Venice: June 1578 | British History Online

Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 7, 1558-1580. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1890.

Citation:

'Venice: June 1578', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 7, 1558-1580, ed. Rawdon Brown, G Cavendish Bentinck( London, 1890), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/venice/vol7/pp575-579 [accessed 25 November 2024].

June 1578



June 2. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives.	713. Hieronimo Lippomano, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory.
	It is considered certain that the expedition of Monsieur to Flanders has become less probable.
	Mons. de Quelus (Chelu), having survived several days after being seriously wounded, as I have written, has passed to a better life, to the great sorrow of the King, who was attached to him because he was his faithful servant, and very unfriendly to Monsieur, and the open enemy of Bussy d'Amboise.
	Paris, 2nd June 1578.
	[Italian.]
June 7. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives.	714. Hieronimo Lippomano, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory.
	The King and Queen have left for Chantilly, having informed the Ambassadors that if any event of importance should occur during their absence the Ambassadors, unless advised to the contrary by Signor Hieronimo Gondi, must await their Majesties' return to this city, which will take place in a few days; and this step has been taken in order that the Ambassadors from England and Spain may not follow their Majesties.
	It now appears, as everyone expected would be the case, that the representations which have been made here and in Flanders by the Queen of England have not availed to prevent Monsieur from proceeding to Flanders, nor the States themselves from withdrawing the proposals which they had held out to him; indeed, almost the contrary has happened, because his Highness and the Flemings are highly indignant, being moved by the loss of Philippeville, and from having heard of the great preparations for levies which are being made in Italy and Germany to oppose them, and also because the Queen of England has suspended the payment of the letters of exchange for the sum of three thousand crowns which she was about to lend to the States ; so that Monsieur is the more confirmed in his intention to undertake this expedition, and especially because lately the General Count de Lalain has assured him that he is awaited under the conditions first offered. Monsieur is angry on account of the defeat of his own people, when thirty French soldiers were taken prisoners and were all hanged by the command of Don John.
	Monsieur has therefore obtained permission from the King to do what he pleases, subject to the condition which has been hitherto refused to him, namely, that the Flemings would certainly perform the promises made by them. Meanwhile, Mons. de L'Aubespine has been despatched to Rome to entreat the Pope to persuade the Catholic King to come to an understanding with France, and to give one of his daughters in marriage to Monsieur, with a dowry of those parts of the Low Countries which formerly recognised the authority of his Crown, and to demonstrate to his Catholic Majesty that this was the only mode of terminating their differences and completely defeating their common enemies. The Queen-Mother, to prevent any failure, has departed for the third time to see Monsieur at Alençon, where he is now residing.
	Paris, 7th June 1578.
	[Italian.]
June 20. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives,	715. Hieronimo Lippomano, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory.
	The King has remained for some time at Gaillon, hoping that Monsieur would go to visit him there, and thus save the Queen-Mother the fatigue of a journey; but Monsieur being afraid of the King's authority, and bent on his projects, has declined a personal interview; so the Queen-Mother has been obliged to take the journey to see him, and to endeavour to prevent his entering Flanders in person and possibly fighting a battle with Don John, which might greatly embarrass France.
	Letters from England, under date the 17th of this month, state that the Queen of England is raising troops in haste, and has armed thirty vessels, which have for some days been ready for sea, and it is said that she has done this to assist the States, provided they do not accept Monsieur.
	Paris, 20th June 1578.
	[Italian.]
June 20. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives.	716. Hieronimo Lippomano, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory.
	Signor Hieronimo Gondi came to visit me yesterday; he told me very confidentially that while the Queen of England was doing everything in her power to prevent the States from accepting Monsieur, on the other hand she was holding favourable language to his Highness, and professing her intention of lending him money, if he would act with her assent and by her advice ; but this statement is in exact contradiction to what a few days ago the English Ambassador Extraordinary said to the King, when he affirmed that he wished to treat himself with his Majesty's brother. Thus it is easy to see through the artifices of the Queen of England, who is now sending two other Ambassadors (fn. 1) with great parade to Flanders, and although they are said to have gone for negotiations of peace there, their mission is probably for the contrary purpose.
	Paris, 20th June 1578.
	[Italian.]
June 27. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives.	717. Hieronimo Lippomano, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory.
	Mondusset, formerly agent to this King in Flanders, has passed through on his way from Antwerp to see his Majesty, and he declares that the league between the Queen of England, the States of Flanders, and Casimir, for their common defence has been confirmed.
