Mary: September 1555

Calendar of State Papers Foreign: Mary 1553-1558. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1861.

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'Mary: September 1555', in Calendar of State Papers Foreign: Mary 1553-1558, (London, 1861) pp. 183-187. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/foreign/mary/pp183-187 [accessed 12 April 2024]

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September 1555

Sept. 2.
Rome.
407. Sir Edward Carne to King Philip and Queen Mary. On the 31st ult. Cardinal de Santafiore and Signor Camillo di Colonna were imprisoned in the castle of St. Angelo. Prior to their apprehension the Pope had caused about 3,000 soldiers to be within the city, and of these the greater part is sent to invade the state of Colonna, belonging to Marc Antonio di Colonna, who has avoided nearer to the realm of Naples. What is laid to the Cardinal's charge is unknown, but the city here is in great doubt lest further inconvenience should ensue. [One page.]
Sept. 3.
Poissy.
408. Dr. Wotton to the Council. Had received their letter of 27th August on the 31st, and had audience of the King yesterday. His Majesty said that however amicably Princes might be disposed to each other, matters of complaint or suspicion would sometimes rise between them. He would do all in his power to preserve peace and redress grievances, and trusted her Majesty would do so likewise. The Constable entered somewhat further into the matter; he thought Lord Grey had acted somewhat strangely, having not only shot out of the castle, but had sent men with good handguns to repulse the French and favour the Burgundians. As for the misordering of Lord Montague and the Bishop of Ely, the Constable wondered much if it were so, and said, they had done more than became them that so had done; for the King and Council did not so use their Lordships when they passed through France. For the staying of the posts, he could tell whether they had been or not; but indeed the King's last letters from England were somewhat stale, being of the 22d ult. He spoke very gently, with much commendation of her Majesty, and reiterated the King's sentiments as to amity. "The King had been that morning a little acrased, and looked not very cheerfully when I spoke with him." The same day dined with the Constable, as he does, ever when he finds the Constable at the Court, and had good cheer and gentle words of him; he commanded his steward to send venison to Wotton. After his return to Poissy, in the evening one of the Constable's gentlemen named St. Sulpice, came from his master to inform him of the good news received from Piedmont since he left the Court, which were that the Duke of Alva, on hearing that Brissac with his united force was marching towards Sainttyan [Tiano?] has raised the siege and dispersed his army in garrisons for the defence of the towns; so that now the French are encamped and may go to besiege what place they list. These news, he dares say, have made the King look with a better countenance at supper than he did at dinner, being of right great importance, as diminishing the great opinion held of the Duke of Alva. Although it is said at Court that the Turk's navy shall winter on this side, the Ambassadors here cannot believe it till they have more certain news thereof. The defeat of the French at Péronne by the Imperialists is probably known to their Lordships; the former admit that M. de Humières, the Governor of the town, was both wounded and taken prisoner, and common report states the number killed and captured at about 400 of the bravest; others say more. The fault is imputed to the cowardice of some of the Arrière Ban, whose Lieutenant, M. De la Jaille is taken, with other good gentlemen. Among the slain are a son-in-law of the Garde des Sceaux, named Sentenelle, and a son-in-law of M. D'Estrés. The Admiral of France is encamped four or five leagues from Abbeville, for what purpose is uncertain. In Picardy they say he has 10,000 men in his camp; others rebate thereof almost the one half. Senarpont and Villebon are both with him, and almost all the garrisons of Boulogne, Montreuil, and other places of those frontiers. [Three pages.]
Sept. 5.
Greenwich.
409. Queen Mary to Pope Paul IV. Recommending Hugh Lacy to the vacant episcopate of Limerick. [Latin. Broadside. Copy.]
Sept. 9.
Rome.
