Venice: June 1618, 1-15 | British History Online

Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 15, 1617-1619. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1909.

Citation:

'Venice: June 1618, 1-15', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 15, 1617-1619, ed. Allen B Hinds( London, 1909), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/venice/vol15/pp224-236 [accessed 25 November 2024].

June 1618



June 1. Collegio, Lettere. Venetian Archives.	377. ANTONIO PRIULI, doge of Venice, to the EMPEROR.
	Notification of his election as doge to succeed Niccolo Donato, deceased.
	The like to:
	The Most Christian King,
	The Catholic king,
	The King of Poland,
	The king of Bohemia,
	And all the others.
	[Latin.]
June 1. Collegio, Lettere. Venetian Archives.	378. To the ambassador at Rome.
	Order to present to the pope the letter advising him of the election of Antonio Priuli, accompanying the act with the proper office.
	The like, mutatis mutandis to the ambassador in Germany for the emperor, the kings of Bohemia and Poland, the archdukes Maximilian and Albert, the electors of the Empire, the duke of Wirtemberg; in France for his Most Christian Majesty and the duke of Lorraine: in Spain, England, Savoy, Florence, Milan; at the Hague, for the States and Count Maurice of Nassau.
	[Italian.]
June 1. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Zante. Venetian Archives.	379. POLO TREVISAN, Proveditore of Zante, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	Sends report of an individual recently come from the Morea. Zante, the 1st June, 1618.
	[Italian.]
Enclosed in the preceding despatch.	380. The 8th May, 1618.
	Interrogation of Francesco di Antonio of Zante, come from Modon and previously from Barbary. At Barbary there were eighty pirate bertons and six galleys who prey upon everything that comes to hand. These bertons have penetrated as far as the Strait of Gibraltar where they have taken two islands, one called Santa Maria, both belonging to the king of Spain. Every day they capture Spanish ships and others which fall into their hands. They took thirty or forty of the slaves captured to Modon where they were bought by the Rais, Mustapha Pasha.
	[Italian.]
June 1. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Zante. Venetian Archives.	381. POLO TREVISAN, Proveditore of Zante, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	Since I wrote last about the better conditions prevailing here I have had no opportunity of sending word as the port is still unfrequented by ships owing to the past troubles. I now send word by this English ship which arrived here. The trouble has not been felt for three months now. A fortnight ago two persons were attacked, but by energetic measures I stopped it from spreading further. I have punished with death those who have infringed my orders in the matter.
	Zante, the 1st June, 1618.
	[Italian.]
June 1. Collegio, Secreta. Esposizioni Principi. Venetian Archives.	382. The Secretary of the ambassador of the King of Great Britain came into the Cabinet and said:
	An event has happened upon which his Excellency has made complaint to the Council of Ten. They have given a gracious reply, but he has directed me to inform your Serenity also. The day before yesterday the Lord Chamberlain of England was dining at the ambassador's house, where he remained at table till about five in the evening. At that hour the earl of Oxford entered his Excellency's gondola, accompanied by the steward who was to see him to his apartments. At a short distance from the house they met a barque with men. These challenged and them stopped them taking the steward prisoner to the magistracy of the Arsenal, where he remained the whole night, and though they might easily have taken information, they would not do so. This seemed very strange to his Excellency as they could not have treated worse the greatest rascal imaginable or have dealt more severely with an enemy. But this was the earl's gondola, the servants were known and in livery and when he said he was the steward of his Excellency, they spoke sneeringly, saying: What ambassador of England? steward? and such things. In the morning he was released by the Council of Ten. On the following day he met with one Count Piero, who was present at the arrest of the steward. He said in a jesting manner: I would give a sequin, Mr. Steward that yesterday evening's event had not happened. The majordomo, who is a man of some sense, replied that he might well say so, the other passed all bounds of respect and began to speak freely in the Venetian dialect. We do not know what he was after at Venice, but he was associated with those who were hanged. If it had been any one but the English ambassador I would have respected him. The Secretary continued: The English ambassador, who has always shown his esteem for the republic has instructed me to make the liveliest representations to your Serenity.
	Councillor Valier promised that the matter should be duly considered. Procurator Lando said that this behaviour of an ignorant obscure person should be treated as it deserved.
	The Secretary asked for the release of Sir [John] Vere, an Englishman, detained at Udine because of a duel in which he was wounded by his adversary Milander twice in the arm. His adversary is free.
