Venice: February 1570 | British History Online

Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 7, 1558-1580. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1890.

Citation:

'Venice: February 1570', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 7, 1558-1580, ed. Rawdon Brown, G Cavendish Bentinck( London, 1890), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/venice/vol7/pp434-453 [accessed 25 November 2024].

February 1570



Feb. 6. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives.	469. Alvise Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Signory.
	Her most Christian Majesty, according to the promise she made to me, has appealed strongly to the Huguenot deputies for the restitution of the Venetian vessels which were carried into La Rochelle, and she has given a commission to that effect to Mons. de Biron and Mons. de Croc, who have gone in the name of these Majesties to the Queen of Navarre and the other Princes. And yesterday, her Majesty, at the marriage of the Duke de Montpensier, told me that when M. de Teligny, the principal deputy, came to take leave of her Majesty, the very last words which her Majesty spoke to him were that he could not more effectually show his fellow citizens to be obedient subjects of the King than by causing the restitution of these vessels. By the advice of the Cardinal of Lorraine, and with the assent of her Majesty the Queen, I have sent one of my suite, a prudent and discreet person, to accompany the deputies, and to endeavour to obtain all the information that he can concerning the detained vessels, and how far it will be necessary to communicate with the Queen of Navarre, and what results the envoy sent by the Queen of England may have effected.
	Yesterday the marriage between the Duke de Montpensier and the sister of the Duke de Guise was celebrated. She has a dowry of 300,000 francs, of which 100,000 francs have been given by the King to the Duke de Guise for the defence of Poictiers, and the Duke de Montpensier has contributed another portion of 40,000 francs. The marriage took place according to the royal ceremonial, as is usual with Princes of the blood; and the Ambassadors resident here who were invited were the Nuncio, the two Ambassadors from Spain, myself, and the Ambassador from Ferrara. (fn. 1)
	Angers, 6th February 1570.
	[Italian.]
Feb. 12. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives.	470. Alvise Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Signory.
	The most Christian Queen lately sent for the Ambassador from England, and made a bitter complaint to him that, according to her information, the Queen of England had placed under arrest M. de Montluc, who had been sent to England as an envoy by the most Christian King; and that, although M. de Montluc had been released a few days subsequently, her Majesty felt greatly aggrieved that so little respect should have been paid to an envoy accredited from France to her Majesty of England. Her most Christian Majesty further complained that letters had been intercepted which had been written by the Queen of England to the Admiral, and whereby he was dissuaded, for many reasons assigned, from making peace.
	By the same advices which report the arrest and liberation of Mons. de Montluc, news is received that the insurgents in England are becoming more powerful every day, so there is good hope that when the cold weather, which prevails with great severity in that part of the island, has ceased, their forces will be able to make great progress.
	Angers, 12th February 1570.
	[Italian; the portion in italics deciphered by Signor Luigi Pasini.]
Feb. 12. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives.	471. Alvise Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Signory.
	The most Christian King, who has been ailing, is now much better, and it is reported that he will shortly proceed to the coast of Britany and to the cities on that coast facing England, and probably fit out some armed vessels in order to free those seas from the innumerable corsairs who now infest them. Indeed, the day before yesterday the Cardinal of Lorraine said as much as this to the Ambassador of Spain, who was loudly complaining that so many daily detentions took place of Flemish vessels, not only by corsairs which hail from La Rochelle, but even by relatives of the Governors of that city, and although remonstrances were made and fully justified, yet no redress whatever was obtained.
	Angers, 12th February 1570.
	[Italian.]
Feb. 17. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives.	472. Alvise Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Signory.
