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| Dec. 2. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
563. Sigismondo di Cavalli, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory. |
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The gentleman who came here from England has been making great efforts to return hence, and as he refused to remain any longer he was, together with the English Ambassador in ordinary and a knight, whom the most Christian had assigned to him, as a guide and companion, sent on to meet the Queen Mother. The Grand Chancellor and the members of the Council are in despair at the absence of the Queen Mother, because her Majesty has to be informed of
every matter of importance, and as the going to and fro occupies much time, all negotiations are prolonged with manifest disadvantage. Consequently the most Christian King has written to his mother and entreated her to return as soon as possible in order to attend to affairs which are urgent. The Spanish Ambassador is very curious to ascertain what negotiation the Englishman came hither to treat, and he leaves no means untried to obtain the information, because he doubts whether this project of marriage be not a mere pretext to hide something else of importance, but hitherto he has not been able to discover what may be going on. His Excellency told me that he had received orders from the Catholic King to send all advices and intelligence to the Grand Commander [de Requescens] because the Duke of Alva had been ordered to leave Flanders immediately, and to resign the government to the Grand Commander. The most Christian King had set out for La Fere when he heard of the Queen Mother's sudden return, and his Majesty thereupon proceeded to Rheims to meet her Majesty. |
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Chalons, 2nd December 1573. |
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[Italian.] |
| Dec. 15. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
564. Sigismondo di Cavalli, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory. |
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His most Christian Majesty at Commercy has dismissed the gentleman from England who was sent to the Queen Mother, without any reply to his proposal, but the gentleman has been informed that as soon as their Majesties met, an answer would be sent to a somewhat lengthy document which he had delivered, and which contained several articles, and that the answer would be conveyed to England by Mons. de la Mauvissière, a personage well known and acceptable to his Queen, and who would remain as Ambassador in England in the stead of the Ambassador then resident there. I have not been able to learn with any certainty the entire scope of these negotiations, but one point has clearly been to establish a good understanding between France, England, and the Princes of Germany. England and these Princes have proposed to the King that he should pardon all individuals who have been exiled from the kingdom on account of religious opinions, and who are upwards of 25,000 in number; and that his Majesty should also restore to them their property, and enact that both they as well as all other persons of the Huguenot persuasion should live in security in their own abodes. In confirmation of this view I have been informed by high officials that the King has no other wish except to be good friends with everyone, and that he desires to be freed from a life beset by suspicion, so as to be enabled some day to establish peace throughout his kingdom, and to repair the losses and ruin which his vassals have suffered. |
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Their Majesties give out by various hints that the marriage treaty for the Duke of Alençon is still on foot, because the English gentleman who was lately here was invariably accompanied by the gentlemen and servants of his Highness, and had his expenses, as well as those of the English Ambassador in ordinary, paid at his Highness' cost; and subsequently the Duke in person gave a banquet to
the English gentleman, and was seen to have a long conversation with him. Nevertheless, it is believed that the conclusion of this marriage is a very remote contingency. |
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Soissons, 15th December 1573. |
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[Italian.] |
| Dec. 29. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
565. Stgismondo di Cavalli, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory. |
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I have heard upon good authority that when the Queen Mother was at Blamont she had frequent interviews with Count Louis of Nassau, who assured her that his brother the Prince had been so far successful in Flanders that he was now able to act against the King of Spain, not only defensively but offensively, and that besides those parties who supported him openly he had a good understanding with several other Provinces, which might at any time declare in his favour. |
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It is not easy to understand the exact scope of these conferences, but it seems likely that their Majesties are desirous to come to an arrangement with England and Germany, and thus make peace with their own Huguenots. |
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Poissy, 29th December 1573. |
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[Italian.] |
| Dec. 30. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
566. Sigismondo di Cavalli, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Signory. |
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I went yesterday to visit the English Ambassador [Dale], who asked me whether I had heard any particulars of the plot which had been lately discovered at La Rochelle, and having answered in the negative, I requested him to tell me what he knew. He then informed me that some time ago the President of Poitiers, though he had become a Catholic, professed to have turned Huguenot, and declared for liberty, insisting that the people were plundered, and could no longer bear their burdens; and in this way he collected adherents, for whom he had provided standards and yellow cassocks with a black band, bearing as a motto in white letters the word “Liberty.” Thus, by making a show of siding with the citizens of La Rochelle, he introduced some of his accomplices into the city, and his intention was, when opportunity favoured, to enter the city with all his own men, and to obtain such a footing there that he might carry into effect his ulterior intention of taking the city, and surrendering it into the hands of the most Christian King; but the citizens of La Rochelle had discovered the plot, and captured about twelve of the conspirators. And here the English Ambassador expressed his great surprise at the policy which was followed by the Government of France, saying that, “while they did not want war, they knew not how to take advantage of peace;” that the agreement with the Huguenots was proceeding favourably enough, and that when the King was at Orleans the Huguenots had again sent Ambassadors to consider and terminate this agreement, and that his Queen (Queen Elizabeth) had consented to mediate in
order to bring the affair to a close. But that now it would be extremely difficult for the Huguenots to have any faith in the agreement, considering that none of the promises made to them have been kept, and that therefore they could trust no one, and his Queen also, seeing such vacillation, would in all probability be more cautious, in order that her friends might not have any cause of complaint against her. The Ambassador also told me that the departure of the Court from Compiegne was solely on account of the Huguenots, who considered that place unsafe for their Ambassadors, so the King had consented to go to Orleans. I also learned from the Ambassador that he had received advices to the effect that four barges, laden with wheat and barley, which had been dispatched to relieve Middleburg, had arrived there, so that with this aid the place would now have sufficient provisions for twenty days longer. |
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Poissy, 30th December 1573. |
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[Italian.] |
