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The Legendary 'First' Military Campaign of Philip II
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 November 2018
Extract
Philip II, as everyone knows, was an armchair strategist; he lacked the physical stamina of a military man, and the nearest he came to seeing a field of battle was his visit to St. Quentin (1557) after his troops had gained him a great victory there. Charles V was wise enough not to push his son beyond his limits; he never made him participate in one of his many wars. Yet a legend of relatively recent origin now sees Philip take part, at the age of fifteen, in the Spanish triumph (1542) at Perpignan.
The facts of this event may be summed up as follows: In the summer of 1542, after not quite four years of the ten-year truce between Charles V and Francis I had passed, French armies under the Dauphin (the later Henri II) set out in June toward Narbonne, aiming to advance on the (then) Spanish county of Rosellón (Roussillon), laying siege to Perpignan in the latter part of August. The Duke of Alba, anticipating their approach, had improved Perpignan's fortifications in good time and lined up an overflow of Spanish armies ready to meet the attackers.
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- Copyright © Renaissance Society of America 1968
References
1 For Philip's attacks of diarrhea under stress, see Sir Charles, Petric, Philip II of Spain (New York: Norton, 1963), p. 98 Google Scholar; Walsh, W. T., Philip II (London & New York: Sheed & Ward, 1937), p. 195 Google Scholar; Oliveros de Castro y Subiza Martin, E., Felipe II, Estudio Medico- Histόrko (Madrid: Aguilar, 1956), p. 131 Google Scholar ﹛and. passim for data on Philip's lifelong poor health).
2 Pp- 39-40.
3 The Emperor Charles V (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1956), p. 224.
4 Philip II, the first modern King (New York: Harper, 1933), p. 14.
5 P. 63.
6 History of the Reign of Philip the Second (Boston, ed. of 1856), 1, 36.
7 ‘Die Lehrjahre Philips II. von Spanien,’ Historisches Taschenbuch, VI. Folge, 1-2,1882- 83, 271-346.'.. . So liess er [the Emperor] im Sommer 1542 den Sohn bei der Verteidigung Perpignans gegen den franzosischen Einfall aufreten. Der Herzog von Alba führte damals das spanische Heer …’ (p. 279).
8 History of the Reign of the Emperor Charles V (London, 7th ed., 1792), III, 241-242.
9 Historiageneral de Espaha (ed. of 1853), XII, 210.
10 Cabrera, I, 7: ‘… en la antiquisima y noble villa de Ocaña le recibiό el Principe, y juntos fueron por la posta a Valladolid. Alii supo cercό a Perpinan en el condado de Rosselόn el ejécito francés assistido de su Delfin, y caminό a socorrerla. Libre ya, convocό los Estados generales de la fidelisima Corona de Aragόn en Monzόn … juraron principe, y dieron su titulo de gobernador a D. Filipe… .'
11 Dichos y hechos del Senor Rey Don Felipe Segundo, el Prudente (Sevilla, 1639), p. 3: ‘… Recibio al Emperador su Padre en Ocafia, viniendo de la Jornada de Argel, y juntos fueron por la posta a Valladolid, y alii supo auian cercado los Franceses a Perpinan, y caminό a socorrerle, y conuocό a los Estados generales de la Corona de Aragon en Moncon, adonde fue jurado por Principe heredero de aquellos Estados, y le dieron titulo de Gouernador de Aragon … .'
12 Crόnica del Emperador Carlos V (Madrid, 1923), iv, 151-154. Cf. the dates of Charles’ and Philip's movements given by Hayward, Keniston, Francisco de los Cobos (University of Pittsburgh Press, 1959), p. 251.Google Scholar
13 Ibid., pp. 199-201.
14 Coleaiόn de documentos inéditos para la historia de Espafia, LI, 565, Marqués de Lombay to Charles V, Barcelona, March 5, 1542.
15 Santa Cruz, v, 228, 229.
16 rv, 167-174.
17 Historia del Emperador Carlos V (Pamplona, 1634), lib. xxv, paragr. xix, p. 423.
18 Delia Vita del Catholico et Potentissimo Don Filippo Secondo d'Austria (Vicenza, 1605), 1, Deca seconda, libro 16, fols. 78-80.
19 Fol. 80 a: ‘…11 decimo giorno di Ottobre, essendo verso sera usciti cinquecento Spagnuoli, furono incontrati da Sanpier Corso, che ando ad affrontarli con una banda scelta di Capitani, e di soldati valorosi, portandosi contanto valore, che tutti ne furono publicamente lodati dal Re … Veggendo poscia il Dolfmo, che nulla profittava, mando la cavalleria a dar’ il guasto al paese, con horribile crudelta … etc'
20 rv, 173:'… Tuvieron cerco los franceses sobre Perpinan mas de cuarenta dias….'
21 Manuel Fernandez, Alvarez, Polltica Mundial de Carlos Vy Felipe II (Madrid: C.S.I.C., 1966), p. 152 Google Scholar: ‘ … no se podria hacer cosa de importancia ni digna de su persona, siendo la primera Jornada en que se pornia… .'
22 Another recent legend has Philip as a boy of twelve ride at the head of the funeral escort of his mother from Toledo all the way to her interment in Granada. Cf. Filemόn Arribas, Arranz, ‘Años de Carlos V y Felipe II en Valladolid,’ Hispania, VII (1947), 267 Google Scholar. Reinhold, Schneider, Philipp der Zweite (Frankfurt & Hamburg, S. Fischer, 1953), pp. 6 Google Scholar, 7, has Philip witness in the Royal Chapel of Granada the opening of the Empress’ coffin to the soul-shattering experience of the Marquis of Lombay, the later Saint Francis Borgia. But Pedro, Girόn, in his Cronica del Empcrador Carlos V (ed. Juan Sanchez, Montes, Madrid: C.S.I.C., 1964)Google Scholar, reports that the Prince remained all the time in Toledo:'… El Principe saliό con la Enperatriz hasta la posada del Arzobispo de Toledo y alii le metieron por la puerta falsa.’ A few days later, Philip attended a memorial service for his mother at San Juan de los Reyes, Toledo (pp. 306, 307).