	The representatives whom I sent to La Rochelle concerning the captured vessels returned yesterday, and they were accompanied by the Magnifico Andrea Dandolo, who was an officer on board La Giustiniana, and by Messer Agostin Lombardini, who was purser (scrivano) on board the Vergi or Casselera, which was the name of the other vessel seized. By the report which I enclose herein you will perceive that my representatives, on account of the strict and continual watch which was kept on them, have been able to speak little and to see little, but they have nevertheless heard that the cargoes have all been discharged in La Rochelle and divided, although some say that the goods are intact, because there has been a difficulty in finding purchasers for fear of being compelled to make restitution. It was also stated that there was an idea of reloading one of the captured vessels and sending her to sell her cargo in England; and because they were afraid of chartering her to the usual commercial ports lest she should be detained, they intended she should make for some port in the West of England, where the circumstances of the case were less likely to be known. I have therefore forthwith given advice and notice to our Consul, not only of the above reports, but also of the fact that the vessel Giustiniana was captured at the Isle of Wight and within the waters of her Majesty the Queen of England.
	The restitution should be demanded, in the first instance, by the Queen of England, and although it is reported that there was a representative of the Queen at La Rochelle for this purpose, nevertheless my people, who are just returned from thence, say this is not so. I have therefore appealed in the strongest manner to the Ambassador of England, and have pointed out to him that besides the injury which England will suffer by the interruption of commerce, which affects not only private persons but the revenues of the Crown and the convenience of the inhabitants of the land, this seizure also seriously impairs the dignity of the Queen, because it was made not only within her own waters, but actually between her own islands and in her Majesty's name. The Ambassador, who appeared to hear the facts I placed before him with great displeasure, then promised to write at once to his Queen. My people have also told me that the captain who seized the vessels, believing that the Queen of England might upon our application detain his wife and children, who were resident in England, has himself detained the noblemen who were on board the vessel Vergi, namely, the brothers Marc' Antonio and Paulo Venieri; and although my people did their best to obtain permission that these noblemen should be either set at liberty, or at least lodged in a private house and well cared for, they could get no reply, except a promise that these noblemen should be well treated; it being also pretended that these gentlemen were only kept prisoners in order to ensure the departure of the captain's relations in England, and that when the latter arrived the former would be immediately released. I have asked the most Christian Queen what reply she has received from M. de Croc, who was commissioned to speak with the Queen of Navarre for the restitution of the vessels. The Queen replied that she had nothing satisfactory to communicate, because the Queen of Navarre desired war not only with this kingdom but with all the Catholic Princes. The most Christian Queen added that she took this matter much to heart, and that she would do everything in her power to obtain the restitution.
	Angers, 12th February 1570.
	[Italian.]
	473. Report to the Venetian Ambassador of the capture of the vessels Giustiniana and Vergi by the armed vessels of the Huguenots ; enclosed in the preceding.
	I have obtained the following declaration concerning the two vessels Giustiniana and Vergi, signed by the crew of the vessel Giustiniana, which is as follows:
	“The Giustiniana left the Isle of Wight on the 10th December, at the second hour of the day, and we had been a little more than an hour on the voyage when we saw nine vessels leave the port of Portsmouth, five of which went towards Southampton (Antona), and four pursued our vessel. Two of these hove to on one side of the vessel, and two on the other, at a distance of about a bowshot; and then these corsairs sent a boat to order, in the name of the Queen of Navarre and the Prince of Condé, that we should send them our purser (scrivano). Our master then immediately ordered the purser to go and inquire their demands, and he was accordingly conducted to Captain Sora (sic), the commander and vice-admiral of the Huguenot fleet, who immediately sent again and ordered the master to come to him, and the master, Messer Andrea Sansone, obeyed at once. These officers not returning, our crew became completely demoralised, and knew not what action to take, as they heard no more of the officers, who had thus become prisoners, except from the corsairs, who came every day with their boat to demand, in the name of the master, muscatel wine and other provisions.
	“At the end of a week Captain Bera (sic) came to our vessel with fifty men, and stated, in the name of the master, that he intended to put these men on board; but our crew refused to receive them, saying they were quite capable of managing their own vessel without other assistance. The corsairs answered, that if they did not obey they would put all the crew to death; to which the crew answered that if the corsairs attempted to come on board, they would set fire to the ammunition which was in the vessel, and blow it up with everybody in it. The corsairs, having heard this answer, went back to the Captain Fincaville (sic), but returned again with a boat and with fifty men and more, and also with the purser, who ordered the crew, in the name of the master, to surrender the ship. The crew answered they would not give up possession, but the purser having informed them that an agreement had been made in consideration of four butts of muscatel, and that the master had confirmed it, Captain Bera was allowed to come on board with fifty men, and all the crew were removed, with the exception of the helmsman and a few of the seamen.
