Venice: November 1584 | British History Online

Pages 103-104

Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 8, 1581-1591. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1894.

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November 1584



Nov. 24. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives.	251. Giovanni Dolfin, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Senate.
	The Archbishop of Glasgow, Ambassador of Scotland, has made strong representations to the King of France, to give some subsidy to the King of Scotland, as in former reigns. But he has little hope of anything but words, which he has always had in answer to his requests.
	The English Ambassador, after having dwelt at length on the goodwill of the Queen of England towards the Republic, also communicated to me that he was leaving no stone unturned to induce the King of France to declare whether he was willing to join the Queen of England in the protectorate of the Netherlands with a view to checking the power of Spain, which had already become a menace to every other sovereign. He had promised the King that if he would consent, persons should be sent from England within twelve days, to agree on the terms of the league, and the size of the contributions ; and if the King, for various reasons, should object to declaring himself openly, the name of the Queen-Mother might appear in the treaty, provided the contributions were sufficient in quantity and held in readiness. The Ambassador then told me that the King had replied to him with the most favourable countenance, saying that the arguments were correct, and that he would come to a resolution after the arrival of the Deputies who had been sent from the Netherlands. The Queen-Mother said that the Ambassador would shortly hear something that would give him satisfaction, and she shook him cordially by the hand and showed every sign of great contentment.
	The Ambassador added “I believe in the Queen, because I know she desires this union, but I am afraid that the King, who is master, will put off, and will hardly come to a decision. In a few days I will urge the question again, for I must have an answer.” He says his Queen is resolved to defend the Netherlands, and will never permit Holland and Zealand to fall under Spanish yoke, which would injure her reputation and endanger her State.
	Paris, 24th November 1584.
	[Italian.]