	Paris, 27th June 1578.
	[Italian.]
June 29. Deliberazioni Senato Secreta.	718. Commission issued by the Senate of Venice to Giovanni Michiel, Ambassador elect to France.
	Considering the importance of the advices received concerning the disturbances in Flanders from our Ambassador in France, who has also communicated the determination of Monsieur, the brother of the most Christian King, to undertake in person, at the request of the States of Flanders, an expedition thither, from which project, for the sake of the common welfare, all Christian Princes ought to do their utmost to dissuade him: we, therefore, according to our ancient custom, being most desirous for the preservation of peace amongst the Princes of Christendom, have followed the pious and wise counsels of the Supreme Pontiff, who has sent Monsignor di Nazareth in haste to the Court of France, and have elected our noble Giovanni Michiel to be our Ambassador at the most Christian Court, with all reliance upon his ability and prudence, and we have ordered him to depart to-morrow and go post to France. He is to visit on the way the Duke of Savoy, to present the letters, which are his credentials, and to state the object of his journey. On arriving at the most Christian Court, he is to deliver this commission to our resident Ambassador, Lippomano, and to come to a thorough understanding with Monsignor di Nazareth, making such communications from time to time as he may deem advantageous, not only to forward the negotiations favourably, but to demonstrate that the Republic has proceeded according to ideas and actions which are in unison with those of his Holiness, and to the practice which the Republic has always followed on similar occasions, for the service of God and Christianity.
	He is then to demand an audience of the most Christian King, when both our Ambassadors are to attend, and after presenting our letters of credence, and expressing our affection towards his Majesty and our desire for the prosperity of his country, he is to say that the moment his most Christian Majesty apprised us, through our Ambassador resident, of the departure of Monsieur from the Court, together with the endeavours which his Majesty had made to prevent Monsieur from having recourse to arms, we thought it expedient to send our Ambassador to beseech his Majesty to continue to follow the same course, and to do so the more strenuously the greater the inclination of Monsieur and the importunity of the Flemings might appear to be; for his Majesty, well knowing what result will most benefit his kingdom, ought not to allow its tranquillity and that of all Christendom to be rendered doubtful; we believing that as his Majesty's illustrious progenitors have exposed even their own lives for such a purpose, his Majesty will not only follow their example, but even surpass them.
	Our Ambassador is then to visit the Queen-Mother and present our letters of credence, and after extolling her pious and religious exertions, to persuade her to do the best she can to procure the tranquillity of her son.
	Having performed these functions, ho is to inform their Majesties that he has our orders to proceed to Monsieur, and, after having presented our letters of credence to his Highness, to inform him that we, moved by our affection for the crown of France, in which his Highness has so great an interest, and also for all Christendom, have been induced to approach his Highness to request him to consider the perilous incidents and uncertain results of war, and the new disturbances which might arise in this Kingdom and in Christendom, and to beseech him affectionately on our part to consider well before he followed a course which it is far easier to commence than to abandon, and to add any observations of his own which he might think would have weight with his Highness and be suitable to the occasion.
	He is also to visit at any time he may deem convenient the most Christian Queen, and also the King and Queen of Navarre if they be at the Court.
	He is to have for his expenses one hundred and fifty ducats in gold each month without obligation to keep any account, and to receive one hundred ducats as a gift, for providing of necessaries, and also four hundred and fifty ducats for three months pay in advance. He is to be paid five hundred ducats on account of the expenses on the journey, exclusive of those for passes, boats, gates, couriers, postage of letters, and other extraordinary items, of which amounts he is to present a full and particular account on his return. He is to take with him a courier, for whom we have allowed twenty ducats for the whole period of the voyage.
	Ayes, 183. Noes, 3. Neutral, 18.
	[Italian.]
June 30. Deliberazioni Senato Secreta.	719. The Sages of the Council and the Sages for the Terra Firma to the Venetian Ambassador resident in France.
	The advices which you gave us by the letters of the 12th inst. to the effect that Monsieur d'Alençon was about to accept the proposals which had been made to him by the Flemings has made us mindful of the evils which from such a cause may arise to Christianity, the peace of which we have always had greatly at heart; and we have therefore determined to elect as Ambassador our well-beloved noble Giovanni Michiel, who was formerly well known to their Majesties and who has departed with the utmost despatch to their Court, there to make in our name such representations as he may deem suitable to a negotiation of this importance.
	We, therefore, together with the Senate, command you to go to their Majesties, to announce the coming of this Ambassador, and to assure them of the great affection and respect which we bear to their Majesties and their Crown, and the desire for the greater prosperity of the Kingdom which has induced us to come to a decision which we hope will he agreeable and acceptable to them.
	Ayes, 200. Noes, 0. Neutral, 0.
	[Italian.]