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| Nov. 2. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
609. Giovanni Francesco Morosini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory. |
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I have lately been to visit the Ambassador-Extraordinary from England his name is Lord North (Nort), and after speaking a few words of the affection which his Queen bore to our Republic, he proceeded to ask me the purport of the league which had been contracted in Italy against those persons who professed the new religion. I
answered that I was not aware that a league of any description had been contracted in Italy, and that I did not believe it to be the fact. He replied, “In our country it is said publicly that when this King [of France] was in Italy, the Pope, together with the greater part of the Princes of that country, urged the King to take up arms against persons professing the new religion, and offered him money and men for their destruction. Now, if this be true, you may be well assured that all the Protestants and others also (alluding to his own Queen) will have recourse to arms, and will form another league, and they will not wait until any forces can come forth from Italy to do them injury, but they will anticipate the attempt, and will attack vigorously all those who are seeking to do them harm.” I answered that I knew nothing of this matter, and that I certainly did not believe that any league had been formed. |
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The Ambassador replied at some length, and endeavoured to persuade me that it would be injurious to your Serenity if the King of France should desire to subdue the Huguenots by war; and urged amongst many other reasons that while the individual forces of the Christian Powers were being wasted by wars between themselves an opportunity was being given to the Turk to aggrandise himself almost hourly. I answered him very briefly upon every point, but I concurred with his opinion that the discord amongst Christians was the cause of much evil, and that we should pray God that one day all might unite together with one sole will. He further said, “Then the Signory has not offered either men or money to this King to make war?” |
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I replied that when his Majesty of France was at Venice I was residing at his Court in France, and that consequently I could not know what had taken place between your Serenity and his Majesty, but that knowing the condition of the Republic after the war with the Turks, wherein the Republic had spent fourteen millions in gold and wasted its people, I should congratulate myself greatly if the Republic could so speedily recover its strength as to be able to offer money and men to other Powers, but I believed and was sure that the King, knowing the need of your Serenity, would never have sought their aid. The Ambassador rejoined that “the French themselves say it is so.” I replied that they might say what they pleased, but I did not believe that your Serenity was in a position either to lend money or to furnish men to other powers, because you required all for your own purposes. |
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Our conversation was very long, and comprised many questions and answers, but the above contains what has appeared to me worthy of your Serenity's notice. I also heard that this Ambassador, having approached his Majesty in order to induce him to make peace with those who profess the new religion, had received for answer that his Majesty did not desire anything save peace, and that perceiving that the Huguenots wished to be his obedient vassals, he therefore had used all his endeavours to win them over, his object being to possess his kingdom in peace, because if he had been inclined to war he would not have refused the offers made to him in Italy of money and of men, which resources would
never fail him whenever he thought fit to reduce disaffected people to obedience by force of arms; and from these expressions I think it probable that the English Ambassador was led to suspect the existence of the league which he mentioned. |
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This Ambassador has shown himself extremely active in these affairs; but he does all he can to create a belief that an union between his Queen and this King would be extremely difficult, and with the object of feeding the Huguenots with hopes that they would have the Queen on their side. |
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Lyons, 2nd November 1574. |
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[Italian.] |
| Nov. 26. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives, |
610. Giovanni Francesco Morosini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory. |
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Notwithstanding the strength of the Huguenots and the increasing distrust which the King entertained of the Duke of Alençon and the King of Navarre, the Ambassador of England resident here has informed me for a certainty that the leading Huguenots have shown themselves but little satisfied with the union which the Prince of Condé has made with the Marshal Damville, and that the Prince has approached the King to ascertain whether he could possibly obtain terms of peace, fearing lest he should do worse if he went to war. |
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Lyons, 26th November 1574. |
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[Italian.] |
