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| Sept. 15. Copy, Venetian Archives. |
460. Copy of Instructions given by La Mothe Fenelon, French Ambassador in England, to a Secretary sent by him to France; enclosed in a letter from Contarini, dated Tours, 15th September 1569. |
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The affairs of the Queen of England are in a condition of peace which appears to be bordering upon war, because the great majority of the English expect to have war, but think that it will not break out until they see the position of France reduced to such an extremity that the game will then be more safe. |
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I have heard that the Duke of Lüneburg, who is in the pay of the Queen of England, and two other Colonels have made a levy of three thousand Roisters and eight thousand Germans for active service. |
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The Duke Casimir has his forces ready, and besides these the Duke Augustus has enlisted both horse and foot, but they are not yet called out for service. |
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I have endeavoured to get at the truth of the proceedings of the Duke of Lüneburg, from individuals who have lately arrived from Hamburg, and who state that the Duke had not called out his men, but kept them under notice and ready, and that he had distributed amongst them a certain amount of money, coming from a source which
causes them in their festivities and convivial meetings readily to drink to the good health of the Queen of England. |
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A person has been sent to Saxony to negotiate with the Duke Augustus and Casimir for the conduct of this war, and he writes that Casimir had hitherto deferred operations in consequence of difficulties which would probably be overcome, and that he would soon undertake the campaign. |
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It is also in contemplation to send another Ambassador to Germany, to meet the next Diet, and the idea is that Throckmorton will be appointed, because he is making preparations for a voyage. |
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A commission has lately been issued to the city of London ordering all persons who are under obligation to furnish horses for military service, to have them in readiness; armourers to provide corslets; harquebus makers to provide harquebuses, and the merchants to provide arms, each one according to his ability. |
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Another commission has been issued whereby all the parishes are ordered to furnish, in proportion to the population of each, a quantity of pikes, harquebuses, bows, and other weapons, and to store them in the Tower of London, according to the number of each description to be specified by the Commissioners appointed for that purpose, with the intent of arming all men who may be enlisted for military service throughout the whole kingdom, and also to raise money to renew all the armaments of the Tower, which are old and worn out from having been for a long time past constantly cleaned with sand, and have thus become to a great extent honeycombed from one end to the other. |
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I understand that after the late general musters which have been held throughout the kingdom, the confidential estimate of the number of soldiers arrived at was six thousand harquebusiers, and six thousand men in armour, besides a further number of twelve thousand men, but I have not heard how these latter are to be armed; and all these forces are ordered to hold themselves in readiness for active service at four days' notice. |
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Money is also being raised in every possible way; all the merchandise of Spain is to be sold; new angels are being coined in the Tower in order to pay foreigners, and cash payments to private individuals are being stopped, so that no money is in circulation; and I have been informed that a few months ago two Englishmen went to Geneva and Lyons with many letters of exchange, to procure money to pay the Roisters. |
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Notwithstanding all these preparations, I do not believe that these people are desirous either to go to war at present, or to commence hostilities against us by violating any existing treaty, until either Casimir shall have entered France or until the army, which is now at Poiters, shall have approached Normandy or Picardy, or until they see so great a battle take place that the native forces of the kingdom (France) will be insufficient to prevent them from executing their cherished purpose. They are, in fact, waiting the course of events in the expectation that they will have the foreigners on their side; and I also hear that there are even some persons in France who persist in assuring them that they might take Calais within
twenty days if they chose to attack it, and need not doubt but that there is a marvellous affection in their favour within that place; and they are even assured that they might land their forces at the three gates. |
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The insurgents during the late rising in Suffolk and Norfolk all belonged to the new religion, and the artisan clothiers in those parts in like manner rebelled because they were not employed in their accustomed trades, saying that they were without the means of livelihood by reason of the suspension of commerce with the Low Countries and Ireland, which last trade had heretofore been held in very small account, though it is now considered of great consequence. Several principal councillors of State, on account of the importance of these events, insist that the questions of trade should be first attended to, and that the State should not be overweighted with the consideration of foreign affairs; and they propose to abandon the affairs of the Queen of Scotland and the differences with the Low Countries. |
