CHARLES V: (1500-1558)

CHARLES V: (1500-1558) Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria 1519-56, King of Spain (Castile and Aragon) 1516-56, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy 1506-55. A very fine L.S., "Yo el Rey", one page, folio, Valladolid, 27th September 1522, in old French. The King has very recently regained Spain after the war against the French and their defeat at the Battle of Bicocca on April 27th 1522. Charles V orders a payment in favour of Don Lope Hurtado de Mendoza, one of his counselors who had been sent to Rome, where he was acting as Ambassador to the Pope and also as his counselor. Pope Adrien VI, who had been tutor of Charles V, was elected Pope in January of that same year 1522. The King states `...a nuestro escrivano de ración de nuestra Casa vos mandamos libreis por albaranes de vuestro oficio todo lo que es debido a Lope Hurtado de Mendoza, gentil hombre de nuestra Casa y Guarda de nuestra real persona, por la quita de doscientos ducados de oro que en cada año le mandamos dar, desde el primero de Enero mas cerca pasado, hasta el dia de la data de la presente, y de aqui en adelante se le deberan, no embargante, aunque haya estado y este de aquí en adelante, ausente de nuestra Corte, ni haya hecho ni haga ni nos sirva los seis meses que estaba obligado a servirnos residiendo, como de presente reside en Roma por nuestro mandato con nuestro muy Santo Padre...´ (Translation: "...To our scribe of our House, we command you to issue by receipts of your office all that is due to Lope Hurtado de Mendoza, gentleman of our House and Guard of our royal person, for two hundred gold ducats that we command to be given to him each year, from the first of January most recently, until the date of this present document, and from now on it will be due to him, notwithstanding, even though he has been and is from now on absent from our Court, nor has he done nor does he do nor serve us the six months that he was obliged to serve us residing, as he currently resides in Rome by our mandate with our most Holy Father...") Countersigned at the base. Overall age wear, mostly to the right edge, with small stain at the bottom right corner, none affecting the text or signature, otherwise G

Pope Adrian VI (1459-1523) head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from January 1522 until his death in September 1523. He was the only Dutchman to become Pope, he was the last non-Italian pope until the Polish John Paul II 455 years later. In 1507, he became the tutor of the future Charles V, Roman Emperor, who later trusted him as both his emissary and Regent. In 1516, Charles, as King of Castile and Aragon, appointed Adrian Bishop of Tortosa, Spain, and soon thereafter Grand Inquisitor of the Kingdoms of Aragon and Castile.