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| 1576. Jan. 13. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
645. Giovanni Francesco Morosini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory. |
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I have received your letters of the 20th ultimo, and note your displeasure concerning the privilege granted by the Queen of England to Acerbo Velutelli, a merchant of Lucca, and your instructions to me to confer with the English Ambassador here resident [Dale]. I have this day visited him, and, after compliments, opened the question of the privilege, when I found him thoroughly informed on the subject, and most ready to meet my views. He has promised me to write to-day or to-morrow in such terms as he deems best to effect my object, and he intends to send an agent to England in order that any delay may not prejudice any ship now on the voyage; suggesting to me to advise all persons interested to assure themselves against loss in the event of their vessels arriving in England before the privilege was revoked. Being a doctor of high repute, and learned in the laws of navigation and commerce, and understanding thoroughly the precautions which should be taken, he says that as the privilege is unjust in itself, and highly prejudicial, both to the interests of his own country, and to those of the subjects of your Serenity, he hopes, by the intervention of the Republic, that it will be easily revoked by the Queen. |
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I will not fail to write to England to the agents of the parties interested, according to their request, all that the Ambassador has said to me on the subject, but I cannot conceal from your Serenity that although the Ambassador has given me great hopes that the privilege will be revoked, yet he has intimated to me that for this purpose your Serenity ought to send an Ambassador to his Queen, who shows an earnest desire to that effect, as indeed she has herself with her own words to some extent openly complained to the gentlemen who came to this Court with the late Ambassador Michiel, and who went to England to visit that kingdom, and as your Serenity will have heard either from themselves, or from the noble Michiel. |
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Moreover, the Ambassador continued to urge that his Queen was much grieved to perceive that since she had been Queen, no Ambassador, either ordinary or extraordinary, had been accredited to her by the Republic, with whom she had intimate relations, both by reasons of commerce, and by the continuous friendship which had always existed between her country and your Serenity, especially as you had sent Ambassadors to all sovereigns who had ruled her kingdom, except to her. Then, speaking for himself, the Ambassador said that he was well assured that when an Ambassador was sent by your Serenity you would more easily obtain your desire than in any other way, and would moreover ensure the goodwill of the Queen and the whole kingdom, and renew that friendship which appears now to be almost annihilated. |
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I did not think fit to argue, or to make any answer, but leave the question to your Serenity to decide, but would beseech you to take the course the most likely to effect the revocation of the privilege,
assuring you that you will not have cause to regret a step in that direction. |
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I will not fail to keep the matter alive, and to give you advice of any answer I may receive. |
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Paris, 13th January 1576. |
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[Italian.] |
| Feb. 3. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
646. Giovanni Francesco Morosini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory. |
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For the last few days his Majesty has taken his pleasure by retiring into a small apartment which has no window, and where in order to see, candles must be burnt all day, and to this apartment his Majesty summons four or five youths of this city who follow the profession of poets and light literature, and to meet these people his Majesty invites the Duke of Nevers, the Grand Prior, Mons. de Biragues, Mons. de Souré, the Queen of Navarre, his sister, Madame de Nevers, and the Mavéchale de Retz, all of whom profess to delight in poetry. When they are thus assembled his Majesty orders one of these youths to speak in praise of one of the virtues, exalting it above all the others, and as soon as he has concluded his reasoning each person in turn argues against the proposal which has been made. His Majesty consumes many hours in this exercise, to the small satisfaction of the Queen Mother and everybody else who would desire to see, in times so calamitous, his Majesty attending to his urgent affairs, and not to amusements which, however praiseworthy at other times, are now, from the necessity of the case, condemned by all, seeing that the King for this cause fails to be present at his Council, and there to discuss matters which are of the greatest importance, and which, having regard to his own position and that of his kingdom, can easily be imagined to require attention. |
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Paris, 3rd February 1576. |
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[Italian.] |
| Jan. 10. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
647. Giovanni Francesco Morosini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory. |
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The Queen Mother on her way back from Poitiers to Paris was stopped by news that on the day of the Innocents, Monsieur the Duke of Alençon, when going to bed, Mons. de Fore and Mons. de Simier being present, asked, according to the French fashion, that his wine might be brought him, and when he was served by a valet de chambre, and had drank to his satisfaction, he gave the rest to de Fore and de Simier, and de Fore, whilst drinking, exclaimed, “What a bitter wine this is,” adding, “We are surely poisoned;” and then with great noise he called for remedies to bring up the wine, and acquainted Monsieur. While these remedies were being administered the valet was seized, and with threats ordered to tell the whole truth, but as the poor man remained always firm, asserting his innocence and that he had made no mistake, and still less knew whether any others had done so, they compelled him to drink two glasses of the wine, which did him no harm whatever. |
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Paris, 10th January 1575–6. |
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[Italian.] |
| Jan. 25. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
648. Giovanni Francesco Morosini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory. |
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Advices have been received from England of the arrival there of the gentlemen who have been sent to the Queen by his Majesty and by Monsieur, and who have apparently been well received, but, nevertheless, the Queen plainly shows that if either a peace or a truce be made, she will require Monsieur's word for the restoration of Calais. We also hear that while these gentlemen were at the English Court the Queen received the news of the poison which was said to have been administered to Monsieur, and she took the opportunity of declining to negotiate further with them until she was certain of the truth of this report, and protested in strong terms against such modes of proceeding, which she condemned as inhuman and impious. News has also arrived that the Queen had confined these gentlemen to their lodgings, but her Ambassador resident here [Dr. Dale] has declared to me that this is untrue, although he states that the Queen has, for reasonable causes, refused to negotiate with these gentlemen until she has had further intelligence concerning the attempt to poison. |
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Paris, 25th January 1576. |
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[Italian.] |
