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| Nov. 9. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
979. Tomaso Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The Catholic Armada, which went to Brittany, entered the port of Nantes on the 15th of October. The following day it landed three thousand Spanish infantry. These troops, two galleasses and four ships, are to remain in Brittany all winter. The rest of the fleet has returned to Santander in Biscay. |
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The infantry is being very badly treated; the cities refuse to admit them within their gates, and it is feared that during the cold of winter they will waste away miserably. |
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Madrid, 9th November 1590. |
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[Italian; the part in italics deciphered.] |
| Nov. 10. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
980. Tomaso Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The fleet of forty ships, under the orders of Don Alonzo de Bazan, which sailed to the Azores to put down piracy, has returned home. It accomplished nothing neither against the pirates nor towards the safety of the fleet. |
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It left Ferrol so late in the season that stormy winds had set in. The fleet came within ten leagues of the Azores, but there the storm blew in its teeth, and it was forced back to Portugal. Part of it is now lying at Bayona, part in another port near Cape Finisterre. It will unite at Ferrol with the other squadron of light vessels which has been in Brittany, and is now at Santander. |
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In the meantime the English buccaneers have captured many ships, among them two very rich ones on their way from Havana. When this news reached the rest of the fleet it delayed its departure so as not to run any risks. |
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Madrid, 10th November 1590. |
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[Italian; the part in italics deciphered.] |
| Nov. 10. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
981. Tomaso Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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I have just received news from Lisbon that the ship “Salvagna,” which I caused to be liberated some months ago when she was detained at Muros, set sail from Cascaes on the 26th of last month against the advice of everyone. Those waters are swarming with pirates, and on the 28th the “Salvagna” was captured off Cape St. Vincent in company with another ship bound for Leghorn. The captors were a squadron of thirty-six English ships and eight galleons. The “Salvagna” had on board one hundred thousand ducats worth of cargo, and the other sixty thousand. The smaller ship fought and defended herself with her cannon, the larger did not fire a shot. The crew of the smaller ship was landed, but the “Salvagna,” crew and all, remained in the hands of the English; and no one knows whether she will be set at liberty because she is Venetian, or whether she will be taken to England. |
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The merchants interested in her are thinking of sending an Agent express to England to treat for her release. |
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Madrid, 10th November 1590. |
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[Italian.] |
| Nov. 20. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
982. Giovanni Mocenigo, Venetian Ambassador in France to the Doge and Senate. |
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The Vicount of Turenne has arrived at Dieppe, and is only waiting fine weather to embark for England. |
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Tours, 20th November 1590. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| Nov. 20. Copy of Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
983. Vincenzo Gradenigo, Venetian Ambassador in Germany, to the Doge and Senate. |
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All the King of Spain's despatches have been opened, and the ciphers taken out. Now no cipher is considered safe, as the Spanish were thought to be the best. |
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Prague, 20th November 1590. |
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[Italian.] |
| Nov. 29. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
984. Tomaso Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The report which the Duke of Parma has sent from France as to his operations in that country, leads the Ministers here to suspect that the Duke is not anxious to see the King of Spain making headway in France and against England, so as not to find his own duchy in Italy placed entirely at the discretion of the Spanish Crown. |
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Madrid, 29th November 1590. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| Nov. 29. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
985. Tomaso Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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I hear from Lisbon that some men of the “Salvagna,” which was captured by the English, were landed, but the officers were detained. These men, who were put ashore, have now reached Lisbon, and report that the enemy took out of the “Salvagna” three hundred and fifty parcels of pepper, and put them on their flagship. They also seized two barrels of reals, destined for Ceuta; threw overboard to lighten the ship, one hundred sacks of grain, also for Ceuta. The “Salvagna” was then taken off towards England. When the interested parties heard this they held a meeting, and made a subscription to send an Agent express to the Queen of England in the hope of recovering the ship and the merchandise. |
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On the receipt of the news of this mischief which the English were doing, orders were sent to the Catholic fleet to put out once more and clear the pirates out of those waters. |
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Madrid, 29th November 1590. |
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[Italian; the part in italics deciphered.] |
