After a long time of not posting, among other things due to a stay in Hamburg, I am now back with a translation of Niclas von Popplau`s personal report of his meetings with Richard III and his impressions. It does not mention Francis by name, though he is apparently mentioned in one place.
The translation is my own, taken from the original text as reproduced in Piotr Radzikowski`s annotated version of it, "Reisebeschreibung Niclas von Popplau, Ritters, bürtig von Breslau". The annotations are also my own. It starts with Popplau arriving in Richard`s presence and ends with him taking leave of it. Popplau`s observations about England go on longer than that, but this is the bit concerned with the time he spent with Richard.
*********
There I arrived on the day of Philipp and Jacobi, this is the first of May 1454 [sic] [1]
a Saturday, and found the king there, who granted me gracious audience
and questioning, in the presence of all princes, earls councils and his
whole nobility, in front of which I spoke Latin. This astonished the
king almost a lot, because of my eloquence (little though it was), I
gave his Majesty King the Imperial Majesty King`s letter, next to that
of the Duchess of Burgundy [2], all of which were commendations and promotion letters. These his Majesty King took with great delight very graciously.
After the reading of them the king himself came to me, took me by the hand and pulled me after him. [3] Gave
me as an answer, through an interpreter speaking Latin, although not in
almost delightful words, that all I wanted and his Majesty King could
do he would do with pleasure, because of his Imperial Majesty the Prince
of Burgundy and for my person also, in repect of my learning and
eloquence, which he would not have looked to me for nor believed me to
have had he not heard me himself. Graciously inclined to comply with me,
he addressed me three times (as is tradition in England) before I left
his Majesty King`s presence with the words: “Ick heit Ju willkom, und
sit bey mir free willkom”. [4] Because the English use these
words for persons of high and low standing, if they come from their own
country or elsewhere. Use them also in meetings, invitations for meals,
or collation (??), also when one blessed the other, they spoke: “Ick
heit ju Willkomm.” In this way the king`s councils princes and lords
spoke to me as well when they did me the honour.
When I left
the king, he let his nobles and chamberlains accompany me to my inn.
This made many people follow us to the house, also women and virgins.
Went secretly, with the landlady`s permission (so they could look at me
alone) into the inn. [5]
The other day the king sent a
nobleman to me, that I might go to his church. There I heard the most
lovely music, as I had never heard in my life, which, due to the
clearness of voices might be compared to the dear angels. After mass the
king sent to me the lord of Bergin, Johannem von Zaume (which is a
famous town for trade in Brabant). He took me by the right hand in the
church when the king wanted to leave the church after mass, and led me
first before the king into the chamber or tent, which was erected by the
church.[6]
There I saw the king`s bed [7],
from top to bottom, with red velvet and a gold piece on top of each
other, which the Lombards call Altabass, like adored his Imperial
Majesty`s bed in like wise. There was in the king`s tent also a table,
around it with silk cloth and gold embroidered on it, next to the bed
adored and prepared. The king went to the table and had a [sash??] of
gold on it many and fat pearls, probably of the size of peas wíth
diamons embroidered beneath them. The [sash??] was about as broad as a
large man`s hand and went from over his armpits on the left side of his
back to beneath his right arm.
With him to the table went his princes and lords. When he had sat at the table, two princes the king`s blood-friends [8] and the Earl of Nordhännerland [sic] [9],
who is the most powerful in all of England. They did sit very far away
from the king though, almost at the end of the table. But when the king
saw me, standing for him (because his kingly magnificence, with the wise
men of his court had done much hard work so I saw him sit at the table
as a king with his kingly jewellery). The king made me sit at the table
also with his two blood-friends the abovenamed princes. At which I
answered it would be my greatest delight and desire (because I would
within a short time have to get up and leave) to see his Kingly
Majesty`s face and widely-famous virtues rather than sitting at the
table with his Majesty`s other companions.
Which speech the
king much liked, as well as my answers, so that he ate of almost no
food, but constantly talked to me. Asked me about his Imperial Highness
and all kings and princes of the realm [Holy Roman Empire] which I knew
about their habits, happiness, trade and virtues. To which I answered
all which would honour them. After that the king was still for a while.
Then he began again to trouble me with many questions, of several things
and trades, and finally of the Turk. At which I answered the king that
Kingly Majesty of Hungary, with the Imperial Majesty with clever people
and his Majesty`s [delight?], had defeated more than twelve thousand
Turks of the Turkish Emperor`s.