	Councillor Valier said that they would take information and the Savii promised to do what was proper. At this the Secretary took leave.
	[Italian.]
June 2. Senato, Secreta. Diliberazioni. Venetian Archives.	383. To the ambassador at Rome:
	The Council of Ten recently notified us that they had discovered a conspiracy against this city, and their decision, which has been carried out to put certain persons to death, while some are detained and others are absent. In this plot it clearly appears that the Catholic ambassador resident here has taken a considerable part, and he himself has not been able to deny it, as you will see from the enclosed copy of his offices. We, having placed ourselves in safety, have decided to write to Spain as you see by the enclosed copy. This is for information only, and you will say nothing of our request to Spain to remove the ambassador, or charge him with treachery, but you will proceed with the reserve which we have prescribed to the Ambassador Gritti. You will simply say that we are very dissatisfied with the Spanish ambassador and we have made representations at the Catholic Court touching his person.
	The like to:
	Germany.	Naples.
	France.	Milan.
	England.	The Hague.
	Turin.	Zurich.
	Constantinople.	Mantua.
	Florence.
	Ayes	162.
	Noes	1.
	Neutral	2.
	[Italian.]
June 2. Senato, Secreta. Deliberazioni. Venetian Archives.	384. To the ambassador in Spain.
	We send you for information what the Council of Ten communicated to us about a conspiracy and the offices of the Catholic ambassador. If questioned you will not enter into particulars but simply declare that powerful reasons have influenced the Council. For this and other reasons the Spanish ambassador is abhorred by us and detested in the city. You will try and have him removed but in such sort that his Majesty may attribute it solely to the fault of the minister and not to any lack of our friendship. We send you fresh letters of credit to give greater vigour to your offices. You will strongly urge his Majesty to remove the ambassador but without entering into any particulars about his fault or accusing him of treason. If you are asked questions you will reply that you have no orders and it will be understood that this silence is observed out of respect for his Majesty.
	We add for information that the ambassador's house is more closely watched than ever; if you are asked about it you will say that this is simply done for the ambassador's safety and to prevent tumults.
	The like to:
	Rome.	Naples.
	Germany.	Florence.
	France.	Milan.
	England.	The Hague.
	Turin.	Zurich.
	Constantinople.
	Ayes	152.
	Noes	7.
	Neutral	21.
	[Italian.]
June 2. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Roma. Venetian Archives.	385. GIROLAMO SORANZO, Venetian Ambassador at Rome, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	The pope sent for me to-day and said: Cardinal Borgia has just shown us letters from his brother saying that all the galleons have been recalled from the Gulf and are to go to Barbary. I said: Holy Father, my news from Naples states that the five galleons have gone to Brindisi, where all Ossuna's preparations are made. He asked me about the troubles at Venice. I said that I had no information. The report here says that it was an attempt against Venice promulgated by the Spaniards and there is much indignation, as the Spaniards are universally hated. Some here think that the royal galleons may have orders to fall in with the ships coming from England and Holland to the Gulf to fight them. I have written on this point to the Captain General, by way of Ancona.
	Rome, the 2nd June, 1618.
	[Italian.]
June 3. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Signori Stati. Venetian Archives.	386. CHRISTOFFORO SURIAN, Venetian Secretary in the Netherlands, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	I have heard that the captains of the three ships from Rotterdam, believing that the wind would be favourable to the ships at Texel decided to remain at sea under sail to await them, and so they joined each other in this way and continued the voyage without touching the port of Falmouth in England. They have been gone seventeen days and I hope by now they have passed the Strait.
	The Hague, the 3rd June, 1618.
	[Italian.]
June 5. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Savoia. Venetian Archives.	387. RANIER ZEN, Venetian Ambassador in Savoy, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	The duke referred to the recent conspiracy at Venice. The Spaniards declared that their reported participation in it was a pure invention. I fear, he said, that the French also had a hand in it, not the king, who could not be better disposed, but a few corrupt ministers. I foresee a war against the republic and myself. This must be met in time. If it is inevitable we must have the French with us, if possible, and the other powers. To move upon such a just pretext as this diabolical conspiracy will, of necessity, draw in the French, England, the pope and all the princes of Italy; to pass it over means fighting afterwards at a disadvantage. I think it will be better if the Spaniards do not restore Vercelli to me, for if they do not we shall have with us not only France but the whole world, and we shall assuredly beat them.
