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| Oct. 2. Copy of Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
970. Vincenzo Gradenigo, Venetian Ambassador in Germany, to the Doge and Senate. |
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Pope Sixtus has been lampooned as a secret friend to Navarre and a man of evil nature. The heretics are praying for the soul of the Pope as they declare that he was of their party. |
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Prague, 2nd October 1590. |
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[Italian.] |
| Oct. 6. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
971. Alberto Badoer, Venetian Ambassador in Rome, to the Doge and Senate. |
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On the strength of the Legates despatches the relief of Paris and the collapse of Navarre's army for want of money are being rumoured everywhere. Navarre is said to have retired to Dieppe to await the arrival of the Viscount of Turenne, and help from England. All the same the larger number of the Cardinals do not quite believe this news. |
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Cardinal Gondi writes to Hieronimo Gondi that the Duke of Parma has declined battle offered to him by the King of Navarre, and has entrenched himself, with the design to await the dismemberment of the King's army through want of money. The Cardinal, however, imagines that the King will go on increasing in force; for he is expecting Turenne with three thousand infantry, four hundred horse and three thousand infantry from England, besides the many people who from all quarters of France will rush to aid him against the Spanish. |
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Rome, 6th October 1590. |
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[Italian.] |
| Oct. 10. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
972. Giovanni Mocenigo, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The arrival of the Deputies from Flanders has roused the jealousy of the Queen of England; and this is the reason why she did not prevent the Duke of Parma from entering France as she had promised. It is supposed that both Spain and England will keep the war alive in France, as the power of France is an object of jealousy to both. |
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Tours, 10th October 1590. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| Oct. 12. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
973. Alberto Badoer, Venetian Ambassador in Rome, to the Doge and Senate. |
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On Monday the Conclave was closed. Rumour pointed to Sta. Severina as Pope. The city was in despair on account of his temperament; but before nightfall the Cardinals Altemps and the two Colonnas had worked so hard that they were reported to hold his exclusion in their hands. |
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Cardinal Montalto being convinced that Sta. Severina had really said that if he were made Pope he would disintere and burn the bones of Pope Sixtus V. as a heretic, now refuses to vote for Sta. Severina. |
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Rome, 12th October 1590. |
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[Italian.] |
| Oct. 13. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
974. Tomaso Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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On St. Jerome's Day, and in the church of that Saint, news was brought to Monsignore Melini, the collector at this Court, that his uncle, Cardinal San Marcello, had been raised to the Papacy. This is very satisfactory to his Majesty; and fireworks in the streets and
lights in the windows of the town at night show that the nation also is delighted. |
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Of five ships which sailed for the East Indies four have come back, as they sailed too late in the season. The other, if it be not already lost, is likewise expected to come back. It is an event which has never happened before, that for a whole year no ship should have gone from Portugal to the Indies. This will cause surprise and anxiety there when they do not receive their usual contingent of troops, especially as it is already known that the English fleet was to threaten Lisbon. |
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English pirates at the Azores are said to have captured some ships on their way from the Brazils. |
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Madrid, 13th October 1590. |
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[Italian; the part in italics deciphered.] |
| Oct. 13. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
975. Tomaso Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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Paulo Porta, the Genoese, who, as I informed your Serenity, has returned from England, is still here, and at this moment is ill in bed. He discussed with a friend, who reported the conversation to me, the question of the negotiations for a peace between the King of Spain and the Queen of England. He said that the Spanish Ministers, at present, are disposed to re-open and to proceed with these negotiations; but he doubted that difficulties would arise, for he was informed from England that the Queen was drawing steadily nearer to the Turk, and he believes that some convention between them has been achieved. On the other hand, as far as I can penetrate into this most secret affair, the Spanish are desirous of coming to terms with England precisely for this reason to prevent such an alliance which would bring disaster to this Crown. (Che hora questi Ministri mostrano haver desiderio che si riassumesse et si proseguisse ma che egli dubita che si haverà difficultà, per esser stato avisato d'Inghilterra che la Regina andava stringendo sempre maggiormetne l'amicitia con il Signor Turco et crede che sia seguita qualche conventione tra loro. Dall' altro canto intendo per quanto si può penetrare in queste secretissime trattationi, che qui per la, medesima causa, vogliono sollecitar l' accordo con la Regina acciò non succeda d' altra, parte qualche union a jattura di questa corona.) |
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There is a proposal from, a Greek Archbishop that the King of Spain should seize Cyprus. |
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There is news from Barcelona that two Turkish galleys, on their way from Algiers to Constantinople, had come near the coast and had fallen into the hands of the Christians through a rising of the galley slaves led by a Genoese renegade. |
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Madrid, 13th October 1590. |
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[Italian; the part in italics deciphered.] |
| Enclosed in preceding Despatch. |
976. Barcelona, 6th October. |
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Yesterday, the 5th, two Moorish galleys put in towards this shore. They fired their guns, ran up their flags, and came on in
such order that the whole city was soon in an uproar. The upshot of the whole affair is this, that a great personage was on board these galleys, being sent as Ambassador from the King of Algiers to the Turks; this man had a young Genoese lad as his slave; his name was Araet Farart, he was only twenty years old, and had no beard on his chin. This lad had been a slave for two years; he now began to plot with other slaves, his own brother and a Castillian, how they could free themselves. They resolved to distribute arms secretly among the galley slaves; and at last on the 26th of last month, at two o'clock at night, on the given signal, the crews of both galleys mutinied. And so well organised was the rising that the first person to be slain was the Ambassador, the master of the Genoese lad, and with him died about three hundred janizaries, and not more than seven or eight Turks were left alive. |
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It is a miraculous event, which has restored to freedom some four hundred Christians; and great are the rejoicings here. The galleys are splendid vessels, and with their fittings and the ransome of the Christians, will be worth one hundred and fifty thousand ducats. |
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[Spanish.] |
| Oct. 14. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
977. Giovanni Mocenigo, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Senate. |
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His Majesty is to go towards Dieppe in order to treat with the Queen of England for that supply of men and horses which has recently been promised him. Thence he will move to attack Rouen. |
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Tours, 14th October 1590 |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| Oct. 23. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
978. Tomaso Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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On the last days of last month the Catholic Armada left the port of Ferrol. Part went to Brittany where it landed troops, part to the Azores to drive away the English pirates who are haunting those waters. |
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Madrid, 23rd October 1590. |
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[Italian.] |