	“The agreement which was come to between the master and the corsairs was to the effect that the master was to give up seventeen butts of muscatel and five butts of currants, and to pay 400 or 500 ducats which had been realised in Spain from the sale of glass; and that the crew were to retain all their effects. This agreement was carried out by the corsairs.”
	[Remarks by the reporter :]
	When I left La Rochelle, the master of the ship Giustiniana was about to leave on the 19th instant for Italy. I said to him what a disgrace it was that he should have allowed himself to be taken in such a way. He answered that he had been deceived by the corsairs, who demanded the ship not only in the name of the Queen of Navarre and the Prince of Condé, but in that of the Queen of England, and had shown the ensign and authority of England; for which reasons, and being within the limits of England, he felt he could not act otherwise.
	While they were on the way to La Rochelle, about the 23rd of this month, they perceived the vessel Vergi doubling Cape Lizard. The corsairs prepared to approach her, but seeing she was armed with two pieces of artillery, they lowered a boat in the water, and held a consultation as to what they should do. At last one of their captains, whose name was Bera, called to him one Antonio de la Zante, who belonged to the Giustiniana, and said, 'Antonio, whatever I say to you, you will confirm to the master and captain of this vessel, but if you do otherwise I will put you to death.' When the boat came close to the vessel, Bera called the master, saying, 'Captain, I have come in the name of the Queen of Navarre and the Prince of Condé. I call upon you to yield obedience to the Captain-General of this fleet, because then every courtesy will be shown towards you. as has been done to the Captain Cesare (sic); therefore send your boat on board at once to the General and speak with him, when he will give you every satisfaction.' And Bera caused Antonio de la Zante to affirm that what he had said was the truth. The master, having heard this demand, desired to send the purser, but he declined to go, and wanted to defend the ship. Notwithstanding this, the master sent a boat with four men and two others to speak with the General. As soon as these had come on board the ship of the corsairs, kinds words were spoken to them by Captain Sora, who promised them all their effects if they delivered up the ship, with the alternative of being put to death. When the men on board the boat had returned to their own vessel they reported what had been told them to the master and the crew, and the latter said they would not fight, as their effects had been promised them. And thus the master hauled down his sails, and the corsairs sent to take possession.
	These vessels arrived at La Rochelle on the 29th December, and a week after the cargo was unloaded, and divided into three parts; one for the corsairs, one for the purposes of religion, and the third for the vice-admiral. But all the goods are still in La Rochelle, part in the warehouses, and part sold to merchants within the place. The vessels are in port, with their guns, and every day fifty or sixty men are sent on board to keep guard over the port, on account of the galleys in the neighbourhood; and they seem to attach great importance to these two vessels, just as much as if they were for their defence. This is all I have been able to learn about this matter.
	[Italian.]
Feb. 18. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives.	474. Alvise Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Signory.
	Mons. de Croc, who has returned from the Queen of Navarre, has reported to their Majesties that the Queen is satisfied with the conditions of peace which have been proposed to her, but hopes that besides the two places already granted, namely, La Rochelle and La Charité, some others may be conceded, because it is not possible for her co-religionists who dwell in Picardy, in Normandy, and in other distant provinces, to go two hundred leagues and more in order to baptise their children and perform the other exercises of their religion.