410. Sir Edward Carne to King Philip and Queen Mary. The reason assigned for the imprisonment of Cardinal Santafiore is his disobedience, but it is rumoured that other matters, affecting the Pope's person, are laid to his charge. Camillo di Colonna is accused of being implicated in the murder of a lady called Signora Livia, slain in her bed last Shrovetide by the son of Colonna, who had married her daughter and heir. Count Michael Angelo, and he who was Treasurer to Pope Julius III. are still in prison. Great pieces of artillery have been sent out of the castle of St. Angelo to the state of the Colonnas. His Holiness looks stoutly and better than he did on Carne's arrival; he has banished the Cardinal of Ferrara, who is suspected of the death of Pope Marcellus. All armour, except sword and dagger, is called in to the Capitol by proclamation. This is thought very strange. [One page. Printed by Tytler, Vol. ii., p. 480.]
Sept. 10.
Augsburg.
411. Letter from the Councillors and Deputies of the Empire assembled at Augsburg to the King of France; with the Articles concluded at the last Diet held at Augsburg in 1555. [French. Eight pages. Copies.]
On the cover of the preceding copies are eight verses, commencing thus:— "A pynching payne is departure; Parting beraft me your presence; Presence ys past, I must endure; Endure I must perforce absence." and concluded by "Finis qd. Gylpin."
Sept. 10. 412. Extracts from the Charter of the Emperor Charles IV. to John III., Duke of Brabant, for the exemption of his countries from the Empire, 1 March 1349:—The contract between the Emperor Charles V. and the Princes of the Empire at Augsburg, 26 June 1548:—The departure of the Imperial Majesty of Rome and the States at Augsburg, 1555:—And the ordinance and proclamation of the Emperor Charles V. at Augsburg, 10 September 1555. [Translations. Titled by Cecil. Twenty pages.]
Sept. 13 & 14.
Paris.
413. Dr. Wotton to Sir William Petre and Sir John Bourne, Knights, Principal Secretaries to the Queen's Majesty. No answer having been received from the Grand Seignior as to the wintering of the Turkish navy on this side, supposes they are on their voyage homeward. Hears Brissac, who is battering Vulpiano, is in bad health, and will be revoked, and much honoured and made of on his return, as he deserves. De Thermes will succeed him. Some think that Pietro Strozzi, who is now entered into the Diet, shall be shortly sent to his charge again. The Court is now going to Villers-Cote-Retz. Although he had been told by a person from Calais that the camp in Picardy is broken up, yet it is said here that the Constable will go thither shortly, and soon thereafter be followed by the King. Also that King Philip has promised the Cardinal to do what he can to induce the Emperor to a peace, whereof they seem to have conceived some hope. As far as he can perceive the French intend to besiege the new fort named Maygny, whither it is said the King will go himself; this is the more likely as he has sent for the hundred gentlemen of his house, and carts and munition go to Picardy. Some report part of that fortification to have fallen down; but it would not be well to lose it, since the place lies commodiously for the Imperialists to annoy the French. It is said that the Dukes of Savoy and Alva are at great strife, which was the cause of their breaking up their camp, and which was done in very great disorder. [In cipher, deciphered. Two pages.]
Sept. 14.
Venice.
