Venice: October 1512 | British History Online

Pages 79-83

Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 2, 1509-1519. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1867.

Citation:

October 1512



Oct. 6.Deliberazioni Senato Secreta, v. xlv. p. 56.	196. Doge Leonardo Loredano to King Henry VIII.
	Letter proposed in the Venetian Senate.
	Rejoiced exceedingly on learning that his army and fleet had engaged the French, the common enemies, and worsted them, and send these present to congratulate him on these successes, which will recover for him his hereditary right, revive Italian liberty, and annihilate the forces of the enemy. Request him, therefore, to proceed earnestly and magnanimously. The State with its army will continue to act vigorously, so as to expel the remains of the French from Italy, and they trust that the Pope and the King of Spain will do the like.
	Ayes, 29. Noes, 3. Neutrals, 0.
	Amendment, that, pro nunc, the present matter be delayed. Ayes, 14–1.
	[Latin, 15 lines.]
Oct. 6.Deliberazioni Senato Secreta, v. xlv. p. 56.	197. Doge Leonardo Loredano to the Emperor Maximilian.
	Touching the detention of Francesco Capello, their ambassador to England, in the Emperor's dominions.
	[Latin, 41 lines.]
Oct. 11.Deliberazioni Senato Secreta, v. xlv. p. 54, tergo.	198. The Doge and Senate to the Ambassador at the [Papal] Court.
	On the morning of the 4th, the Count of Carriati read to the Doge letters from the King of Spain, dated Logroño, the 1st of September, announcing that the English army had determined to return home and not to effect a junction with his forces; first, because the English would attack Bayonne, and no other place, whereas the King of Spain represented such attack impracticable, save at the cost of very much time, as the place was strongly garrisoned and fortified. The King of Spain's tactics were to occupy the neighbouring territory, called the county of Beam, which occupied, Bayonne would fall of itself. Secondly, because the English said suspicion and discord had arisen between the members of the Signory's league. The King of Spain, therefore, suspected that the English would renounce the expedition, and had desired the Count of Carriati to exert himself with the Signory for the cessation of such suspicions and disagreements, and that they and the Pope should pay his army, so that the three armies might together inarch to attack the places in Italy which acknowledge the French; and that at any rate, the Signory should make peace with the Emperor.
	Announce their intention of writing to the King of England to encourage him to continue the undertaking, and also to request the Pope to write to him and transmit spiritual weapons and censures to aid the war in the duchy of Guienne.
	Ayes, 167. Noes, 6. Neutrals, 0.
	[Italian, 69 lines.]
Oct. 12.Sanuto Diaries, v. xv. p. 202.	199. Antonio Bavarin (fn. 1) to Francesco da Pesaro of London.
	Dated London, 5th September.
	How 50 sail of the King's ships, which had previously put to sea from Hampton, made for the coast of Britanny. In Brest there were 28 large ships armed to come out; so on the 9th August the English fleet went thither and found the French three miles off the harbour, into which, on perceiving the English, and having cut their cables, they returned, though two ships, the biggest, remained out, one of them being the great carack of Brest of 1,500 (sic) tons, in trim. The wind was high, with a heavy sea, but Master Thomas Knevet, captain of “the Regent,” (although less by 100 tons than the Frenchman,) together with another little English vessel, engaged the big Frenchman; “the Regent” poured in shot and prepared to board throwing out her grappling iron. The ships being thus chained together, there was a very long fight, the action lasting 24 hours (sic); many killed on both sides. At length the French, perceiving the English to be victorious, set fire to the ships to avoid capture, and the two were destroyed. Praises greatly the captain, Knevet. Of the 800 English on board “the Regent,” 170 were saved; and of the 1,500 Frenchmen, 20 were saved and made prisoners.
	Another French vessel of 1,000 tons was unable to get into harbour, and after being much battered, stood out to sea, and was chased by an English ship well appointed.
	The English fleet put into Dartmouth, some vessels returning to Hampton; when repaired, they were again to go out.
	Sends a note of those on board the carack. The English fleet had burnt many places in Britanny and some 24 French ships, and on that day (the 5th) had captured a French ship, on board of which was the captain Drepa (sic), and had also sunk two other men-of-war.
	List of men, ordnance, &c, on board the great carack of Brest, belonging to the King of France, of from 1,400 to 1,500 (sic) tons burden, though but a “bark:”—
	Mons. de Clermont, high admiral of France.
	Mons. Primauget (Primoia), captain of the ship.
	Mons. Enores de Clarica.
	Mons. Simon de Loy.
	Mons. Vangel.
	300 knights and gentlemen.
