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| March 1. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
135. Giovanni Mocenigo, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The King has given orders that everyone is to hold himself prepared to march. As in England two thousand infantry are ready to land at the smallest sign from his Majesty. |
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Chartres, 1st March 1593. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| March 1. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives |
136. Tomaso Contarini, retiring Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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On board the galley which arrived in Barcelona from Genoa were the Patriarch Gaetano, the Nuncio, and Sig. Domenico Belli, Ambassador for the Duke of Savoy. In the course of conversation the Nuncio said that he had orders from his Holiness to act in all things in conjunction with your Serenity's Ministers, above all as regards Turkish affairs. And as his Holiness had heard that great preparations are being made at Constantinople, the Nuncio was instructed to request the King of Spain to take such steps as might be necessary for the defence of Christendom. |
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Savona, 1st March 1593. |
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[Italian.] |
| March 7. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
137. Francesco Vendramin, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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News from Seville that the West India fleet when sailing from that port lost one vessel on shore, and another by fire; and that the whole fleet is waiting for fair weather. Of the West India fleet now at Havanna five ships laden with silver, to the value of two hundred thousand ducats, are missing. The fleet at Havanna will not sail till the fleet which is being gathered here in the ports of Cadiz and Lisbon has joined it. |
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Madrid, 7th March 1593. |
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[Italian.] |
| March 9. Copy of Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
138. Giovanni Dolfin, Venetian Ambassador in Germany, to the Doge and Senate. |
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There is news from Frankfort that up to the tenth of last month the Count Mansfeldt, with his troops, was still near Guise. This surprises the Spanish Embassy, who say that it is impossible, though they confess that they do not know where the Count actually is. Indeed, Don Guglielmo de Clemente told me the day before yesterday that a squadron of cavalry, which had remained behind to guard the baggage, the plate and the money of the Duke of Feria, packed in waggons that had stuck in the mud,—had broken open the boxes and stolen everything down to the black velvet and gold liveries with which the Duke intended to make his entry into Paris. |
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There is confirmation of the news that in Scotland the Earl of Angus has put himself at the head of the Catholics and has
conspired against the King. It is said that the Earl is incited by the King of Spain, who wishes to prevent the Queen of England from sending help to France. |
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Prague, 9th March 1593. |
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[Italian.] |
| March 13. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
139. Polo Paruata, Venetian Ambassador in Rome, to the Doge and Senate. |
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His Holiness read me a memorandum which he held in his hand. It stated that Pansanias Brazzoduro and others had raised some companies of light horse in the territory of Vicenza for service with the King of Navarre. And further that there was now in Venice a certain captain, whose name I could not catch, his Holiness read it so low, who was charged to beg that the Republic would increase to twenty thousand crowsns a month the four thousand a month which it at present paid to Lesdiguières. |
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Rome, 13th March 1593. |
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[Italian.] |
| March 14. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
140. Matheo Zane, Venetian Ambassador at Constantinople, to the Doge and Senate. |
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M. de Lancome has been all this time at the island of Marmora, distant from here about one hundred miles. He has been engaged in negotiating with the party of Navarre to secure his freedom upon an oath that he would present himself to Navarre within six months, and during that period would not bear arms, nor plot against his royal Majesty. He has obtained his liberty and has recovered his property, and has left with his mistress and his children, all but the eldest who remains here with M. de Breves as a sort of hostage. I am persuaded that he will land in Sicily in order to speak to the Count Olivarez, with whom he conducted a correspondence. From Sicily he will go to Rome to be absolved from his oath, and your Serenity may rest assured that wherever he goes he will do us an evil turn, as he is persuaded that the Republic is hostile to his party. However the small esteem in which he was held here prevented him from doing much mischief and so I hope it will be elsewhere. I must tell you that the very moment of his departure from Marmora he sent a French Dragoman to Sinan Pasha to tell him, though I do not believe the Dragoman did so, that if he wished to crush the Republic he should attack Sebenico. |
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Haider Pasha, ex-Viceroy of Algiers, will soon be here. lam told that he is bringing with him Ottavio Avogadro. The French here declare that Avogadro is wrong fully a prisoner as he was protected by a passport from the King of Navarre; and I know that M. de Maisse, French Ambassador in Venice, will procure him letters from the King to the Sultan and the Grand Vizir, and will strongly recommend him to the English Ambassador and M. de Breves But all this notwithstanding I do not believe that Avogadro will obtain his liberty unless he spends money; I am afraid rather
that, in order to avoid being given over to your Serenity, he will put a crowsn upon the course of his misdeeds by abandoning the true religion. And seeing that your Serenity came to terms with Sinan for Avogadros arrest in Corfu upon the price of ten thousand ducats, and then suspended the negotiations, it is very likely that I may be called upon to fulfil the promises given, and on this point I should be glad to know your wishes. |
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Dalle Vigne di Pera, 14th March 1593. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| March 18. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
141. Giovanni Mocenigo, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Senate. |