	It is a great point gained that notwithstanding the differences of opinion and the factions which openly exist at this Court, on the whole this peace satisfies all parties; but, on the other hand, it is displeasing to foreign Princes, because, while the Pope and the Catholic King cannot approve that any sect should be allowed to have a footing in this kingdom, the result is particularly disappointing to the Queen of England, who, although professing the same religion (with the Huguenots), nevertheless has done all she could to keep religion in agitation, fearing perhaps lest this tempest should move in her direction and discharge its fury upon her country. And, indeed, an event of the greatest importance has recently occurred in Scotland which may lead to great changes both there and in England. For on the 13th of last month the Regent of Scotland, who was the illegitimate brother of the Queen, was assassinated with a harquebus shot by one Hamilton, who was lately at this Court, and who either from the hatred which he bore the Regent, or from having been offended by him, or from his belief that the Government was tyrannical, or to gratify the Queen, who had been excluded from the Government by her brother and persecuted by him, resolved to do this deed with his own hand alone in the midst of two hundred soldiers who formed the guard of the Regent; and he then fled and saved himself. After this occurrence, the persons who favour the party of the Queen, and who are for the most part Catholics, took to arms, and have liberated the Duke of Châtellerault, who is a relative and the chief partisan of the Queen, from prison; and it is said they have also liberated the Earl of Northumberland, who is the head of the insurgents in England, and who, having fled to Scotland, had there been detained by the Regent; and indeed the Regent, at the time of his death, was about to treat with Commissioners of the Queen of England who had been sent to obtain possession of the Earl's person. It would therefore seem that the Scottish insurgents might easily join with those of England, with a view to restore the Queen of Scotland to her kingdom, a result which these most Christian Majesties most earnestly desire and are doing all that may lie in their power to effect; and already two vessels, laden with munitions of war, which their Majesties have sent, have arrived bo succour Dumbarton, which is the only fortress now remaining faithful to the Queen. Moreover, to further assist the Queen of Scotland, they have sent already to England Mons. de Montluc, whose return here is shortly awaited. These events cannot but be displeasing to the Queen of England, and particularly having regard to the pretensions of the Queen of Scotland to the kingdom of England, who is nearest heir to the English throne, the Queen of England being childless.
	Angers, 18th February 1570.
	[Italian.]
Feb. [25]. Copy, Venetian Archives.	475. Copy of the Bull of Pope Pius V. excommunicating Queen Elizabeth; enclosed in the Despatch of Michael Surian, dated 6th May 1570. (fn. 2)
	Pius, Bishop, servant of the servants of God; for perpetual remembrance. He who reigns in the highest places, and who has all power in heaven and in earth, has willed that His one holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, out of which there can be no salvation, shall be governed by one alone upon earth, namely, by Peter, prince of the Apostles; and in the fulness of His powers (fn. 3) it has been committed to him (Peter) only, and to the Roman Pontiff, his successor. He has constituted this man alone prince over all nations, and over all kingdoms, with power to extirpate, destroy, dissipate, disperse, plant, and build, to the end that he may keep His faithful people united in spirit by the close bond of mutual charity, and present them safely to their Saviour. In such charge, we, who by the favour of God have been called to the government of the aforesaid Church, assuredly do not spare any labour; and we endeavour with all diligence to preserve entire this unity and the Catholic religion, which has been permitted by its author to be troubled by so many tempests for the proof of His faithful people and for our correction. But the number of evil men has become. so great and powerful, that at length there remains not a place in the world which they have not sought tc corrupt with most wicked doctrines.
