Venice: December 1618, 1-5 | 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: December 1618, 1-5', 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/pp367-370 [accessed 25 November 2024].

December 1618



Dec. 1. Senato, Secreta. Deliberazioni. Venetian Archives.	615. To the Ambassador at the Imperial Court and the like to the other Courts.
	The negotiations for the mutual restitution of ships with Naples ought to be accompanied by a cessation of the warlike preparations there. However, Ossuna in his encounters with Santa Croce, Vives and others has expressed himself more strongly than ever against us, and continues fresh preparations for war. In addition to this they are preparing a powerful fleet in Spain, although they pretend it is against the Turks. This is all against the terms of the peace, and the action of the Spaniards against us in the Grisons and their preparations in Lombardy show the bent of their mind. We are waiting to hear the results of the negotiations between our Ambassador Soranzo and Cardinal Borgia, and from them we may judge whether there will be peace or trouble.
	Ayes	99.
	Noes	0.
	Neutral	0.
	[Italian.]
Dec. 1. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Germania. Venetian Archives.	616. ZORZI GIUSTINIAN, Venetian Ambassador in Germany, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	Very bad news arrived last week that the Bohemians had entered Lower Austria with 1,000 horse and 2,000 foot and taken Svestein, killing many of Stoder's men, who were on guard there. They have established themselves in the country, pillaging ecclesiastical property but letting that of heretics alone.
	Vienna, the 1st December, 1618. Copy.
	[Italian.]
Dec. 1. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Spagna. Venetian Archives.	617. PIERO GRITTI, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	The negotiations for the marriage with England have been much at a standstill for some days, of late. The Spanish ambassador lately returned from London has been discussing the matter with the secretary of England. The latter, however, still professes that there is small hope of its being carried into effect.
	Madrid, the 1st December, 1618.
	[Italian.]
Dec. 1. Senato, Secreta Dispacci, Spagna. Venetian Archives.	618. PIERO CONTARINI, Venetian Ambassador Extraordinary in England, to the DOGE and SENATE.,
	Having taken leave of his Majesty, the prince and other magnates of the court, I am now on my way to serve your Serenity as ambassador in Spain, the charge of the English embassy being now borne by his Excellency Donato, whose great talents and rare endowments, coupled with his innate splendour and magnificence, which display themselves more and more and gain for him additional esteem, remind the whole court of the renown of his ancestors. The service and repute of your Excellencies at this difficult and important moment will thus be much benefitted, and I congratulate myself extremely herein, because my own omissions and defects are consequently remedied amply. As the state will daily experience the most beneficial results from this appointment, I think it superfluous to anticipate his praises, especially as in the posts already filled by him he has afforded proof of his great ability.
	I did not see the queen, as since the last two months she has been seriously indisposed and in danger from dropsy, but I paid the necessary compliments by proxy.
	After the king had replied very courteously to my speech on taking leave, in words better suited to his own graciousness than to any merit of mine, he told me with much greater warmth how vastly he esteemed the republic, whose prosperity and preservation he desired. He said he would ever be her cordial friend and would always look for opportunities to prove it. He charged me to represent this to your Excellencies and vouch for it wherever I may chance to go.
	His Majesty then proceeded: I never spoke to you about what took place in the Venetian fleet to the English soldiers, who went with my consent to serve the state. The reason for my silence was that I chose first of all to obtain some better knowledge of the fact in addition to what my ambassador wrote. As I am assured universally that the greater part of the persons executed were guiltless and had no share in the mutiny, I think it necessary to warn your Signory that similar reports in this country may on future occasions prove very prejudicial to the state, because being impressed, they would not enlist so readily as they did lately under your own inspection and I should have to command them and employ force and threats, though small profit can be derived from troops who serve unwillingly; and this you can write to the republic.
