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| Sept. 6. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
911. Francesco Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The Spanish Ambassador, on the subject of Saluzzo, is using language very different to that which he first employed; he says now that his Catholic Majesty will not desert the Duke of Savoy, his brother-in-law; and the old ill-humour on the subject of England and of the assistance given to Holland by his Majesty of France, is coming to life again. |
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The swearing of the Peace of Vervins is being put off by his Catholic Majesty, on the plea of rites. |
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Lyons, 6th Septemher 1600. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| Sept. 12. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
912. Girolamo Capello, Venetian Ambassador in Constantinople, to the Doge and Senate. |
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Ragusans bring news that war has broken out between France and Savoy over the question of Saluzzo ; and that the Grand Duke
of Tuscany and the Queen of England are dead; this latter however, is not affirmed positively. |
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Dalle Vigne di Pera, 12th September 1600. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| Sept, 13. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
913. Francesco Soranzo, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The King has not yet been able to induce the people of Madrid to assent to contribute their share of the eighteen millions promised by the Procurators of the Cortes; and he finds a like difficulty and hardness in many of the towns which have to grant assent. |
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Madrid, 13th September 1600. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| Sept. 25. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
914. Girolamo Capello and Agostino Nani, Venetian Ambassadors in Constantinople, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The Ambassador Nani made his private entry on the 15th, and the public entry on the 21st, from Sweet Waters, as usual. |
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Dalle Vigne di Pera, 25th September 1600. |
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[Italian.] |
| Sept. 28. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
915. Francesco Soranzo, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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Castille has, at length, by a majority of votes, granted the King the eighteen millions to be paid up in six years at the rate of three millions a year. They are secured upon an eighth of the oil and wine growth of each year. It is well known that they have consented, not merely with difficulty, but, actually, against their will; for these poor people are reduced to such a pass that one may say they have nothing to live on, and many of them pay almost more taxes than the income they make. There is everywhere a public affliction that almost amounts to desperation; not so much on account of this sum, but because they know quite well that, when these six years are up, they will have to continue the payment. |
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The people of Madrid were particularly pertinacious in refusing to pay, for they suspected that the Court might leave the City; whereas those of Old Castille showed much readiness, in the hope that the Court might pass to Valladolid. |
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The congress of Boulogne broke up, as I have already informed your Serenity, when it became clear that the affair of Saluzzo was tending towards a war. Don Balthazar de Zuniga, the King's Ambassador at the Court of their Highnesses of Flanders, writes that he has more hope of a favourable conclusion now that the Envoys have separated than he had before. But this may be a rumour set about lest people should think that the failure of the negotiations might weigh with the King in his decision as to assisting Savoy, and thus display to the French his dread of employing his forces in many places at one and the same time. |
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Madrid, 28th September 1600. |
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[Italian ; deciphered.] |