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Therefore with regard to a remonstrance which had strenuously been addressed by the Ambassador of his most Christian Majesty to the Queen and her Council, the Duke of Norfolk has been instructed to say to the Cardinal Châtillon that the Queen and her Council seeing that the French Ambassador had interpreted as a breach of the peace what the Queen had been doing within her kingdom both by sea and by land in favour and to the advantage of the inhabitants of La Rochelle, and considering that it was neither proper nor profitable to lose the friendship of the King nor to break the advantageous peace which existed between her and the King of this country (France), had determined to acquaint the defenders of La Rochelle that they must seek elsewhere the succours which they had demanded from England, and must remain content to find the kingdom of England a peaceful refuge for them, without bringing it under the disadvantages of a war. |
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I have since learnt for certain that the Duke of Norfolk has made a report to the Council, and that according to their decision, the vessels bound for La Rochelle have been detained, and are said to be about to sail elsewhere than to France, though some persons have expressed doubts to me upon the subject. |
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The soldiers of the Prince of Orange have been disbanded, and the French who were amongst them have departed, and have embarked for other places. |
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The loan upon the jewels of the Queen of Navarre appears to have been declined, and some form of agreement has been come to concerning captures, against corsairs, and for the protection of commerce. |
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I cannot come to any certain conclusion with regard to either peace or war, except what I see day by day, because all the information that I possess leads me to believe that the English are only waiting for a favourable opportunity to declare themselves, and that all their present professions are merely meant to gain time so as to take whatever course may appear to them most expedient,
and to declare either for peace or war according as the opportunity may serve them. In the meanwhile they endeavour to satisfy both the King and also those in France who are well disposed towards them; but they are also assisting these latter as much as possible, for in truth they are secretly supplying them with money, munitions of war, and all other necessary things to such an extent that they are embarrassing the finances of the kingdom of Engand, and the Queen receives hardly any revenue. |
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The insurrection in Ireland at its commencement gave indications of being the most formidable outbreak that had ever taken place in that country, not only on account of the great number of men who had taken up arms, but because the chief personages there were giving aid, and the two ancient factions which had hitherto been always at enmity had combined together for this one purpose, But I now hear that one of the leaders of the movement has given the Queen to understand that it is not directed against her nor against her authority, but that there has been a resort to arms in order to settle certain private pretensions, and if ever he perceives any tendency or action towards rebellion he will then at once abandon his fellows and bring the greater part of his power to aid the service of the Queen. Subsequently the Earl of Ormond having arrived, he, though he is somewhat distrusted, negotiated in such a way with his brother and the Earl of Kildare that he has smoothed matters and given great satisfaction to the Queen and her advisers, who are also much gratified that the Ambassador of his most Christian Majesty should have shown a friendly disposition towards her on behalf of their most Christian Majesties ; and she on this account, and also because she suspects that other Princes are kindling a blaze about her, has shown herself better disposed towards the King of France, more difficult in the affairs of the Low Countries, and less willing to comply with the demands from La Rochelle. However arms have not yet been laid down in Ireland. |
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[Italian.] |
| Sept. 15. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
461. Alvise Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory. |
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Besides the information which your Serenity may receive from other sources, you will find annexed hereto a despatch which has been written by the Ambassador of his most Christian Majesty resident in London, for the information of his Secretary, who has presented the same to his Majesty. |
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Your Serenity will form your judgment concerning the matters contained therein, and will readily perceive that unless this despatch be held strictly confidential I might at the commencement of my embassy be deprived, and your Serenity also, of an opportunity which I now possess whereby I am able to learn most secret and important affairs. |
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The Duke of Alençon, third brother of the King, is at Paris ill of the small-pox. |
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It is reported that the Duke of Alva has sent Monsieur Chiappin Vitelli to England in order to arrange matters with the Queen. |
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Tours, 15th September 1569. |
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[Italian.] |
| Sept. 24. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
462. Michael Surian, Venetian Ambassador at Rome, to the Signory. |
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The agent of the Queen of Scotland says he is advised that the Queen of England intends to recognise the Queen of Scotland as her successor, and will act thus either because the Queen of Scotland has turned Huguenot, or because the Queen of England, upon this pretext, expects to get a footing in Scotland. The vicar of Santa Maria Maggiore, who is an Englishman, left Rome this morning with orders from his Holiness to distribute eight thousand francs amongst the Catholics who have fled from Scotland and Ireland to France. |
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Rome, 24th September 1569. |
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[Italian.] |