	Turin, the 5th June, 1618.
	[Italian.]
June 5. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Napoli. Venetian Archives.	388. GASPARO SPINELLI, Venetian Secretary at Naples, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	They are expecting here the English captain Roberto, (fn. 1) who last year had the command of the brigantines and who was recently at Trieste. They continue to levy French soldiers here, who are much better treated than the Spaniards themselves.
	Naples, the 5th June, 1618.
	[Italian.]
June 6. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Signori Stati. Venetian Archives.	389. CHRISTOFFORO SURIAN, Venetian Secretary in the Netherlands, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	Encloses muster rolls of the soldiers and sailors going to serve the republic in order that a due record may be kept of those who die.
	The Hague, the 6th June, 1618.
	[Italian.]
Enclosed in the preceding despatch.	390. Extracts from the muster rolls:
	Troops of Captain Jan Jansson Vanderlinden in the ship Glass from Rotterdam.
	James Danolson, a Scot, salary 8 ducats, food 9 ducats.
	Troops of Capt. Isaac Janson van Nieuvelt in the ship Emaus from Amsterdam.
	Robert Sterachem, a Scot, under pilot, salary 33 ducats.
	James Williams, a Scot, quartermaster.
	John Janson of London, barber.
	John Davidson of London.	Gunners.
	John Cooren of Edinburgh.
	Edmund Jerners of London.
	Alexander Vlit, a Scot, musketeer.
	Troops of Captain Peter Korsson Hoort of Dordrecht in the ship Three Kings, from Rotterdam.
	Abel Ednos of London.	Gunners.
	Thomas Mansi, a Scot.	Gunners.
	William Harders, common sailor, an Englishman.
	David Stuart, an Englishman, soldier.
	Thomas Williamson, an Englishman, soldier.
	[Italian.]
June 6. Senato, Secreta. Deliberazioni. Venetian Archives.	391. In the Council of Ten.
	That the memorial of the English ambassador about Count Piero be sent to the Cabinet together with the person of the said Piero, so that they may decide as they see proper.
	Ayes	10.
	Noes	1.
	Neutral	3.
	[Italian.]
[June 6]. Senato, Secreta. Communicationi dal Cons di X. Venetian Archives.	392. Memorial of Henry Wotton, the English ambassador.
	The case is as follows: Last Wednesday evening I sent William Leete (Lith), my steward, well known as such and as a well conducted gentleman, to invite the earl of Oxford to my house on the following day. Not finding him, he waited until the third hour of the night. He then returned to my house alone in the gondola, with the earl's gondoliers. Near San Martino, from which he started, he was stopped by a band of armed men, among whom was one who is jestingly called Count Piero. They asked who he was and he replied: A servant of the English ambassador. Pieiro replied that he would take him to the Arsenal. At this Luigi, gondolier of the earl of Oxford, said the steward had spoken the truth, he had supped with the earl and was coming straight back to my house. He said they could obtain information about this from Mr. Parvis who lived near. Nevertheless Piero draged my steward before the magistrate, who kept him in prison that night, although he heard the facts given above. On the following morning this Count Piero returned and after much threatening and insulting language declared that if my steward had not revealed that he was a servant of the ambassador of the king of England, he would have let him go. When the steward warned him not to speak thus, he repeated the same words twice again. In this way first the immunity of the representatives of crowned heads and their households has been violated, in the person of one of my principal servants, who is well known; secondly the honour and dignity of his Majesty have been offended in the most serious manner possible; thirdly the English nation, at a crisis like the present, is sullied by the most abominable suspicions. I therefore ask your Excellencies for such a sentence as shall vindicate the honour of his Majesty and his subjects.
	HENRY WOTTON [autograph.] (fn. 2)
	[Italian.]
June 9. Senato, Secreta. Diliberazioni. Venetian Archives.	393. To the ambassador at the Imperial Court.
	Our Commissioner Nicolo Contarini has left to take part in the final arrangements for the conclusion of the treaty of peace. We heard of a project of the duke of Ossuna to disturb the peace, accordingly our Captain General at sea went to watch Brindisi and to secure the passage of our galleys of Candia and the ships from the west which are to join him.
	With respect to Lombardy the French ambassadors have made a very firm reply to Don Pedro's requests, telling him he must make restitution, and it is said Vercelli will be given up to-day or to-morrow, unless he finds some fresh pretext for delay. He is also trying to work upon Mantua so as to obtain fresh pretexts.