When the king heard this, he
was very happy and answered to it: “I wished, that this my kingdom and
country was in the place of the country and kingdom of Hungary also on
the Turkish border. I would certainly cast out, alone with my people
without help frm other kings, princes and lord, not only the Turk but
all my enemies and opponents.” Oh dear God, what a magnanimous lord I
recognised in the king.
For eight or more days I stayed there
and almost always was at his court for meals. But when I was blessed by
the king on the last day he spoke to me: because I was determined to go
away, he did not want to irritate nor hinder my determined way. If I on
fulfillment of my journey I have decided to make, would like on the way
back to visit with his Majesty, I would please his Majesty King far
more than now. Wanted to make me feel his grace in all ways. Gave me a
golden necklace which he took from the neck of a free or born lord and
gave to me in his own person.
Three days before, and before I
made goodbye to his majesty, he sent to me Herr Hanßen von Bergin who
showed me that Kingly Majesty had for me got fifty nobles [coins] (which
are a hundred Rhenish gulden and a half), which his Majesty King gave
me as a gift. When I now wanted to sit with His Majesty, I begged his
Majesty not to give me such a gift as one undeserving, because I came to
His Majesty, not for gifts and presents, but to gain His Majesty`s
grace [goodwill]. To which the king answered, if I declined for my
honour his gifts, which proved his honour, how did I think I could gain
his goodwill? Since I desired his goodwill, I should also accept his
gracious deference as well and in no way decline. Therefore I thanked
the king and finally accepted it, because I regarded the honour higher
than the use and in the same way would have chosen the honour, as the
highly learned philosopher and orator Marcus Cicero in the third book
“Offitorum” writes and teaches. The [present?] the king have me held in
the gold thirteen ounces of londnish weight. One ounce are twelve
Rhenish gulden. So I retired also from the princes, lords and councils.
Only then the king bade me rent an inn and sent me an open letter, that I
might as often travel to His Majesty, safe in land and water, before
all his subjects together with my own.
Before that I invited
many of the king`s chamberlains, along with many of rhe nobility, with
them I had also the king`s musicians, pipers [and other musicians]. Also
the king have me fifty nobles [coins], which I sent him back and
refused to accept. This moved the king and he sent for me again and let
me be asked if I was of king`s or prince`s dynasty that I despised his
gifts, to which I answered I had not declined his Majesty`s gift and
presents because of contempt but only out of honour. [10] So he
punished me harshly with words and urged me so I had to take it. To me
came also the king`s herold, his pipers and [other musicians], which I
gave to one and the other crown [coin].
The King Richard is of
the dynasty from the land of Gloßcostier, called born prince, three
fingers longer but somewhat more slender and not as thick as me, also
much leaner. Has very subtle arms and legs, also a great heart.
*****
[1] 1484
[2]
Piotr Radzikowski points out, in his annotations to the original text,
that there was no reigning Duchess of Burgundy, and assumed that instead
the Duke of Burgundy is meant. However, it may well be Popplau meant
the Dowager Duchess of Burgundy here, who was after all Richard`s sister
Margaret, whom Popplau would have seen together with the duke`s father
when visiting Burgundy. This is somewhat supported by the fact that the
actual Duke was a minor of six years and Richard clearly refered to his
father Maximilian as connected with Popplau later in his conversation
with him.
[3] Popplau does not specify where he pulled
him or why, but it seems indicated he wished to speak with him from man
to man and not formally in front of the entire court.
[4]
Radzikowski notes that the words Popplau wrote down were almost
certainly not Richard`s actual words but the translation into Popplau`s
language.
[5] This continues a preoccupation Popplau
has earlier in his report of England, before meeting Richard, with very
beautiful English women whom he enjoyed looking at but irritated him by,
in his opinion, constantly trying to take his virginity, a prospect not
agreeable to him.
[6] This was in York.
[7] His bed of state.
[8]
Radzikowski thinks these men could only have been the Duke of Suffolk
and his son the Earl of Lincoln, as the only closely blood related men
of Richard`s at court, but he neglects to point out that not only is
Suffolk not known to have been present but that he was not by blood
related to Richard. Popplau seems to mean friends of Richard`s who were
also relatives, whether by blood or marriage. These two men were almost
certainly John de la Pole, the Earl of Lincoln, Richard`s nephew and
then newly made heir presumptive, and Francis Lovell, Richard`s cousin
by marriage.
[9] The Earl of Northumberland
[10] This seems to be the same story already related above.
