Venice: July 1540 | British History Online

Pages 84-87

Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 5, 1534-1554. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1873.

Citation:

July 1540



July 2. Original Letter Book of Francesco Contarini in St. Mark's Library.	219. The Same to the Signory.
	The French Ambassador, who was here in the name of the most Serene Queen [Eleanor of Austria], is gone back to France, Mons. de Lavaor [Lavaur?] remaining alone, and he tells me that by letters from the French Court, dated the 26th June, it is understood that two sentences have been already passed against Cromwell, but are not yet published; and that the Bishop of Winchester [Stephen Gardiner] has been appointed Vicar General (Vicario General delta Religion) in his stead.
	The Ambassador from England, who also visited me, says that the Bishop of Bath [John Clerk] has crossed the Channel, and is on his way either to the Emperor or to the most Christian King, on a mission from the King of England.
	Bruges, 2nd July 1540.
	[Italian.]
July 10. Original Letter Book of Francesco Contarini in St. Mark's Library.	220. Francesco Contarini, Venetian Ambassador with the Emperor, to the Signory.
	The Bishop of Bath arrived here from England on Sunday, and on Monday morning departed on his way to the Duke of Cleves, brother-in-law of the King of England, and he is to return immediately. He says that Cromwell will be burnt, together with two other heretics, one of whom was a Friar, who preached Lutheranism.
	The Prince of Salerno has departed hence accompanied by Don Luis d'Avila, and another Gentleman of the Emperor's chamber, and they are gone to England, for the purpose, they said, of seeing the Island, and the King; though they may perhaps have something to negotiate with his Majesty on behalf of the Emperor.
	Here in Bruges there are many beautiful things, and amongst the rest a wonderful engine which draws (estrazze) the water from certain ditches, and then by means of leaden pipes underground, and under the canals of this city, it reaches the wells, which have thus a constant supply. Should your Serenity wish to do the like at Venice, you might draw the water from the Brenta, which would be much purer, and not very expensive, and by similar underground and under-water pipes of lead or oak, keep all the wells of Venice constantly supplied; and you might also have mills in Venice as at Bruges. It seems to me a fine thing, and should their Lordships the water-bailiffs give ear to this most holy work, your sublimity has but to give the order, and I will have the model made, and bring it with me.
	Bruges, 10th July 1540.
	[Italian.]
July 17. Original Letter Book of Francesco Contarini in St. Mark's Library.	221. The Same to the Same.
	In my foregoing letter of the 10th I wrote that the King of England was sending the Bishop of Bath to the Duke of Cleves. The cause is said publicly to be that his Majesty purposes repudiating even this last wife, the sister of said Duke of Cleves, because he [the King] had promised marriage to another woman, maid of honour to the deceased queen, as you must have heard in detail from your secretary [Hironimo Zuccato] in England. Hence comes it that whereas the King and the Duke have hitherto been most closely leagued together against the Emperor, they now—both one and the other—would ally themselves with him on any terms. The negotiations of England are already incessant; and lately whilst we were at Bruges, the English ambassador had audience of the Emperor almost daily, whilst previously they scarcely spoke to each other, and posts pass to and fro constantly. Ambassadors are also expected from the Duke of Cleves. In short, affairs here seem all tending to the Emperor's advantage, as was also the case with the insurrection at Ghent, which will yield him two millions of cold nor would he have now come into these parts had it not taken place.
	With reference to the repudiation of the Queen of England, I may mention that the Landgrave [of Hesse] (fn. 1) has a beautiful and most amiable wife, the daughter of the late Duke George of Saxony. She is a good Catholic, and has borne him four children. But the Landgrave, being enamoured of a very beautiful girl in the service of his wife, importuned his wife to enter a convent, representing that he was eaten up by the French disease and unwilling to communicate it to her. As she would not consent to this, he at length sent to consult Martin Luther and his companions, who stated their opinion that his Lordship might take this damsel likewise to wife, as no divine law exists prohibiting polygamy, but the Old Testament on the contrary affords many instances of a plurality of wives. Your Serenity will thus perceive into how many errors —one greater than the other—those who commence deviating from the true Catholic faith precipitate themselves.
	Antwerp, 17th July 1540.
	[Italian.]
July 29. Original Letter Book of Francesco Contarini in St. Mark's Library.	222. Francesco Contarini, Venetian Ambassador with the Emperor, to the Signory.
	Instead of going (as expected) to Maestricht for St. James's day, went to Dort, which is all in the water, the water being fresh, ebbing and flowing like the sea at Venice, and they call it “Little Venice.” Proceeded from Dort to Rotterdam, the birthplace of Erasmus, (fn. 2) and but few were the courtiers who abstained from inspecting not only his house, but the chamber in which he was born. From Rotterdam proceeded to Delft, and then to the Hague, where they arrived on Saturday. The Emperor is to hold the Courts of Holland there, but since his arrival until now, he has been constantly in bed with the gout, and gives audience to no one. In the meanwhile visited Mons. de Granvelle, and we commenced discussing the divorce of the King of England, who has in fact made his bishops declare that by no contract can the sister of the Duke of Cleves be his wife; and according to the statement of his Majesty's adherents, letters have been found in Cromwell's possession showing that this Princess had promised [her hand?] previously to another Prince of Germany. But the truth is that after the sentence passed by the bishops on a certain Saturday, his Majesty on the following Monday married the niece of one of the English dukes, she being already pregnant by him; and it is said that he had promised her marriage before espousing Cleves, who is now called the Lady Anne, and he has given her a separate residence and 3,000l. per annum for her expenses.
	The Prince of Salerno and the gentlemen who accompanied him have returned from England, and Dom. Francesco da Este is also gone to see the island, and has not yet come back.
	I hear on good authority that the Emperor has sent an ambassador to England, besides the one in ordinary there, and, as written in my last, the English ambassador resident here has of late had very frequent audiences of his Majesty.
	The Hague, 29th July 1540.
	[Italian.]