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Aug. 3.
Venice. |
401. Peter Vannes to the Council. The Duke of Alva is very
strong in the field. It is written from Frassineto, a little town and
a pretty castle, that he arrived there on the 21st ult. The French
garrison refused to surrender, but were straight assaulted by certain
pieces of ordnance and constrained to yield themselves to his discretion. He hanged some of the principal men and sent the rest to
the gallies. Next day he crossed the Po with his army, by certain
bridges made for the purpose, leaving Frassineto on fire; going
softly forward by reason that some troops which he expected had
not arrived. On the 24th ult. he sent a great part of the provisions
to Crescentino, staying himself for the arrival of Mons. della Trinità
with troops from Cherasco and Fossano. He will be obliged to
change his route or to wait on account of the dangerous state of the
Dora, which is swollen by the heavy rains. Mons. de Brissac having
well fortified all places of passage on the farther side, it is to be
thought the Duke will march to Ivrea and divert Brissac from the
place he now occupies, instead of crossing the Dora; while della
Trinità will go to relieve Ulpiano. There is news that the Turk's
army continues about Elba, doing all the mischief they can. It is
said, but it is not certain, that they are joined by the French
gallies which lately brought Baron de la Garde, Mons. de Thermes,
and Pietro Strozzi to Toulon; after consultation they separated,
Strozzi going to the French Court. They make much bravery to
get up a war in Tuscany, but there is no likelihood where and
how they should begin. Yet the French keep a hold in Sienna.
They boast that the Turk's army will sojourn all this winter in the
Tuscan seas and thus trouble Sardinia and Sienna. It is written
for certain that the Turk is determined to restore King Stephen,
nephew and heir apparent to the King of Poland, and son to the
Vaivode in Transylvania, and divers other places that the King of
the Romans holds, for the delivery of them. The Turk has sent an
Ambassador of the King of the Romans back to him for that
purpose; else he will proclaim a cruel war against him. [Three
pages.] |
Aug. 10.
Brussels. |
402. Edward, Earl of Devonshire, to Lord Wentworth. Expecting shortly some horses from England by way of Calais, requests
that they may be permitted to pass safely without interruption,
for the convenience whereof sends his servant the bearer. [One
page. Indorsed by Petre.] |
Aug. 19.
Antwerp. |
403. Thomas Gresham to Queen Mary. In his letter of 4th
August he mentioned that he had taken up by exchange in part
payment of 14,280l the sum of 7,263l. 6s. 8d. Since that has also
taken up by exchange the sum of 3,726l. Intends to take up the
rest by the end of this month. Will return home to confer with her
Majesty and the Council concerning the payment of her debts due
in October and January next, and April following. Incloses a
perfect note of the days of payment, and names of her creditors
for his discharge, because the time of the first payment draws near,
and this is one of the chiefest things she has to look to for the
maintenance of her credit, which if she keep now he is assured
she does and will excel all Princes in credit. No Prince living can
go out of his own dominions and obtain such credit as she has,
and may have always if the thing be looked to, and this has stood
her Majesty in her necessity in no small stead. Reminds her to
call most earnestly upon the Lords of the Council to take means
that her first payment, due in October next, may be met. [One
page.] Inclosing, |
|
403. I. Abstract of her Majesty's debts in Flanders, with the
date when they become due. [Broadside.] |
Aug. 24.
Venice. |
404. Peter Vannes to the Council. Although he does not suppose
that the knowledge of the advertisements sent from him often
stays their greater affairs, still thinks it his duty continually to
write to them the occurrences here. By letters from divers places
and from Corsica of the 19th inst., it appears that the French at
Calvi, having beaten down a great part of the ramparts and the
walls of the castle, gave the assault with 16 ensigns of Gascons
and 200 Turks, with such a fierceness that in a moment a great
many of them were upon the walls. Those within, however,
nothing abashed or feared, having prepared mines and engines with
fire, defended the place for three hours and finally repulsed the
assailants with a loss of 200 killed and as many hurt; the master
of the Gascon camp was sore wounded, and two alfieri [standardbearers] and their ensigns taken prisoner. Next day the Turks
prepared to give another assault, but wanting to make a new
breach and night coming on, they had to cease from the battery.
The day following the French gallies which were gone to Marseilles
for munitions and victuals returned without any, whereupon the
Turks entered into a great fume and choler and collected their
baggage with the intention of going towards the Levant by
Sardinia; the Gascons, thinking it unsafe to be left there alone, did
the same, leaving two pieces of ordnance and some troops behind
in a very strong little hold. In one part of the country (of
the French faction) the people were determined to rise against
the French if they ever returned. Sends the advices received from
Piedmont (missing), not having leisure to translate them. [Two
pages.] |
Aug. 27.
Greenwich. |
405. The Council to Dr. Wotton. On the 25th the French
Ambassador had an interview with the Lord Chancellor and some
of the Council, to complain that the French troops, pursuing the
Burgundians, had been fired upon from the castle of Guisnes.
The Council vindicated the act, and commended Lord Grey the
Governor, on the ground that the French had no right to follow
their enemy into her Majesty's neutral territory, and that no
favour was intended thereby to be shown to the Imperialists in
preference to their opponents. In reference to his Majesty's
approaching voyage to Flanders, they informed the Ambassador
that they were aware orders had been given to the French ships
of war to stop the passage and search passengers, as they had done
to the Lord Montague and the Bishop of Ely, and that they
considered this usage unfriendly and contrary to promise. That
the English ships were now going only to clear the passage, with
no hostile intention, but if the French attempted to impeach it
they were commanded to use violence. Yesterday they received
a letter from Dover mentioning the stay there of a French vessel
which had been sent to search all the coast and spy the preparations for his Majesty's voyage, the captain of which had
letters from the Ambassador to his master. The Ambassador sent
to complain of this, and was told that no orders were given for
the general detention of French ships, but if he thought that
vessels might come to spy and depart with impunity he was much
mistaken. This morning have received Wotton's letter of the 23d,
and have declared its effect to their Majesties, who take the same
in good part. The Scottish wardens defer the doing of justice.
His Majesty leaves for Flanders in a day or two, escorted by the
Lord Admiral with a good number of the Queen's ships and those
of the Cinque Ports. [Draft. Five pages.] |
| [Aug. ?] |
406. Note for the Council, of the prolongation of the time of
payment of her Majesty's debts in Flanders for six months. [Two
pages.] |