	Among others who offend in this manner is that servant of all iniquity, Elizabeth, pretended Queen of England, with whom, as in a most secure place, all the worst kind of men find a refuge. This woman, having occupied the kingdom, and monstruously usurped throughout England the place of supreme head of the Church, attributing to herself a particular authority and jurisdiction therein, has caused that kingdom, which had previously been brought back to the Catholic faith, again to return to a pernicious condition. For, having by main force discontinued the use of the true religion, which after having [formerly] been destroyed by [its deserter] Henry the Eighth, was restored by Mary, the lawful Queen, of happy memory, with the aid of this See ; she has, by means of (fn. 4) certain favorite errors of the heretics, dissolved the Royal Council, and in place of the most noble men of England, who used to compose it, she has filled it with ignoble and heretic persons. She has oppressed the professors of the Catholic faith, and has reappointed most wicked preachers and ministers of impiety. She has destroyed and utterly taken away the sacrifice of the altar, the prayers, the fasts, the use of the sacraments, (fn. 5) and every other Catholic rite. She has given express command, that books which are manifestly heretical, shall be published throughout the kingdom ; and that the impious constitutions and atrocious mysteries of Calvin, which she personally acknowledges and observes, shall be likewise observed by her subjects. She has deprived the bishops and other priests of their churches and benefices, which she has bestowed on heretical persons ; having the audacity also to intermeddle in ecclesiastical causes. She has interdicted the prelates, the clergy, and the people from acknowledging the Roman Church in any manner, and from giving obedience to its commands and canonical constitutions. She has by a solemn oath compelled many to submit (fn. 6) to her accursed laws, to abhor (fn. 7) the authority and obedience of the Roman Pontiff, and to acknowledge herself alone as mistress both in temporal and in spiritual matters. She has decreed divers penalties and punishments for such as are not obedient to her, and she has put these in force against every one who wished to continue in the unity of the faith, and in the pristine obedience. And finally, she cast many bishops and prelates into prison, where after many sufferings they have miserably perished.
	All these things being manifest to all nations, and having been fully proved by the testimony of many grave persons, so that there can be no room for any excuse or defence; and as impieties and wicked deeds, and especially the persecution of the faithful and the oppression of religion, are continually multiplying more and more by the means and aid of the said Elizabeth, who continues daily to strengthen and harden her heart, so that she not only despises the prayers and admonitions which are made to her by Catholic princes for her salvation and conversion, but will not even allow the Nuncios, sent to her for this cause by the Apostolic See, to pass into England; we are necessarily constrained to take up against her the arms of justice, and cannot but feel great displeasure at having to proceed against one whose ancestors so well deserved of the Christian Republic.
	We, therefore, sustained by the authority of Him who has placed us upon this supreme throne of justice, although without any merit of our own, in the fulness of the Apostolic authority, do declare that the aforesaid Elizabeth is a heretic and a favourer of heretics, and that her adherents in the matters aforesaid have incurred the sentence of malediction, and are utterly separated from the unity of the body of Christ; and that she is wholly deprived of her pretended right to the aforesaid kingdom, and likewise of all and every dominion, dignity, and privilege; and that the barons, subjects, and people of the said kingdom, and all others who may have taken any oath to her, are in every respect free (fn. 8) from such oath, and from every other obligation which they may have to be faithful and obedient to her; as we, by the authority of these presents, do absolve and release them [therefrom], and do deprive the same Elizabeth of her pretended right to that kingdom, and of all other pre-eminences, as is aforesaid. And we command and interdict all and every one of her barons, subjects, people, and others, that they shall not dare to obey either her, or her laws and commandments; and he who shall act otherwise, shall incur the same sentence of malediction.
	But as these presents can hardly be conveyed to every place, we will that copies of them, sealed with the curial seal, (fn. 9) and subscribed by the notary public and the ecclesiastical prelate, shall have the same credit, both judicially and otherwise, in every place whatsoever, as these presents would have if they were given forth and produced.
	Given in Rome, at St. Peter's, in the year of our Lord 1569, on the 23rd [25th ?] of February, in the fifth year of our pontificate. (fn. 10)
	[Italian.]
Feb. 26. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives.	476. Alvise Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Signory.
