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| Nov. 2. Original Despateh, Venetian Archives. |
229. Giovanni Mocenigo, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Senate. |
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His Majesty has gone to Normandy to withdraw the troops about Fecamp, and then to pass on to Dieppe, from which place he can treat with the Queen of England, towards whom, on account of the diversity of religion and in order to maintain the peace, he shows considerable deference. |
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Chartres, 2nd November 1593. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| Nov. 4. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
230. Giovanni Mocenigo, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The plague has broken out among the English who were detained in Dieppe, as the King does all he can to prevent them from passing the sea. |
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The English agent here came to visit me some days ago. He explained the great difficulty he was in, owing to the Queen's resentment at the King's action, and the King's need of the Queen's support. The Queen is not so angry at the King's conversion as because the King took this step without telling her. The agent added that the Queen was of opinion that the King might, just in the same way, have made peace with Spain and left her Majesty aside, an act out of all reason and beyond the limits of justice. If her Majesty had employed her forces on behalf of the King's particular interests and accepted for friends and foes the friends and foes of the King, it is only reasonable that she should be treated with greater confidence and regard, and also the English nation, which of its own accord took such an interest in this war that it voluntarily taxed itself for the support of France, and frequently, remonstrated with the Queen because she did not do more for the service of his Majesty the King. |
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All this discourse the agent uttered with great heat, in which I could catch no false note of affectation induced by a desire to explain or to exaggerate the services rendered by the Queen. |
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I declared to the agent that I was glad to hear what he had to say about the friendly sentiments of the Queen towards your Serenity; that this agreed with what I had always understood to be the case; and that the feelings were reciprocated. The Ministers here recognise their mistake, and admit that they ought to have informed, her Majesty of the King's conversion. They are now doing all they can to satisfy her, and to make her content. They publicly say that the Queen would be doing a great injustice to her intelligence if, by this resentment, she makes the world believe that it was simply and solely for the sake of religion, and not from reasons of State nor yet from regard for the King or for this miserable kingdom, that she had loved and assisted the King of France. |
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Chartres, 4th November 1593. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| Nov. 6. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives |
231. Francesco Vendramin, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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I must not neglect to report to your Serenity a conversation which I had yesterday with an Italian ecclesiastic of high standing. He made certain statements as true, but I would not venture to affirm so much to your Serenity. |
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This personage assures me that the King is bent on the election of the Duke of Guise as King of France; that he will employ the whole forces of this Crown for the purpose; that he will give the Infanta to the Duke, and will maintain all promises made by the Duke of Feria. The same personage also told me that in choosing
the Duke of Guise, the King of Spain has exercised profound cunning; for the Duke is without forces and is also hostile to England; accordingly, when he is King of France he will offer no opposition if the King of Spain renews his attacks on England. The King, it seems, is resolved to undertake that enterprise once again. His council tell him, more and more frankly, that if he does not make up his mind to invade England the wars in Flanders and the ravages of the fleet on the shores of Spain and Portugal may very easily reduce these kingdoms to poverty and intolerable privations. He added that the King of Spain had studied the plan of campaign against England from the basis of France. The money for this enterprise will be accumulated under the pretence that it is for Flanders. Prince Giovanni Andrea Doria is here to concert the measures for this campaign. England is said to be plague-stricken. |
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Madrid, 6th November 1593. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| Nov. 6. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
232. Giovanni Mocenigo, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The faction of the League are handing about a letter which they say was intercepted on its way from the English agent to the Queen. In it the agent informs the Queen that this conversion of the King was designed simply to assist his particular objects, and that his heart would always be where it had ever been. The whole letter is supposed to be a forgery, invented in order to destroy the King's popularity with the people, and to prove that the League has undertaken the war upon a just cause. |
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Chartres, 6th November 1593. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| Nov. 16. Copy of Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
233. Tomaso Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in Germany, to the Doge and Senate. |
