure de hazer mudança hasta la venida de vuestra alteza, sino sostener en el estado que está, {para} que dizen que trae determinación de revolver todo ; y según la ‹…›ción que tienen y la mala [vo]luntad con que les reciben, creo que no sería bueno lo que hiziese.
El obispado de Jaén e otra qualquier vacante que oviere deve vuestra alteza detener, de no ‹…› proveerla, porque acá an muchos que esperan que vuestra magestad les hará merced, y esta esperança los obliga a servir ; quando se dé a uno, se estragará la voluntad de los otros. El Rey Católico, quando estuvo en Nápoles, tuvo muchos obispados y encomiendas y tenencias sin proveer hasta su venida. Pues pero está agora todo, que estava entonces : más necesidad tiene vuestra magestad de hazer lo al‹o› que {p}ueda a los que desean servir [a] vuestra alteza.
El ·fre· está agora en aceptar la governación, con que dize que la tendrá {entre tanto} que se haze correo a vuestra majestad {para} que le envíe los poderes como los pide ; ·ni· quería que la aceptase ·ni· que vuestra majestad le enviase los poderes, porque no tiene sosiego para tal cargo, que cada día muda el pensamiento en mill cosas, ·y· todavía tiene fin a hazer por el reino. Si la aceptare, vuestra majestad mandará proveer lo que conviene.
El conde de Haro haze el oficio de capitán, como las otras cosas. Como ay aquí muchos señores, son mal de concertar para lo que es menester, especial ·fre· e el conde de Benavente, que {e} tiene unas ‹…›, por {donde} ay muy mala orden ; e deste e{x}ército y la gente muy mal mandada, como es de muchos, que es el mayor temor que tenemos. {E} cada ora se tiene por mayor ventura tomar este ‹…›, porque, según la manera que ay, creo que todo se {perderá} si esto no se acertara. Por‹…›
a unos parece que {e} sería bien que el cardenal y algunos del Consejo y contadores viniesen aquí, y que de aquí se usase de justicia e de hazienda ; y que el condestable [e]stuviese [en] lo de Burgos con aquellas montañas, e a otros que este lugar ‹…› proveído, y con la gente que era menester para guardarle ; y que los governadores y Consejo e contadores se junten en Burgos. Para esto ay un gran inconveniente : estar el marqués de Denia, tan mal quisto aquí de los criados de ·lis· y de todo el {pueblo} ; e si {se da a otro}, agraviar sería. Vuestra alteza lo mande mirar todo e mandar proveerlo, que es más a su ‹…› servicio.
Estos grandes, si a r‹…›, tienen tres fynes: lo primero, lo q[ue] les cumple ; y después, poder [con] vra altza ; luego, el bien del rreyno, si ellos quedasen sin necesidad. Creo q no les pesaría de q vra magestad les tuviese.Translation
# English translation
The ·fre· wants a settlement with the men of the Junta at any price; he says he does so because of the poor means {there are} of maintaining the troops here. He had the Queen say, before the ·y· and many knights, that she ordered all the Junta’s troops to disperse, and had this recorded as testimony to summon don Pedro Girón ·y· the cities with it. The Count of Benavente, the Marquis of Astorga, the Count of Miranda and the Grand Commander were not there; on learning it, ·ym· at once set about remedying it. So they went to the ·fre·, and the testimony was torn up ‹…›, not by his vote: he stood in between. And even so, he said that he held the Queen to be of sound mind, and ‹…› a thousand times a day, so that {I fear} he may one day do something about the agreements that would be very harmful.
Let Your Highness write to ·lis·, commending everything to him ·y·, begging him, since it is now in such good state, to work to preserve it without anything being settled against the royal prerogatives. Let Your Highness write a few lines in your own hand – everything is needed – to him [and] to the Count of Benavente, urging him to see that nothing disorderly is done here out of necessity ‹…›; for if he is willing, nothing bad can be done, since all the others here would do whatever they were told on Your Highness’s behalf; and {I certify} that ‹…› Your Highness’s coming.