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A few days ago the Duke of Feria arrived in Paris with forty thousand crowsns in specie and seventy thousand in bills of exchange, a sum far inferior to that which the Duke of Mayenne had asked for. This and the want of discipline among the Spanish troops has throwsn the Duke into a bad humour with Spain. The Duke of Feria is also doing all he can to induce the rebels to unite in electing the Infanta as Queen of France. All the preachers, and especially a Spaniard, are devoted to this object. They all declare that the Salic law is a pure fiction, never recognised; and that the interests of France require such a choice; others talk of the King of Spain, others of the Duke of Lorraine. |
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Chartres, 18th March 1593. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| March 20. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
142. Giovanni Mocenigo, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The King has left to join the Duke of Nevers and the English at Dieppe. |
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Chartres, 20th March 1593. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| March 26. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
143. Francesco Vendramin, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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We have news here of the steps taken by order of his Majesty for the election of the new King of France; and every one is curious to see what will happen in the Parliament of Paris. Some hold that owing to the number of claimants, and the confusion of parties in that unlucky kingdom, it will be difficult to reach any solution of the question. Besides there is great uncertainty as to the real intentions of his Majesty. On this topic I must report to your Serenity what the Admiral of Castile recently said to me, that they were utterly mistaken who affirmed that his Catholic Majesty did not wish to see another King elected in France, only the person chosen must be of so little importance that he will be compelled to depend entirely on the King of Spain. As regards the Duke of Mayenne and his pretensions, he, at all events, is absolutely excluded from the views of his Majesty who in appearance, at least, seems disposed to favour the Duke of Lorraine. It
is thought, however, that the Parliament will very probably dissolve without any decision, and. that all that has taken place so far is in favour of the King of Navarre. And so it may happen that the Spanish gold which is scattered with so lavish a hand in the kingdom of France may prove fruitless after all. Rumour says that the King will shortly go to Portugal to exact the oath of allegiance to his son. His Majesty is thinking of remodeling and increasing his Council of State, so that in case of any accident his son may find support adequate to the burden which will fall upon him. |
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Madrid, 27th March 1593. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| March 27. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
144. Francesco Vendramin, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The Nuncio had an audience of the King during which, in his Holiness' name, he urged his Majesty in view of the Turkish armaments directed against Hungary, to take steps for the support of the Emperor and the protection of Christendom. I learned from the Nuncio's own lips that these representations of the Pope were made at the instance of the Emperor himself. And the Pope further pointed out that the States of the Church and the kingdom of Naples were especially exposed to a Turkish descent, and therefore he begged his Majesty to give such orders as were fitting to Prince Andrea Doria. |
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The King replied briefly, that as far as Hungary and the Emperor were concerned, he was so occupied in Flanders and in France against the heretics and in support of the Church, that he could hardly do any thing for his Imperial Majesty; as to the second request, that orders had already been given to Prince Andrea Doria. |
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Madrid, 27th March 1593. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| March 29. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
145. Matheo Zane, Venetian Ambassador in Constantinople, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The appointment of M. de Breves as Ambassador from the King of Navarre to the Porte is announced in letters from M. de Maisse, French Ambassador in Venice. M. de Maisse says that a certain Lambert has left Venice with instructions, presents, and credentials. This Lambert has not arrived yet, but he cannot be long now. M. de Breves to whom I had offered my congratulations, is awaiting him anxiously, in order that he may begin to use his powers, to employ the presents and to carry out his instructions, which are principally to secure the sailing of a fleet of at least one hundred galleys for the purpose of counteracting the designs which his Catholic Majesty has upon Provence. The Capudan Pasha, Cicala, has already obtained the support of these two Ministers of England and France, for his favourite scheme of urging the Sultan to inflict as much damage as he can upon all Catholics. I am in
hopes they will not succeed, at all events as regards the number of the ships. The Ambassador of the Queen of England has news that the ship with the presents for the Sultan was to sail from England early in January. |
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These Ambassadors should be more made of than they are here, for they do all they can to aggrandise this Empire, and to damage Christendom, and their interests are identical. But though they are most ready instruments of mischief, no good can be expected from them even were they so disposed, for they have not sufficient influence, neither one nor the other, for that; and the Turks, be it from a natural haughtiness, be it because they are aware of the present condition of France, make less account of that crowsn than when it was able to injure them. (L'Ambasciatore delta Regina d'lnghil-terra tiene avviso che la nave col presente per il Gran Signor doverà partire dalli porti d'Inghilterra li primi di Gennaro. Li sudetti Ambasciatori doveriano qui esser accarezatti più che non sono, perche non trattono mai altro che cose concernenti alla grandezza di questo imperio a preguidicio del Christianesimo, convenendo nell' interesse tra loro commune, ma si come sono instrumenti attissimi al male, cosi non se ne puo aspettar alcun bene, essendo disposti a farlo, perche non hanno egualmente credito, ne l'uno ne l'altro; et li Turchi o sia per diffetto dell' alterezza naturale, o perche conoscono l'esser presente della Francia, non fanno più oapitale di quella corona come quando ella, era abile a dannificar li Turchi). The result is that the Turks treat these two Ambassadors as pumps for drawing out the information they require as to European affairs. I tell your Serenity this in order that you may discount the promises of M. de Maisse that these Ambassadors here can protect Venetian dominions from invasion should the Turkish fleet take the sea. All the same I will manage to keep them friendly for all they may be worth. |
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Dalle Vigue di Pera, 29th March 1593. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
