Venice: September 1650 | British History Online

Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 28, 1647-1652. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1927.

Citation:

'Venice: September 1650', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 28, 1647-1652, ed. Allen B Hinds( London, 1927), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/venice/vol28/pp154-157 [accessed 25 November 2024].

September 1650



Sept. 3. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Germania. Venetian Archives.	422. Nicolo Sagredo, Venetian Ambassador in Germany, to the Doge and Senate. The gentleman accredited by the king of England to the Porte (fn. 1) has been dismissed and is gone away, being told that when his master recovers the kingdom the Turks will acknowledge him for king. Vienna, the 3rd September, 1650. [Italian.]
Sept. 7. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Spagna. Venetian Archives.	423. Pietro Basadonna, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. With the return of the person sent by the Court with the letters and presents for the general of the parliamentary squadron, the reported action with Prince Rupert disappears. The mistake arose from an encounter in those waters between two small English vessels and a Frenchman, in which, after a long engagement, all three were consumed by fire. This person reports the power and determination of the parliament squadron as very great. It numbers 35 vessels, the least of which carries 60 brass guns. They are all well found with ammunition and the crews are the best and most experienced that at present follow the profession of the sea. Prince Rupert attempted occasionally to annoy the squadron by sending fire ships against it with the ebb tide, but always in vain, as they are sheltered by a shoal, which secures them against any surprise from the direction of Lisbon. They mean to harass the city in this manner and to await the Brazil fleet. If this wants to enter harbour it cannot avoid them, and as it has no other shelter in Portugal, it must give battle or return to the Indies, or else lose itself in some hostile port. This envoy tried to persuade the commander of the fleet to send some part of his forces in aid of the Bordelais, but could only obtain fair words, as they are determined not to abandon the undertaking against their immediate enemy Prince Rupert. They also hope to make a very rich booty, if they succeed in capturing the fleet from the Indies. The ministry here, in order to gain some advantage from the amicable relations which are being established between this crown and the parliament, sent another courier to London to induce them to send a squadron to the coast of Guienne. I believe, however, that instead of good hopes, he brought back a very sharp letter from the parliament, on account of the intention entertained here to screen the murderers of their minister. The English are not satisfied with the pretext of privilege and ecclesiastical immunity, which they do not understand, so the ministers here have suspended the decree of the vicar in favour of the murderers in spite of their original declaration that this affair was to proceed according to the usual tenor of the law, independent of political expediency. Madrid, the 7th September, 1650. [Italian ; the part in italics deciphered.]
Sept. 10. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Costantinopoli. Venetian Archives.	424. The Sieur De La Haye, French Ambassador at Constantinople, to the Doge and Senate. I am certain that the English parliamentary ambassador here has promised 15 or 20 ships on condition that the gentleman sent here by his Majesty of Great Britain and who was at Smyrna on a French ship, shall be put on board an English ship and taken to England to be handed over to the parliament. But as I have obtained a command, sent to Smyrna by a chiaus, to bring him back here (per farlo ritornar qui) I hope that ambassdor will not give the ships, failing the condition upon which he promised them. Pera of Constantinople, the 10th September, 1650. [Italian, from the French ; deciphered.]
Sept. 21. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Francia. Venetian Archives.	425. Michiel Morosini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Senate. The letters from England report that the Scots have completely defeated the English army and taken General Cromuel prisoner, the chief pillar of the land forces of the parliament there. They say that as a result of the victory the king in person, with 50,000 combatants is advancing straight on London to take possession of the metropolis, where he does not despair of finding a party of his own when he has drawn near. Here the news in extremely gratifying and they are very sanguine as even if London possesses the numbers to form a large mass of troops it will have no leaders to command them and no experience to give them the requisite cohesion. Blaye, the 21st September, 1650. [Italian ; deciphered.]
Sept. 23. Cinque Savii alia Mercanzia. Risposte. Venetian Archives.	426. With regard to the memorial presented by the resident of England for the recognition of Pier Antonio Grillo of Cephalonia, as consul at Corfu, Cephalonia and Zante, (fn. 2) we find that in the year 1636 a consul was chosen by the Company and your Serenity's confirmation was requested. It was then considered that this should not be refused. On the 27th December last we were asked to report on the trade of the English in the islands, to which we responded on the 10th January last. We do not think that patents can be refused to Grillo, as it is customary to grant them, just as they are granted to the consuls chosen by your Serenity in foreign states by the princes there. Dated at the office, the 23rd September, 1650.
	Francesco Molin,	Savii.
	Tomaso Priuli,
	Zuanne Marcello,
	[Italian.]
Sept. 30. Collegio, Lettere Principi. Venetian Archives.	427. Carolus D.G. Mag. Brit. etc. Rex, Dom Francesco Molino, Venet. Duci Ill^mo. salutem et felicitatem. Seren. Principe et amice charissime : Si animum affectumque nostrum in seren. vest. Repub. commoda propensum aequaret rerum uberior quam hodie est apud nos conditio, amicitiam utrinque a decessoribus nostris mutuo eultam, potioribus nos modis excoleremur. Videmur interea operae quoddam pretium collaturi dum quern non recipit hie consortem indigenarum omnino exercitus ad Cels. Vestrae observantiam seren. repub. militiam mittimus nob. Dom. March. de Villeneuve, notum expetitumque nobis jampridem Ducem et talem ipsum accepimus, quod se nunc Cel. Vestrae quasi muneri nobis traditum gestiat, aequi bonique ductuarum eandem, non minus ipse confidit quam nos animus quum ejusdem singulari in nos studio et affectui dignum nos perhibere testimonium oporteat, immo eximio in nos cultu suo pro meritus sit, ut ei prospera quaeque grato peroptemus animo. Atque hisce Seren. Vestram Dei Opt. Max. tutelae peramanter commendamus. Dat. in aula nostra regia Pertha die xx Sept. anno sal. MDCL, regnorumque nostrorum secundo. Cel. Vestrae, Bonus Amicus. [Signed], Carolus R.