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There is news from Antwerp that the Spanish attempted to seize Calais, on the death of the Governor. They did not succeed; but they still keep up a secret correspondence with the Governor's son, which feeds their hopes of ultimate success. |
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Prague, 16th November 1593. |
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[Italian.] |
| Nov. 16. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
234. Francesco Vendramin, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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Prince Doria is of opinion that no large Turkish fleet will sail this year. If it does it will be directed against Spain, thanks to the continued efforts of the King of Navarre and the Queen of England. They are afraid of some secret understanding in Sicily owing to the operations of Cicala. On this account Prince Doria is to be appointed Viceroy of Sicily. |
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News from Portugal that the ships which were sent out as convoy for the East India fleet, have returned with one ship only;
the other two are held for lost. While off Cascaes and making for harbour, a violent squall separated them, and the English, right under the eyes of the Portuguese, captured a transport full of artillery. |
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Madrid, 16th November 1593. |
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[Italian; the part in italics deciphered.] |
| Nov. 19. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
235. Giovanni Mocenigo, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Senate. |
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It seems that there is still some infection in Dieppe. The King will go there for a few days as he greatly desires to meet the agents of the Queen of England in order to pacify the Queen as far as is possible. |
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The English troops want to cross the Channel, declaring that there is nothing for them to do in France, as the truce will merely precede a peace. His Majesty, on this score as well, is unwilling to confirm the truce for more than a month, after which he promises to send the troops into the field again. |
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Chartres, 19th November 1593. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| Nov. 21. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
236. Matheo Zane, Venetian Ambassador at Constantinople, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The Sultan's secretary told me that among the artifices used by the French Ambassador to secure the despatch of a fleet, was this, of representimg your Serenity and the King of Spain as arming to the teeth. |
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The English Ambassador has received the answer to the credentials which he presented on kissing hands; and the answer to the Memorial he then submitted in favour of sending out the fleet. The letters were full of praises of his person, of which indeed he stands in no small need. As to the armada, the Vizir said it would sail, but if it is to go where the Ambassador desires money is required for its support. The Ambassador promised every kind of succour in the name of the Queen and of the King of Navarre, but the Vizir did not pay much attention. |
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Dalle Vigne di Pera, 21st November 1593. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| Nov. 22. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
237. Matheo Zane, Venetian Ambassador in Constantinople, to the Doge and Senate. |
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Ferrad Pasha observed to me that it would be well if your Serenity offered to assist the Turk in this Hungarian war, just as France and England had offered to support the fleet against Spain, although those powers were neither so close nor such ancient allies as your Serenity. Some days ago the English Ambassador, when engaged about the affairs of Bogdania, found himself in conversation with a certain Turkish woman named Razcacadun. I know her well, as I have often had dealings with her in your interests; she has great weight in the serraglio with the Sultana; and was at one time in the serraglio of Sultan Selim. This woman said to
the English Ambassador that Sinan Pasha had embarked on this war like a furious madman, to the grave disservice of the Turk. The Ambassador then told her that he had orders from the Queen of England to offer himself as mediator of peace, and this offer he now renewed. The woman said that the Sultan had never heard a word of this, and promised to tell him at once, and also the Sultana, and added that she was sure she would secure an order to reopen negotiations; but as yet I am not aware that such an order has been issued. No word of all this is mentioned to the French Ambassador, whose attitude is considered insincere, as his master professes hatred of the house of Austria. The English Ambassador is not held in much account, especially by Ferrad Pasha; and indeed he takes little notice of either. (L'Ambasciatore li raccontò la commissione che hebbe già dalla sua Regina d'intromettersi nella pacificatione, et si offerse di nuovo, in quanto poteva, et la sudetta donna gli affirmò che il Re non haveva mai havuto sentore, et disse di rifferirlo a S. Maestà et anco alla Sultana, et che al sicuro cavarebbe una polizza per ripigliar la practica. Ma sin hora non so che sia fatta. All'Ambasciator di Franza non si fa moto de questo, poiche il suo voto non è tenuto per sincero, professando il suo patrone inimicitia con la casa d'Austria. Et l'altro d'Inghilterra e tenuto in poco conto, massime da Ferrad Pasha, che di ambe doi non fa molto caso.) |
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Dalle Vigne di Pera, 22nd November 1593. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
