Rome: October 1575

Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Vatican Archives, Volume 2, 1572-1578. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1926.

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'Rome: October 1575', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Vatican Archives, Volume 2, 1572-1578, (London, 1926) pp. 231-233. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/vatican/vol2/pp231-233 [accessed 23 April 2024]

October 1575

Vat. Lib.
Urb. Lat.
1044. f. 605.
432. News Letter.
“Our Queen is in good health at Ustoque [Woodstock], forty-five miles from here, and there also are both the French ambassadors, the present and the former ambassador, of whom much is made. The former ambassador will depart for France in two days' time, his two nephews having returned from a visit to the Queen of Scotland who is 80 miles from here in good health. She received them graciously and gave them collars of gold. The pest here is approaching the end by reason of the invigorating season; but at Bristol it is very fatal. Last Thursday the English here say that about 3 o'clock of the night they saw over the city some fires in the air, which in my opinion are inventions; and so you may positively assert if aught should be written there about such a fable.”
1 Oct., 1575. London. Italian. Copy.
Ibid. f. 605d. 433. News Letter.
“Last Tuesday, the 4th inst., there arrived at this island at the port of Plymouth about 50 sail from Biscay, of which 44, small and great, are armed. They are under the command in chief of Don Pedro Valdés, son-in-law of the late Pedro Melendes; and they say that, mariners and soldiers included, there are aboard about 6,000 persons, succour for Flanders, and it has come in the very nick of time.”
8 Oct., 1575. London. Italian. Copy.
Vat. Arch.
Nunt. di
Spagna,
vol. viii.
f. 522.
434. Nicholas Ormanetto, Bishop of Padua, Nuncio in Spain to Ptolemy Galli, Cardinal of Como.
Announcing the arrival at Madrid of the suite of the pretended Queen of England's ambassador, who only tarries at Burgos till his house be put in order. The ambassador [Sir Henry Cobham] being well-known to the nuncio as a heretic, he strongly deprecated his reception by the King, who admitted all that he said, but nevertheless adhered to his purpose of receiving him.
8 Oct., 1575. Madrid. Decipher. Italian.
Ibid. vol. ix. f. 29. 435. [Ptolemy Galli, Cardinal of Como] to [Nicholas] Ormanetto, [Bishop of Padua,] Nuncio in Spain.
“Yesterday the Catholic ambassador here announced to the Pope, and afterwards to me, his Majesty's purpose of attending to the Irish business, and conducting the enterprise under the name of his Holiness, and his consequent desire to learn on what basis the said enterprise may be built. His Holiness bade him speak with me, and I told him that I could say nothing until I had conferred with his Holiness, which will be to-morrow; and in the course of two or three days I shall be with the ambassador to discuss and determine quid agendum; and as soon as possible I shall advise you of the decision taken. Meanwhile I am vexed that [Fitz]Maurice, who, you write, was already despatched hither has not put in his appearance, nor is there any news of him. However, he may arrive while we are busy with the negotiation, which would be much to the purpose.”
9 Oct., 1575. Rome. Draft for cipher. Italian.
Vat. Lib.
Urb. Lat.
1044. f. 606.
436. News Letter.
… “We have here a fleet of 150 vessels very well armed, and we are daily on the look-out for that of Spain with the first fair weather, that fleet having reached England, laden, it is said, with money, and the fleet's secretary, furnished with letters of the Catholic King, having applied to the Queen of England for free harbourage and victualling in all ports of her realm, which privilege was accorded him with a good grace.”
16 Oct., 1575. Brussels. Italian. Copy.
Vat. Arch.
Nunt. di
Savoia,
vol. v. p. 347.
437. Jerome [de Federicis, late] Bishop of Martirano, Nuncio at the Court of Turin to [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como.
… “Yesterday morning there was with me here the Scottish Bishop of Ross, who told me that he was on his way to Rome to see the Pope touching the affairs of the Queen of Scotland.”
19 Oct., 1575. Vercelli. Italian.
Vat. Arch.
Nunt. di
Spagna,
vol. viii.
f. 545d.
438. Nicholas [Ormanetto], Bishop of Padua, Nuncio in Spain to the Same.
… “The English ambassador arrived here a week ago, having lost a brother on the journey. He has kept his house hitherto; but is to go to the Pardo (fn. 1) to see the King, and do his ambassage: no one as yet has visited him as far as I am aware; nor is the purpose of his mission known.”
23 Oct., 1575. [Madrid.] Italian.
Vat. Arch.
Nunt. di
Francia,
vol. viii. p. 649.
439. Antonio Maria Salviati, [late] Bishop of S. Papoul, Nuncio in France to the Same.
… “I have tried to find out what Monsieur would be at with the Queen of England; and in truth I believe that no one as yet quite knows.”
28 Oct., 1575. Paris. Italian.
Vat. Arch.
Arm. xliv.
vol. 28. f. 56.
No. 102.
440. [Ptolemy Galli, Cardinal of Como] to [Frederic Schenck de Tautenburg,] Archbishop of Utrecht.
Recommending to him John Gibbons an Englishman, now for nearly seven years a diligent student in philosophy and theology in the German College at Rome, upon whom the Pope has conferred the canonry in the Church of St. Peter, Utrecht, vacant by the death of Henry Murendael; and trusting that the archbishop will take care that no intruder or delay prevent his installation.
29 Oct., 1575. Rome. Latin.
Vat. Arch.
Arm. xliv.
vol. 28. f. 56d.
No. 103.
441. [Ptolemy Galli, Cardinal of Como] to the Canons of Utrecht.
To the like effect.
29 Oct., 1575. Rome. Latin.
Vat. Arch.
Nunt. di
Spagna,
vol. viii. f. 563.
442. Nicholas Ormanetto, Bishop of Padua, Nuncio in Spain to [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como.
“The day before yesterday the ambassador of the pretended Queen of England was at the Pardo. What he negotiated I know not as yet; but it may be supposed that this first audience was merely ceremonial; and perhaps all the rest will prove to be but palaver. He has been visited by the ambassadors of Princes, and they say that they could not omit this office, but they evince little desire to repeat it. I have done my duty with his Majesty and the Inquisitor Maggiore, deprecating the continuance here of this ambassador, and that for many reasons, although the said ambassador has met with some experiences here that might incline him to depart. He has lost a brother by death on the journey; and soon after his arrival four of his men died in a single night; and two are left half dead and quite stupified by the fumes of a pan of charcoal that was in the room where they slept.”
30 Oct., 1575. Madrid. Italian.
Vat. Lib.
Urb. Lat.
1044. f. 657.
443. News Letter.
… “It is said that the Queen of England has appropriated the moneys that were in the Catholic fleet of 50 sail reported to have come from Biscay and to be bound for Flanders; but this is not believed, for they say that she took them, meaning to refund them to the Comendador Mayor in Antwerp. Should it be true, however, the war in Zealand would not be ended so soon as it is hoped.”
30 Oct., 1575. Brussels. Italian. Copy.
Vat. Arch.
Nunt. di
Savoia,
vol. v. p. 378.
444. News Letter.
… “The fleet of Spain, that is on its way to Flanders, was on the 18th inst. still in the ports of England. It consists of 44 ships with 900 mariners aboard, who are to be left in Flanders, and 1,500 foot.”
31 Oct., 1575. Paris. Italian. Copy. Forwarded by the Nuncio at Turin to the Cardinal of Como.

Footnotes

  • 1. Philip's hunting box a few miles north of Madrid.