	50 gunners; 400 arbalast men; 400 pipes (sic) of biscuit; 100 pipes (sic) of salt meat; 16 very large bronze bombards on carriages, besides other bombards, muskets, and harquebuses innumerable; 160 barrels of bombard powder; 2 boats (bail) of 40 butts each, full of 6 bronze . . . . .
	Intelligence derived from the pilot and others taken alive.
	Moreover, gold chains belonging to the knights and ready money to a very great amount.
	[Italian.]
Oct. 14.Sanuto Diaries, v. xv. p. 219.	200. News of England, transmitted by Piero Lando, Venetian Envoy, accredited to the Cardinal of Gurk, dated 12th Oct.
	Departure from Portsmouth on the 9th of August of the Admiral of England with 50 ships and 10,000 men, exclusive of mariners; course steered by him along the English coast as far as the entry of the sea of Spain in quest of the enemy. The coast being clear, left 10 ships in certain harbours, and with the remainder, in the name of “God and of St. George,” made for Britanny to give battle. Late on St. Lawrence's eve [9 August] came in sight of the Britanny coast, with a few sail; continued his course during the whole night, and on the following day, towards 11 a.m., off Brest, the look-out man of the Admiral's galley discovered some two leagues off in the mouth of the gulf of Brest a number of ships, which proved to be the French fleet. Chase given with extreme joy by the Admiral in his ship of 500 tons and another of 400, commanded by a valiant knight, called Sir Anthony Ughtred (Antonio Utrect), they leaving the other ships a quarter of a league astern, lest the French, who were in force at anchor and so near shore, should sheer off, as they, however, did. The English Admiral cannonaded the French, Admiral, compelled him to cut his cables, and put to sea, and with a single shot from a heavy bombard disabled his mast, and killed 300 men, the ship saving itself amongst the rocks. Attack in the meanwhile by the ship of 400 tons on the carack of Brest, called “the Queen,” of 400 tons burden, and carrying 400 men. The former did not grapple, but in a moment riddled the latter so between wind and water by shots from six large “cortos,” that the French could not keep her afloat. The rest of the English fleet coming up, “the Regent” boarded the carack with 400 men, and she surrendered, but the powder magazine (containing 300 barrels for the use of the French fleet) blew up instantly, the explosion being so furious, that “the Regent,” of 800 tons, caught fire, and both ships were burnt together, though 180 of “the Regent's” men, throwing themselves into the sea, were saved by the ships' boats of the English fleet; of the French only six escaped, and they were made prisoners. The ship of Sir Anthony Ughtred (Antonio Utrect) with 30 men sheered off (se tirò), and during two days the whole of the English fleet remained in this bay of Brest to raise the anchors of the 53 French ships [which had cut their cables]. On the third day the English landed, burned 27 of the said French ships, captured 5, made prisoners to the amount of 800 persons, and set on fire to many places on land.
	Return of the fleet to England, on account of the stormy weather.
	Englishmen who perished in “the Regent:”—
	Sir Thomas Knevet, knight, master of the horse of England, and captain.
	Sir John Carew, knight.
	Soldiers and sailors, 600.
	Frenchmen who perished:—
	Mons. de Primauget (Promagier), captain.
	Mons. Gabriel de Chacho.
	Mons. Simon de la Haie.
	Mons. Camaugel.
	The Seneschal of Morlaix.
	300 knights and gentlemen, who on St. Lawrence's Day went on board the carack to make merry with their kinsfolk, some taking their wives with them.
	Soldiers and sailors, 800.
	Gunners, 50.
	Arbalast men, 400.
	Arrival in England of Don Juan de Lescorno, captain of the Catholic King. Reached Hampton on the 8th September, with 15 large ships and 8 caravels and pinnaces, and together with the English fleet of 50 ships, and upwards of 4,000 men more than last time, they were to put to sea with the first fair weather, for an attack on the enemy in such quarters as shall be deemed capable of receiving the greatest injury.
	No news in England of the siege of Bayonne for the last six weeks down to the 14th September.
	The King had given an order for the construction of four ships of 800 (sic) tons each, the builders being bound to have them completed by Easter next, 1513. He had also bought of certain staplers 12,000 suits of armour, namely, breast plates, sallets, and gauntlets (brazaletti).
	As yet the Scots were not otherwise than on good terms with the King.
	[Italian.]
Oct. 31.Senato Mar, v. xvii. p. 176.	201. Decree of the Senate concerning the Trade with England.
	Motion made for prolongation, from the close of October 1512 to the close of February 1513, of the term assigned to Venetian and foreign merchants for importing wools, cloths, and tin from England, Flanders, and Brabant, as owing to many impediments caused by the war, they have hitherto been unable to import any quantity of such merchandize.
	Ayes, 152. Noes, 10. Neutrals, 0.