	The Marshal de Cosse is preparing to expel the Huguenots from La Charité, in order to deprive the enemy of the only communication upon the River Loire whereby assistance can come from Germany to that part of the country which they now occupy, and which is the most fertile in the kingdom. It is considered so important by the enemy to maintain this communication, that in the event of peace being concluded, the Admiral will, it is said, insist on retaining La Charité in order that he may by its means receive succours from Germany, and he will also, it is said, do his utmost to retain La Rochelle in order to keep a seaport open to obtain assistance from England, These two provinces are the principal support of the Huguenots, because it is manifest that without them they could not have maintained themselves for so many years, and after having lost so many battles. And the Queen of England, being aware how greatly this matter weighs with their Majesties, and seeing herself assailed by insurrections both in her own kingdom and in Scotland, and that their Majesties of France are endeavouring in every possible way to promote the interests of the Queen of Scotland, has enlisted and agreed to pay in her own name 4,000 Roisters in Germany. It is impossible to believe that these troops could now be intended to serve in England, although formerly they had been employed there in wars with Scotland; but that was during the period when England possessed Calais, and when there was no obstacle to an embarkation from Flanders, whereas now the Queen, possessing neither of these advantages, would have to embark any forces at Lubeck or some other free port upon the eastern ocean, thus necessitating a sea-passage both long and perilous. Hence it is quite certain that these Roisters are intended to join the insurgents in this kingdom, and to divert and keep occupied the authorities in this country, so that they cannot give any thought to foreign undertakings. And this is the more certain, because in letters which have been lately intercepted the Queen of England, writing to the Admirals and to the Princes of Navarre and Condé, has dissuaded them from making peace, giving, amongst other reasons, that the assistance which she had promised them was already on the way, and it is therefore impossible not to believe but that this allusion refers to the Roisters.
	I have also been informed for certain that the Queen of England has lately ordered her Ambassador [Norris] to wait upon the King and the Queen, in order to mention three matters to them. First, that she, at the instance of these Majesties, had ordered the Queen of Scotland to enjoy more liberty, so that she might live more conveniently and take her pleasure more fully. Secondly, the Queen, having regard to the insurgents in her kingdom and the neighbouring kingdom of Scotland, had determined to enlist and equip 80,000 infantry, but their Majesties were to have no fear on this account, for her Majesty would continue for the future to be the same good friend to them as heretofore. Thirdly, her Majesty entreated their Majesties not to assist or encourage the insurgents in her kingdom.
	No reply was given to these haughty and high-sounding communications by their Majesties at the moment, but after some days' interval they summoned the Ambassador, and instructed him to write to his Queen that so far as concerned the freedom which she said she had granted to the Queen of Scotland, their Majesties gladly received the intelligence, but they would have preferred, as they believed to be just, that this should have been done long ago; and they considered it fitting that the Queen of Scotland, who had been driven from her kingdom by seditious persons, and who had taken refuge in England with a relative who professed to be loving towards her, should have been treated like a Queen and relative, and not as a prisoner. With regard to the second point concerning the military preparations, their Majesties said that if her Majesty had enlisted 80,000 infantry this kingdom would enlist 150,000, but not from any fear from England, because the frontiers between the two kingdoms were so clear and well defined, and the ditch which divided the two was of such large dimensions that the ocean could pass through it. With regard to the third matter, the reply was that her Majesty ought to be conscious who had the best right to complain on this account, because she had not only secretly with money encouraged seditious persons in this kingdom, but had by her very side certain of their chiefs who were probably prepared to do worse deeds than ever.
	Letters from Scotland, dated the 7th instant, advise that after the death of the Regent the prospects of the Queen of Scotland had greatly improved; that the siege of Dumbarton had been raised, and that the Governor of that fortress had returned half of the cargoes of the two ships which had arrived from France in aid, to the commanders of the vessels, as being not required.
	Monsieur de Monluet, who was lately sent by these Majesties to England; and who left England on the 16th instant, arrived here yesterday. He states that the Queen of England would not permit him to visit the Queen of Scotland according to the order which he had received from these Majesties ; also that the Queen of Scotland had been removed from Coventry, where she had been previously detained, to Tutbury Castle, because the latter was a larger, more commodious, and agreeable residence ; and that in England matters were in a state of tranquillity. He further states that while he was at the English Court a person was sent by the Queen to La Rochelle in the matter of the Venetian ships which had been detained ; and that he heard that their release was being assisted by the Ambassador of her Majesty in England [Mons. de la Mothe Fénelon]. But he knew no particulars, and as there is no communication with La Rochelle from hence, nothing is heard of the matter here.
	Angers, 26th February 1570.
	[Italian.]