This letter dated 23 April 1461 from Francesco Coppino to George Neville is diplomatic in nature. The Apostolic Legate heaps praise upon the Yorkists and George’s Neville kin. It forms part of efforts being made to increase the influence of Coppino, who had become aligned to the Yorkists prior to the Battle of Northampton.
95. Francesco Coppino, Bishop of Terni, Legate of the Apostolic See, to George Nevill, Bishop of Exeter, Lord Chancellor of England.
By this same courier, who is returning, we have received with great joy the letters from your side, which pleased us greatly, from which we learned that the proud have been humbled and the humble exalted; and we see that you have remembered us, this has been among other things a remarkable gift. We have read in succession the calamities and fluctuations which have succeeded in that kingdom since our departure, and finally the glorious victory which a pitiful and merciful God has granted to the renowned Edward and the devout sons of Holy Church. Certainly, Most Reverend Father, we remember your desire and that of the king, expressed in the last conversation we had together, namely that with all your goods and all your strength you should exert yourselves for the glory of Almighty God and of His Holy Church and for the dignity of the supreme pontiff, and you persuaded the Earl of March, now King Edward, that he should resolve upon this same thing and do it. We also remember that in response we said these words: Do so, and without a doubt the Omnipotent God, who knows and understands the heart of man, will defend and protect you (se recordiamo de quello vestro desyderio et del Re che nel ultimo parlare havesseno con nuy ne dicessono cioe con tutto el coze et con tutte le vestre possanze per gloria del summo dio et de la sua sancta chiesia et per la dignita del summo pontifice ve affaticaresseno et questo medesimo persuadesti al Conte de la Marchia et mo Re Edoardo chel deliberasse e facesse alequal cose nuy se recordiamo haverve dicto et resposto queste parole, fatelo, et senza dubio lomnipotente dio che cognosce et intende il core de li homini ve guardira et defendera).
Thus a faithful God and pious Lord has sent to this harassed and afflicted devotees an angel to strike and exterminate the unbelievers and rebels. So in days of yore, we read Hezekiah did in the camp of the Assryians, where in one night, by an angel, he slew 180,000 persons, and delivered his people. Although we are grieved to our inmost heart at the shedding of so much blood, yet we clearly perceive that it has happened by the judgment of the Most Just God, and for this reason we remain quiet. Thus those who with overweening insolence, regardless of all apostolic reverence, threatened to hang the apostolic legate, the true messenger of peace, as your paternity has full well known, threatening also the heads of yourself and of all those who were of the same opinion with us, have now miserably lost their own heads. God grant that their souls have not perished with their bodies. Therefore, at present, we ought to return infinite thanks for such great gifts and for the ineffable benefits received from God, and render our vows, beseeching God to say to the destroying angel: Stay thy hand and thy fury from henceforth. It will now be your duty to admonish the king, just as we are writing at present to admonish him, that as he has been marvellously chosen by God and appointed king, so he must recognise that the benefit comes from his Author and Lord God, and must render the honour due to him who says, By Me kings reign, and let him pay back his vows to God to whom he is indebted for his rule, and defend the laws of his God in whose hands is the might of every man. Finally let him keep faith with Him in whose miraculous protection he has triumphed over his enemies.
Those perverse ones who have fallen so marvellously, and who obstinately condemned the apostolic authority should have reverenced the vicar of God upon earth and his holy Church; for the glory, estate and defence of which our holy father the vicar of God withdrew his countenance from them, and finally they see their own reflection and the wretchedness of the dead, and what has overtaken them for having despised God and justice. How true is what is written of the wrath of God, that it proceeds slowly to take revenge and that it compensates for the tardiness of the punishment by inflicting more grievous torment afterwards. We have sometimes seen rebels gain great victories, so that many marvelled at the patience of God in suffering this, and your lordship has seen the truth of it in the jeers and derision with which we were received when in our apostolic character, we denounced this future pestilence by word of mouth and by letter. Now the glory, after the victory, is as great as was the ignominy after the disaster and conflict. O God, what confusion, what terror, what infamy and insult we all suffered from the vilest men when we left your parts recently after the fight and disaster to your side; while now on the contrary, when the wind has changed, and victory is won, what ignominy and wretchedness have fallen upon them, and what glory upon you! These things and many others worthy of note which we cannot put into a brief letter, we reserve to say by word of mouth to the king, when we happen to meet him, and by God’s grace we hope that will be soon.
Immediately after the receipt of your letter we sent to the holy father for instructions, and also a testimony to your religious and pious spirit, which we hope will redound to your commendation and glory. In conclusion, be so good as to commend me to the king’s Majesty, to whom we are writing a few words, and then it will be no great matter to give our congratulations to your brother, the earl, your uncle, and all the others of your famous house, and especially my lord of Montacute for the glory and victory which he has now obtained twice over the enemy, upon which we congratulate him. I commend myself affectionately to them, as we are placed in the world to live under the same fortune with them and the other prelates and lords of England, so that they may know that they have received a son and brother, of the same mind as themselves, especially as they were willing to receive him as one of themselves (et recomandaro affectuosamente a loro quali siamo posi al mondo per vivere sotto una medesima fortuna con loro et laltri prelati et Signori de Ingalterra per modo che intendano havere recevuto uno figlolo et fratello de quello medesmo animo che sono loro, maxime perche hanno vogliuto recevere nel numero de soy).
We are sending to your paternity the enclosed letters written from Milan by Master Antonio de la Torre, messenger of the king, and of you, so that you may know something of the affairs of Italy. In these letters, among other things, your party will see how highly your brother and your house are reputed in Italy, for their virtues which we proclaim. Send him the said letter with those that we are writing to him, and, upon our return, we will tell him some things touching his state and ours, which we have learned here.
Malines, the 23rd April, 1461.The bearer of these presents will give any further information. Your paternity will please give him credence.
[Italian.]‘Milan: 1461’, in Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts in the Archives and Collections of Milan 1385-1618, ed. Allen B Hinds (London, 1912), British History Online.
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This letter is part of our series on the Road to Towton as told by the Milan State Papers. These letters cover the period from the Battle of Wakefield to the reporting of the Battle of Towton. They include references to the Second Battle of St. Albans and the proclamation of Edward as being King of England.
Image Credit
Prologue by Gilbert de la Porrée (ff. 2r-3v); Apocalypse (Revelation) in prose with glosses (ff. 3v-58v). Add MS 17399. 4th quarter of the 15th century. French, via British Library.