And if what there is here should not suffice to maintain the army, let Your Highness {order} provision from there; for from ‹…› it was said that there is nothing to maintain it with, and I fear they may do something; and if some credit could be sent, I would think it best. On this point let Your Majesty send the post at once, for it is needed.
The Marquis of Denia comes here with more passion than was needed, {as he} has; he is much disliked by many: his coming has grieved them as much as having sacked the town. Your Highness should order him to restrain himself greatly, to work with good will to satisfy the servants of ·los· and to serve the lady ·lus· and the ‹…›, better than was done before, for they say she was kept discontented, and that now his coming has grieved her; and yet ·los· has not been pleased with him. And since she is content ·hs· to have sent away the women, let him not think of making changes before Your Highness comes, but keep things as they are; for they say he comes resolved to overturn everything, and given the ‹…› they have and the ill will with which they are received, I believe what he would do would not be good.
The see of Jaén, and any other vacancy that may occur, Your Highness should hold back and not fill, for there are many here who hope Your Majesty will grant them favour, and this hope binds them to serve; when it is given to one, the goodwill of the others will be spoiled. The Catholic King, when he was in Naples, kept many sees, commanderies and keeperships unfilled until his return. But as everything stands now, as it stood then, Your Majesty has even more need to do ‹…› what you {can} for those who wish to serve Your Highness.
The ·fre· is now about to accept the government, on condition, he says, of holding it {until} a courier is sent to Your Majesty for you to send him the powers he asks for; I would wish ·ni· that he accepted it ·ni· that Your Majesty sent him the powers, for he lacks the steadiness for such a charge: every day he changes his mind about a thousand things, ·y· yet he means to do well by the kingdom. If he accepts, let Your Majesty provide as is fitting.
The Count of Haro holds the office of captain, as in everything else. Since there are many lords here, they agree badly on what must be done, especially ·fre· and the Count of Benavente, who have ‹…›, whence very great disorder; and in this army the troops are very badly commanded, as any force with many heads: that is the greatest of our fears. And at every hour it is thought great luck to take this ‹…›; for, the way things go, I believe everything will be {lost} if this is not got right. ‹…›
Some think it would be good for the Cardinal and some members of the Council and the contadores to come here, and justice and finance be administered from here; and for the Constable to see to Burgos and those mountains, and others to this place, ‹…› provided and with the troops needed to hold it; and for the governors, Council and contadores to meet at Burgos. There is a great difficulty in this: the presence of the Marquis of Denia, so disliked here by the servants of ·lis· and by all the {people}; and if [it] is given to another, it would be an affront to him. Let Your Highness have all this examined and order provision for it, as is most to your ‹…› service.
These grandees, if they ‹…›, have three aims: first, what suits them; then, standing with Your Highness; and then the good of the realm, provided they are not left in need. I do not think they would mind Your Majesty keeping them [in your service].Key: key_K4.tsv
07 Sources
- Archivo General de Simancas, Patronato Real, PTR,LEG,2,36,8, ff. 1r–1v: PARES record 12988891, with the images.
- The clear letter of the same day, PTR,LEG,2,36,6, and the letter of 23 September 1520, PTR,LEG,2,36,2: Antonio Danvila, Historia crítica y documentada de las Comunidades de Castilla, in Memorial histórico español XXXVI (Madrid, Real Academia de la Historia), pp. 688–690 for the clear letter; Internet Archive.
- Brice Dudout, Europe chiffrée: Lope Hurtado de Mendoza to Charles V, Tordesillas, 10 December 1520 (2026, CC BY 4.0): text, translation and notes.
Folder: targets/lopehurtado1520/ (notes, the transcription line by line with its decryption, the key K4, the validation pairs, the Spanish text and the English translation, as contributed by Brice Dudout). The text and translation are his, reproduced under CC BY 4.0.