	The like to the other Courts and to the Generals.
	Ayes	113.
	Noes	0.
	Neutral	3.
	[Italian.]
June 9. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci Constantinopoli. Venetian Archives.	394. ALMORO NANI, Venetian Ambassador in Constantinop le to the DOGE and SENATE.
	News has reached here that the people of Barbary, hearing that, the Christians are making a large fleet, which they represent to be greater than it really is, have made a muster of all their troops in Algiers, which are said to amount to 30,000 good soldiers. They have eighty bertons with which to defend themselves and they have driven out of Algiers the consuls of France, England and Flanders, because by arrangement with the Beherbey, they were taking slaves out of the hands of their owners, under various pretexts.
	Dalle Vigne di Pera, the 9th June, 1618.
	[Italian; deciphered.]
June 10. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Spagna. Venetian Archives.	395. PIERO GRITTI, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	I have heard from more than one direction that the instructions recently sent to the duke of Ossuna to withdraw his galleons from the Gulf are very precise. The effect they may have should appear soon. The pretext about the coming of the English and Dutch alleged by Ossuna as an excuse for not obeying the previous orders to this effect are now vain, since the king has repeated the orders after having heard of the English and Dutch ships. If the ships are not withdrawn from the Adriatic it will be an indication that this trouble does not originate with the duke of Ossuna, but from another root.
	Madrid, the 10th June, 1618.
	[Italian; the part in italics deciphered.]
June 10. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Spagna. Venetian Archives.	396. PIERO GRITTI, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	The secretary of England here has informed the ministers of the decision of his king to send a fleet to these seas against the pirates. According to his statement it will consist of twenty-four ships. He was told that this would be a remarkable innovation. There was no precedent, however far back they might go, for the English sending a fleet into these waters against the Turks, who had always been met by the forces of Spain. To this the secretary replied that neither was there any previous time when the pirates who came out from Algiers were so powerful or when they had inflicted so much damage upon the English nation. They had not only penetrated into the Ocean, but had come almost into English waters. The way to cause this decision to be reconsidered was to promise his king to indemnify his subjects for all the losses they suffered from those people.
	News from Seville states that the Dutch ships from Amsterdam have been taken by pirates and that the ships from Algiers which went to the Canaries have sacked the island of Lancerotte and it is feared that they will attack yet other islands.
	A week ago a courier arrived here from Porto Santa Maria with the news that the ships from England and Holland, which are going to serve your Excellencies, have passed the Strait. The Secretary Cerisa renewed his complaints to the resident of England, who replied that he could not see where the grievance lay since it was notorious that the republic was at peace with this Crown, and his king was assured that the provisions made by your Excellencies were solely for defence.
	Madrid, the 10th June, 1618.
	[Italian.]
June 10. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Savoia. Venetian Archives.	397. RANIER ZEN, Venetian Ambassador in Savoy, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	The news of the restitution of Vercelli is expected hourly, as the Spaniards are to evacuate it to-night. Several days ago his Highness promised the English agent that when this event took place he should be the first to send the news to his king by his gentleman, who is ready at the agent's house for this purpose, expecting to receive a gratuity of some 1,000 crowns from the king, the agent letting it be understood that he will willingly give 1,000 crowns to whoever obtains this gratuity for him. This morning the French ambassadors have begged his Highness that Salmatoris may go first to France with the news, proposing to send him also to England. His Highness told them that he had already pledged his word to the English agent for a gentleman of his. Accordingly they sent Salmatoris to beg the agent to allow this or at least to arrange the times of departure so that Salmatoris might arrive first in France. This was arranged between them. Salmatoris told the English minister that he has his letters ready, as they are expecting the news any moment. The agent has only just been to see me and I am hurrying off the courier.
	Turin, the 10th June, 1618.
	[Italian.]
June 10. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Signori Stati. Venetian Archives.	398. CHRISTOFFORO SURIAN, Venetian Secretary in the Netherlands, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	The Ambassador Carleton should by now be in London, as he left last Thursday. He was presented with a gold chain. When he took it he protested that he did not receive it as an ambassador who is leaving, but as one who is going to return again, and so he would take it to his king to dispose of it. Although he stated in public that he would be back within two months I have discovered that he may not return before the end of October. I do not know whether he has left here any one of standing to transact business; it may be so because he brought some one with him from England who has already served as secretary. He is not very well satisfied, and in speaking to me of the leave to go home for which Sir [Henry] Wotton had asked he seemed to be far from averse to returning to Venice himself, although he said this under his breath.