	I returned hearty thanks to his Majesty for the goodwill and friendliness shown by him to a power whose interests are linked with those of the Crown. I gave him the details of what took place in the fleet, laying especial stress on the site of the mutiny of the English soldiers, the remonstrances made to them by several persons, including their own colonel and captain for the sake of bringing them to reason. I mentioned also the fact that at the moment the fleet was expecting to go into action. These were considerations of such importance and urgency that good military discipline had compelled General Barbarigo, by way of example for his own repute, to punish some, though they were but a few selected from many culprits, as the ringleaders. In this matter the Captain General had acted without any passion and merely for the sake of averting such mischief as might well have arisen in a fleet consisting of so many different nations.
	The king answered me that if those punished were guilty he could only say that what had been done was perfectly right, though his ambassador had advised the contrary. On the other hand, his last letters, without entering into any particulars, announced that the republic had made many concessions to Colonel Peyton, so that the original dissatisfaction of the English was much mitigated. His Majesty added that to remove the bad impression prevalent here he thought it would be very desirable for the republic to publish a narrative of this affair, setting forth the necessity for punishment so that everybody might be convinced by my arguments. He told me to acquaint your Serenity with this.
	The day before I left London his Majesty sent me nineteen pieces of gilt plate weighing 1,500 ounces, which I shall take with me to Spain and wheresoever else your Serenity may send me, provided this gift be conceded to me giving me fresh proof of the state's goodness and leave a proof to my family that my services, however inefficient, have obtained the commendation of your Excellencies.
	To-morrow, please God, should the weather be fair, I shall cross the Channel and proceed through France to my destination.
	Dover, the 1st December, 1618.
	[Italian.]
Dec. 3. Consiglio de_ X Parti Secrete. Venetian Archives.	619. In the Council of Ten.
	That the following be read to the Savii of the Cabinet and a copy left with them by a secretary of this Council.
	In reply to the doubts raised by the Cabinet: firstly that the plot was far from being put into execution: it was under discussion for a long while and especially in January last, and was near being carried out when the accused were seized, as shown by Robert Braillardo's letter to Ossuna on the 13th May; and by the Spanish ambassador fomenting the mutinous Dutch troops, telling them to keep it up for ten or fifteen days, within which time Ossuna would arrive. Moreover, Ossuna had at that time prepared ten barques of light draught, to be commanded by the Englishman Ailot, who was captain of brigantines. These barques stopped to make booty in the Gulf and therefore could not arrive in time. Other letters show the same. The mission of the brothers Bulleos to Naples took place because the arrangements had to be altered since the barques did not arrive in time. The accused have stated that if Ossuna had sent the barques in time, Venice would have been taken. Messengers were continually passing between this city and Naples. The discrepancies between the statements of Jacques Pierre and Moncassin are easily explained. The complicity of fifteen or twenty nobles mentioned by Jacques Pierre, was simply in order to induce Moncassin to join. It was not likely so many nobles would be concerned; yet Grimani has been found guilty. This, however, was a mere assertion; the other matters are proved by documents. Jacques Pierre and the others were punished because their guilt was undoubted.
	The conspiracy was to be carried out in October. From April the Ambassador della Queva and Ruberto complained of the slowness of Ossuna. He replied that the slowness in bringing brigantines and galleons had made him lose the opportunity before, and therefore he had made fresh arrangements, for which the brothers Brulleos had set out.
	The publication of the intercepted letters, the statements of the accused, the processes and other things are another matter, worthy of the wisdom of this Council. With regard to publishing the facts or no, there seems to be some discrepancy of opinion, and therefore it is better to say no more about it, because it has already been decreed by the Senate.
	Ayes	14.
	Noes	0.
	Neutral	0.
	A copy (fn. 1) of the above was consigned to the Secretary Rizzardi.
	[Italian.]
Dec. 5. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Milano. Venetian Archives.	620. ANTONIO MARIA VINCENTI, Venetian Secretary at Milan, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	It is clear that the Spaniards are much disturbed by the journey to England of the English agent resident at Turin. They are afraid that although he pretends to be going for other purposes, his chief object is to upset the negotiations for a marriage alliance between England and Spain in favour of one with Savoy. It is thought that they will use every effort to thwart this plan as they did previously in the case of France.
	Milan, the 5th December, 1618.
	[Italian.]