414. Peter Vannes to the Council. Having nothing else wherein by commandment he can serve the Queen, will give them knowledge of the daily occurrences in these parts. The Duke of Alva, since his withdrawal from Santhia, upon good respects well-considered, and specially because he found the town stronger than he was informed and not to be won without great loss and waste of time, and that Brissac was preparing very strongly towards other places and enterprises, thought it expedient to turn his army elsewhere and crossed the river by Ponte Stura where, considering the importance of the place, he has built a fort to facilitate his movements to and fro. Meanwhile Brissac prepared anew to go against Ulpiano, as a great mote in his eyes, for the town since it was last succoured, has grown very weak of soldiers from sickness. But his preparations having been perceived, the Duke sent thither in time Sig. Cesare de Napoli, Camillo Gonzaga, and others with a sufficient force, who after wading the Po met a party of French who did them no great hurt, and relieved the town with 300 Spaniards, 100 Italians, and 80 light horsemen. There is no news of any other exploit. The Turk's army after being long about Calvi and Bastia in Corsica, departed without doing anything, and it is doubted if they are gone towards the Levant, or elsewhere to wait the Turk's orders. The sudden successes of Rome are here in most consideration. Men discuss what the very occasion should be and to what end this matter should come, for besides the Cardinal of Santafiore and his brother, other great men, and all the lords and gentlemen of the Colonnas and Barons of Rome, with many other captains and gentlemen of other countries of any name or activity and friends or servants of the Emperor, have been suddenly imprisoned, nothing being certainly known except that the Pope said they had highly offended against his person and the Church of Rome. He has taken and in great part destroyed all their castles and palaces, and "daily doth happen some novelties in this kind of proceedings." He has on a sudden taken from every man, Ambassadors and all, all manner of weapons, but swords and daggers, especially from strangers, the Emperor's friends and subjects in Rome and about the countries. The Cardinal of Ferrara has sojourned this summer at Tivoli, belonging to Cardinal Farnese, 25 miles from Rome. The Pope has commanded him within three days to avoid the state of the Church and to repair to Ferrara, to await his further pleasure. He has caused to be taken openly at Bologna a certain Abbate Brisengo, the Emperor's and King's servant, who had lately brought from Rome to the Duke of Alva 80,000 crowns, and was returning from the Duke to Rome upon business. He has had all his letters taken from him. The Emperor's Ambassadors there complain much of his unkind usage. The French offered the Pope if need were to assist him with 6,000 foot, ready paid, and 300,000 crowns. Will not write divers details currently spoken of in Venice, fearing he may as well err as say the truth. Supposes there is some great cause for the Pope's vigorous proceedings. [Four pages.]
Sept. 22.
Brussels.
415. Sir John Masone to the Council. The Lords who came hither waiting upon his Majesty intended to have taken leave to-day, and to depart to-morrow; but this afternoon his Highness has required them, on the Emperor's behalf, to tarry one day longer. On Tuesday next they mind to return to England, when doubtless they will make such report of their royal entertainment here as they have right good reason to do. There are news from Constantinople that Mustapha, of whom he has once or twice written, is broken, and himself taken in the field. This is ill news in the present state of Christendom, as by his stir there was some hope that the Turk's preparations against Hungary might have been hindered. The Duke of Alva has lately taken Gabiano, a strong fort in Piedmont, and has put into Vulpiano 400 good soldiers of a new crew, notwithstanding the siege of the French round about it. The Pope's army has marched into the estate of Marc Antonio Colonna, intending to attempt the taking of Magliano, which his Holiness was informed Colonna was about to fortify and furnish with provision. Juliano Cesarino and Ascanio della Cornia are stayed in Rome, but by last letters it was not known whether they were committed to ward. Cardinal Caraffa is appointed to be Legate of Bologna. There is no confirmation of the Turk's gallies departing towards Constantinople, wherefore some think they are still in the Italian seas. [One page and a quarter.]
Sept. 30.
Constantinople.
416. "Advertisements out of Constantinople." On the arrival of Sultan Bajazet, younger son of the Turk, invited to visit him and kiss his hands, bringing with him eight children, four boys and four girls, the Turk met him at a day's journey from Constantinople, and showed many signs of affection, one being that he exchanged horses with his son, both being mounted, which is thought a great favour. The said Sultan shortly after left his father for Adrianople, and, it is said, said he would go to his Sangiacco. The Turk returned to Constantinople on the 19th. A son of Sala Bey, Sangiacco of Algiers, had proceeded to Constantinople with three gallies, and been to the Turk with great presents, asking aid of him in ships and men to recover the kingdom of Fez. On 30th Sept. all the four Bassas, having proceeded into the presence of the Turk according to custom, the Turk, in their presence, caused Achmet, Chief Bassa, to be bowstrung; the cause is not yet well known. The same day the Turk gave the seal to Rusten Bassa, who returned to his place of Chief Bassa, from which he was deposed at the death of Sultan Mustapha. [Italian. Half a page. Indorsed by Petre.]
Sept. ? 417. Memorandum, autograph of the Marquis of Winchester, as to the dating of a letter on the 6th of September, that it may be their warrant for what they have done with Tucker, the Lixshalls, and others in relation to the loan. [Six lines.]