	The Hague, the 10th June, 1618.
	[Italian.]
June 10. Senato, Secreta. Proveditore delle Armi in Terra Ferma et Istria. Venetian Archives.	399. ANTONIO BARBARO, Proveditore of the Forces, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	Before M. de Rochlor marched away with his troops he told me that Vere and Milander were reconciled and had become friends, and since then I have ascertained that it is true. As you have directed me to set Vere at liberty, I have given the like notification to Milander and have ordered both to join their companies in the fleet under the orders of the Captain General. Vere left this morning and Milander is also going. I told Rochlor that you had granted his request to nominate a lieutenant colonel feeling sure he would appoint a suitable person. He was much gratified.
	Udine, the 10th June, 1618.
	[Italian.]
June 11. Collegio Secreta. Esposizioni Principi. Venetian Archives.	400. The Secretary of the English ambassador came into the Cabinet and said:
	His Excellency, on hearing that the case of Piero called Count has been remitted by the Council of Ten to your Serenity and your Excellencies has directed me to present the following paper.
	Most Serene Prince:
	I beg to submit to you particulars which I have already given to the Council of Ten with some further details. On Wednesday evening last I sent William Lith my steward to invite the Earl of Oxford to my house for the following day. He waited three hours for him, returning in the gondola alone with the earl's gondoliers. Near San Martino he was stopped by a band of armed men, among them one who is jestingly known as Count Piero. When this man asked him who he was, he said he was a servant of the English ambassador. Piero said he would take him to the lords of the Arsenal. Luigi, the earl's gondolier, said that he had dined with the earl and was returning home and that Sig. Parvis, who lived near by, would bear witness to the fact. Nevertheless the steward was dragged before the magistrate and spent that night in prison. On the following morning Count Piero returned and after many insulting words he told the steward that he would have let him go if he had not let slip that he was a servant of the ambassador of the king of England. He repeated the same words upon two other occasions. Your Excellencies thus see the immunity of the representatives of crowned heads and their households violated in the person of one of the chief functionaries of my house, and the dignity and honour of his Majesty offended in the most serious manner possible. Finally the English nation, at such a time as the present, is sullied with the most abominable suspicion by such words. In view of all this I ask for such a sentence as shall vindicate the honour of his Majesty and his subjects. I wrote this much to the Council of Ten. I have two other considerations to offer, the first that my steward wore no arms except a dagger, and the gondola was not standing still but moving towards the house; the other that he was detained without being accused of any crime whatsoever, as there is no law at Venice which forbids anyone to be out at the third hour of the night. He must therefore have been taken upon suspicion of the recent unhappy events, as the common voice of the Piazza gives out. This leads me to ask for satisfaction for our nation as well as for the wounded honour of his Majesty.
	Your Serenity's Most Devoted Servant,
	HENRY WOTTON.
	After reading this the Secretary added: I am instructed to tell your Serenity that when I made the first request to the heads of the Council of Ten his Excellency commanded me to tell them that if a sentence were passed he would be pleased that the condemnation should be handed over to him, and I am commissioned to say the same to your Serenity.
	The doge replied that what was fitting should be done.
	The Secretary added: I have already asked for the release of Captain Vere, but he still remains in prison at Udine. The Savii said that orders for his release had been sent, upon condition that he should have made his peace with Milander, his adversary, but the indisposition of General Barbaro, to whom the orders had been sent, possibly accounted for the delay.
	The Secretary seemed satisfied, and after taking leave he departed.
	[Italian.]
June 12. Senato, Secreta, Dispacci. Savoia. Venetian Archives	401. RANIER ZEN, Venetian Ambassador in Savoy, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	The English agent has been to me to ask me for a favour on behalf of his Majesty, namely to write asking our ambassador Soranzo at Rome to get some one of his household to observe the proceedings of Lord Roos, (fn. 3) who fled from their Court, that is if he frequents the house of the Spanish ambassador, Cardinals or others who favour the affairs of the Catholic king, in short to see whether he is carrying on any negotiations with the Spaniards. He wished me particularly to ask our ambassador to send me a special letter with this news because he would like to send it to the king. It would show the merits of the ministers of your Serenity and prove that he had carried out his instructions. I send word in order that you may give the necessary instructions. He has got his Highness to write other letters to the Abbot Scaglia, his ambassador at Rome, to perform the same service.
