Escorte

2. William Pagel mentionne l'arrivée de Polin à la cour, le 8 mars, avec force piquants détails que nous ne croyons pas devoir passer sous silence. L'agent français revenait comblé des présents du Grand Seigneur el plein de confiance dans l'efficacité de l'alliance avec la Porte.

« Captain Polino, mIio ^vas sent unlo the Turck upon llie doatli of Fregosa and Rincon, came th'eight daye of Ihis présent to Ihe Courte, and lialli by ail likelilode brought glad tydinges from the Turck, for so lie reaporteth, and saycth that the Turck and his maister be as it wer sworne lirethern; for lokens wherof he hath brought to the King his maister, from the saide Turck : a turcky daggar, a turcky sworde, both sel wilh rubyes and dyamondes, and a turcky horse with Ih' apparail, ail which wcr for the Turckes owne use, and a great dyamonde; ail which is communly estemed al thre hundrcd thousand crowncs, and 1 hâve herd Iwo or Ihre, that hâve seen thcm, and bc men of skil and of indilTcrent judgement, value them al a hundred thousand crowncs.

« For his assuraunce in his relurne, he was conducted from Ragusa to Venyce wilh four brigandyncs, and from Venyce he was accompaignycd Ihrough the countrey of Grisons and Suysserland with four hundred horsemcn. At his being al Venyce, Ih' Empereurs ambassadeur wcnt to the Senalc, requyring them, in his masters name (as the proleclour of Christes failli), lo lakc Polino as a commyn traitour lo Chrislendom. Polino, hering of it, wenl lo the Senate, and said thaï neither the said ambassadeur nor his maister soughl so much the wcale of Chrislendom, as he did, and his maister the French King; calling the saide ambassadeur a traytour : and saide that he wold be revenged of him whersoever lie met him, in so much that the said ambassadeur dursl nol cum oui of his lodging ail the while Ihe said Polino was there.

« And Ihis reaport Polino makes himsclf, saing further that the Grand Signior (as he callelh him) willcd him lo requyre his maister lo lake no Ihoughl for his ennemyes, for he himself woold chaslise them; and that the saide Turck is redy to entre furthwith in lo Chrislendom wilh foure hundred sayle by see, and two hundred thousand men by lande. Ilis bragges be grel, and the rejoyse of the French King and his Counsail theral as great, as men can perceive by their counlenances and oulward démonstration. Ile hath grel affiaunce in the Turckes amitié. >■ {Slate papers, vol. VllI, p. 073; dépèche à Henri Vlll, du 11 mars 1512.)

[février 1542j GUILLAUME PELLICIER ool