Venice: March 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: March 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/pp453-455 [accessed 29 November 2024].

March 1570



March 6. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives.	477. Alvise Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory.
	The last advices from England relate that the insurgents both in England and Scotland continue to augment in great numbers, and had endeavoured to effect a junction, a movement which was greatly feared by the Queen of England, because the insurgents in both kingdoms belong to these borders, and are a very war-like race in consequence of the continual wars which the two kingdoms have carried on for a long time past upon these borders; and thus the inhabitants have learnt warlike practices without ever going far from home. It is also the fact that the people both of England and Scotland, in these districts, are for the most part Roman Catholic, because almost all the English and Scotch who wish to live after the Roman Catholic manner have retired to these border frontiers in order to be at a distance from their respective governments, and to be able speedily to seek safety by passing into one or other of the kingdoms, as the case might be. For this reason there is an impression at this Court [France] that the Queen of England, although she has lately detained the Ambassador of the Queen of Scotland, (fn. 1) will not only release him, but will also release the Queen of Scotland herself, to smooth all difficulties, because the insurgents do not ask for anything but the Queen's release. This release is also urgently insisted upon by these Majesties, who favour the affairs and interests of that Queen in every possible way, and indeed orders have lately been given to all the governors of the seaports of this kingdom [France] not to hold intercourse with any merchants from Scotland who are not furnished with passports or letters from the Queen of Scotland or her representatives. I have no communication whatever with La Rochelle. No person either comes from thence or goes thither, and I have therefore no intelligence whatever concerning the Venetian vessels, or of the persons belonging to them who remain at that place, and it grieves me greatly not to have been able to procure the release of the two noblemen Venieri, who were on board the vessel Vergi. The instant that any opportunity may occur of giving them assistance I shall not hesitate to avail myself of it.
	Angers, 6th March 1570.
	[Italian.]
March 10. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives.	478. Alvise Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory.
	Yesterday the masters and many of the crew of the detained vessels arrived in this city. They left La Rochelle on the 2nd, and report that all their cargo had been discharged, and the greater part of it sold.
	The Huguenots had allowed the Giustiniana, which was a very old vessel, to go to pieces, and had put all her artillery and armaments on board the Vergi, which vessel they seem desirous to arm, and it was said they meant to send her against the Spanish fleet, which about this time was expected to return from the Indies. An individual had arrived at La Rochelle who had been sent there by the Venetian merchants in England, with letters written by the Queen, to obtain the restoration of the captured vessels, and he has sent me copies of the enclosed answer which he had received; and if he has done nothing else, he has at all events taken with him the two noblemen Venieri, and the remainder of the crews of the two ships. I also forward copy of the judgment, whereby the capture of the vessel was adjudicated to be lawful. I am endeavouring to procure passports in order that the men may depart safely, but it is proposed that the purser (scrivano) of the Vergi should remain, in order to watch the interests of the merchants, who are the real owners of the cargoes.
	The court of the Admiral of La Rochelle has condemned the two vessels belonging to subjects of the Signory of Venice, together with their cargoes, as good prize, upon the ground that the Signory of Venice had persistently assisted the Papists, and not only on former occasions, but lately, when the Signory advanced and lent 300,000 crowns to the King of France; and moreover at the present time the Ambassador of the Signory, together with the Ambassadors of the Pope and of the King of Spain, were daily urging the King of France to follow a course from which he cannot turn back. The court therefore declared it to have been proved that these vessels were enemies' ships, and that the court could do no less than to adjudge them good prize, and assign one third of the value to the Admiral, one third to the captors, and the remaining third to be retained for the good of the cause ; the Queen [of Navarre] herself making no claim whatever to participation in the same, notwithstanding that she and many of the princes and noble blood of France, who had been deprived of all their property, might lay claim against those who were aiding the cause of the Papists; remembering also that this war was declared not only against the Papists who were in this neighbourhood, but also against Spaniards and Italians, and all those who were enemies of the cause. Notwithstanding, the Queen of her goodness trusted that she might be some day able to make intercession with the King, in order to compensate those who had suffered loss. It was further to be remembered that the Signory of Venice had assisted the King of France in the war which he is carrying on against the Queen and the Princes.
	Angers, 10th March 1570.
	[Italian.]
March 23. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives.	479. Alvise Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Signory.
	By letters from England, dated 2nd instant, I hear that a powerful lord named Darchs [Leonard Dacre] had risen against the Queen, and, upon the pretence that the Queen was sending forces to take him prisoner, assembled a great number of his own adherents, with whom he marched against the soldiers of the Queen, and killed upwards of four hundred of them, though with equal loss upon his own side. He retreated to Scotland, with the remainder of his force, and many of his own people have followed him thither, and daily others do the same. The Queen, therefore, perceiving that this insurrection continues to increase, and doubting whether all the inhabitants of that district might not turn against her, has sent a large sum of money to Scotland to those who profess her religion, and who were the adherents of the late Bastard, in order that they may keep the Catholics in subjection, and give them full occupation ; and the Queen has also instructed her Ambassador resident here to entreat their Majesties not in any way to encourage her subjects who have rebelled against her.
	Angers, 23rd March 1570.
	[Italian.]
March 31. Bequeathed MSS. Portf. 1.	480. Notarial Instrument.
	Testifying that in the year 1570, 12th Elizabeth, 31st March, the young man Mr. William Horsey, servant of John Peryam, of the city of Exeter, merchant, at the instance and special request of Signor Sebastian de Nicolo, purser (scrivani) of the ship Federica et Bonalda, whereof Stephen de Nicolo is master (patronus), presented to the notary a certain memorial or acquittance in the Italian language, made, written, and subscribed by Signor Giovanni Lucha-telli, servant or cashier (cassierum) of Signor Innocenzio Luchatelli, merchant of Venice, residing in London, the tenor of which is set forth. It is dated 1569, 5th January, in London, and states that Jo. Juane (sic) Luchatelli, for Innocenzio Luchatelli, had received from William Horsey, for Master John Peryam, of Exeter, the sum of 33 l. 13 s. 4 d. sterling, for so much received from the ship Fedriga, at Dartmouth, &c. This instrument is made at the request of William Horsey for the benefit of Sebastian de Nicolo, in London, at the notary's house situate in the public street of Cornehill, in the parish of St. Michael in Cornehill, in the presence of Ambrose de Pavia and George de Gaspero, merchants residing in London. The notary is William Broke, literatus of the diocese of York and citizen of London.
	[Latin.]