	Turin, the 12th June, 1618.
	[Italian.]
June 14. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Inghilterra. Venetian Archives.	402. PIERO CONTARINI, Venetian Ambassador Extraordinary in England, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	Biondi, the agent of Savoy, continues to acquaint his Majesty from time to time with what is passing concerning the restitution of the fortresses by Don Pedro to his Highness, and how faint the hopes are of recovering Vercelli, by reason of the delay adopted in removing the ammunition and military stores, although Don Pedro had nothing left to complain of or to lay claim to, the duke having condescended to everything to deprive him of all pretexts for not fulfilling the agreement; and the agent keeps urging the king to perform the promises so frequently given and repeated by him, as there can no longer be any doubt but that the Spaniards have no intention of surrendering that fortress. The last reply he received enjoined him to tell his Highness that his Majesty would not fail in the promises he had given; that he was aware of his very just reasons and of the misconduct of the Spaniards, and that on receiving documentary evidence in writing or a certificate from the French ambassador, to the effect that although the duke had complied with the articles of the treaty, the Spaniards on their part failed to do the like, he would on those grounds do his utmost, in Germany and even join the Princes there in support and defence of the duke's cause, and if necessary he even would suspend the negotiations for the marriage with the Catholic king.
	The Ambassador Carleton has arrived from Holland and reports that the disputes between the two religious parties in those provinces are greater than ever, so that there is constant dread of some serious disturbance in the United Provinces, where writings and libels teeming with abuse and a thousand insults circulate daily. The ambassador will remain here until able to obtain the arrears of his salary, not without some hope of replacing the Secretary Lake, whose power has declined, and who is out of favour with the king and in great danger of losing his post.
	The Muscovite Ambassador took his departure last week, with the ships of the company which trades in those parts. He is accompanied by an ambassador from his Majesty, (fn. 4) to return the compliment and confirm the negotiations transacted here. He is the bearer of upwards of 200,000 crowns in money besides merchandise, as a loan from the merchants here to the Muscovite, not merely with the hope of obtaining privileges advantageous for their traffic, but also the monopoly of the Russian trade, to the utter exclusion of the Dutch.
	It is reported to-day that Sir Walter Raleigh's crews have taken him by force to Ireland the truth of which must soon be known, as in that case he will be brought here in a few days.
	A royal proclamation has appeared prescribing the mode in which the people are to pass their holidays, and the sort of games they may engage in, (fn. 5) because, in conformity with their doctrine, the Puritans in several parts of the country went about prohibiting all sports.
	London, the 14th June, 1618.
	[Italian.]
June 15. Collegio, Secreta. Lettere. Venetian Archives.	403. To the ambassador with the king of Great Britain.
	This week we have received your letters, one of the 18th and one of the 24th ult. We commend your diligence in sending off the ships and we hope they will have a good voyage, although we have no news of them so far. We also praise your prudent offices with his Majesty in execution of our orders. We send you a copy of the exposition of his Majesty's ambassador in our Cabinet for your information. This Count Piero is detained in the prisons of the Council of Ten and we will tell you what we decide to do if the wrath of the ambassador is not assuaged and if he does not withdraw his demand for the punishment of this man, who, in performing his office, may have surpassed the bounds of modesty, as he is known to be naturally imprudent and free and impudent in speech, so that no importance should be attached to what he says.
	[Italian.]
June 15. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Savoia. Venetian Archives.	404. RANIER ZEN, Venetian Ambassador in Savoy, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	At midday a man arrived to tell the French ambassadors that the troops began to evacuate Vercelli at 9 this morning. The duke has just let me know, at the third hour of the night, that the place is in his hands. I at once sent to congratulate his Highness and went to visit the French ambassadors. They are sending off Salmatoris to their king with the news. The English agent is also sending to his master, while I am sending a member of my household to your Serenity, as I have no courier. I am also sending the news to-night to France and England.
	The agent, in addition to the news tells his king that he must not think this restitution solves all the difficulties and establishes peace in Italy, unless it is understood that the forces in the state of Milan must be disbanded. It is necessary to insist strongly upon this, otherwise the friends of the English crown, in this province and in Germany will be unable to rest secure or have their minds at peace, since these same forces, being so considerable as they are, may any day undertake something prejudicial to their tranquillity.
	Turin, the 15th June, 1618.
	[Italian.]