Rome: April 1576 | British History Online

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.

'Rome: April 1576', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Vatican Archives, Volume 2, 1572-1578, (London, 1926) pp. 259-269. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/vatican/vol2/pp259-269 [accessed 25 April 2024]

April 1576



1576. Vat. Arch. Nunt. di Spagna, vol. x. f. 92.	504. [Nicholas Ormanetto,] Bishop of Padua, Nuncio in Spain to [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como. “In this audience I have, with all the convincingness in my power, renewed my office for the final decision as to the English expedition, and the answer to be given to the Pope. “His Majesty has promised me that he will bring the business to a speedy conclusion, and give me his answer. “In like manner I have pressed most urgently for the despatch of the man who is to go to Rome, saying that if he departs not now, by and by will come the hot season; and so we shall procrastinate until winter; and the King has promised to give much attention to this matter.” 5 April, 1576. [Madrid.] Decipher. Italian.
Ibid. vol. ix. ff. 126, 129d–30.	505. [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como to [Nicholas Ormanetto,] Bishop of Padua, Nuncio in Spain. “As to English affairs I wrote to you at length in my penultimate letter of the last of February. (fn. 1) There is therefore no need for me to say more than that we are in expectation of receiving from you the answer and decision of his Majesty”…. “It is understood that Don John will soon go to Sicily with the intention of staying a while in Syracuse to supervise matters there, and be ready to take action if the Turkish fleet should not put to sea in great strength, as by divers channels we have reason to believe it will not; indeed, our last intelligence by letters from Constantinople of the 28th of February is that it will not put to sea at all. His Highness has craved of his Holiness his galleys, and the Pope has replied that he will furnish them in case his Highness is bent on some enterprise, but that otherwise they are needed here for the security of this our sea. But to tell you the truth, we have no belief whatever that his Highness purposes to do aught of importance; and therefore it would perhaps be better that his Majesty, as he has now to provide a successor in Flanders to the deceased Comendador Mayor, (fn. 2) should send Don John to those parts, because there he can easily, if need be, supervise the business of England; and you may submit this to his Majesty's consideration, praying him not to miss this opportunity, which God gives us by freeing us this summer from the dread of the Turk and furnishing a pretext for sending Don John where he will be in touch with the affairs of England, which his Holiness thinks is tantamount to being already half way to the accomplishment of the enterprise.” 6 April, 1576. Rome. Italian. Draft for cipher.
Vat. Arch. Nunt. di Savoia, vol. v. f. 461d.	506. News Letter. … “Two English ambassadors have arrived. His Majesty shows them much attention: they are lodged in the Hôtel d'Anjou, and live at the King's charges. It is said that they have come to assist at the Peace, to secure the observance of which there ought to be guarantors on the part of that Queen, and a protestation in her name that she and her forces will ever be opposed to whoso shall fail to keep it…. “They also report that the Estates have written to the King that, if his Majesty be pleased to withdraw the foreign garrisons, they bind themselves to pacify all the country; and that M. de Sciatonè [sic Champagny] (fn. 3) had returned from England.” 13 April, 1576. Paris. Italian.
Vat. Arch. Nunt. di Spagna, vol. x. ff. 111–16.	507. [Nicholas Ormanetto,] Bishop of Padua, Nuncio in Spain to [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como. “Secretary Antonio Perez has been with me to-day; and in his Majesty's name has told me what his Majesty has now decided in regard to the English business; and he has read me the letter that is written to his Majesty's ambassador there [at Rome] in regard to this matter; of which he has also given me a summary, which will be found herewith. “The first point is as to the King's purpose, which is that the enterprise be put in execution in the manner which he has ever desired, and that to this end he will contribute the 100,000 crowns of gold; and when I said that they ought by this time to be in Rome, the Secretary answered (but as if of his own motion) that haste was being made here to send them thither, and that they will be among the first moneys that come to hand in Italy. “As to the time, he told me that it is impossible to accomplish the enterprise in the time suggested by the English, i.e. before the hot season, nay, that by reason of the preparations that are necessary, it cannot be accomplished until after the summer. I answered that if the business, which is so long in progress, had been resolved upon earlier it might have been accomplished more speedily; but as they had been so slow to come to a decision, I also recognized that it cannot be accomplished now, and that to postpone it to the time proposed by his Majesty involves so long a delay, and of such a sort, that one might as well say that it is never to be accomplished, but is to end in smoke; seeing that in the meantime things may happen of a gravity and complexion to completely ruin this holy enterprise; and I enlarged on the delays to which matters are subject, pointing out that procrastination here was the ruin of the same business in the time of Pius V, of happy memory, and that if his Majesty wishes to verify the matter, there is at Court the man that negotiated it, viz. Ridolfo the Florentine, who has come hither about the question of the title, being sent by the Grand Duke. “As to the captain general of the enterprise there is difficulty not only about Marc' Antonio Colonna but also about Pompeo and Prospero: in each case alike the ground alleged is that the man is a vassal and, so to say, a creature of the King, and that such a leader would give ground for suspicion that the King has a hand in the enterprise. In the case of Marc' Antonio regard is also had to the quality of the enterprise, which seems scarce honourable enough for him, the men whom he would command being so few, but 5,000 foot, besides which his Majesty deems that in these times he ought not to be brought from Italy. As to the first point, I adduced many reasons for deeming the enterprise honourable; as to the second, I knew not what to say, as I knew not for what purpose his Majesty might be thinking of availing himself of Marc' Antonio's services. As to the main point, which touches all these gentlemen alike, I said that as they are vassals of the Pope, and are ordinarily resident in Rome, and have been employed by the Apostolic See in other enterprises, e.g. Marc' Antonio in the League, they ought to be exempt from any suspicion of going upon this enterprise at his Majesty's instance, and that regard should be had to their personal qualities, authority, valour, prudence, and boldness, all which qualities are found in these gentlemen; besides which we are reduced to such a plight as not to know where to have recourse, having lost the Count of Sta. Fiora (sic) and Chiappino Vitelli, and the difficulty being increased by his Majesty's requirement of confidential persons who are not his subjects. “Perez told me that as to personal qualities, his Majesty fully appreciates his Holiness' good intention in selecting bold men, and that in this matter he cares not who they be, provided they lack not courage, and that he does not absolutely exclude these men, but that he submits to his Holiness the matters that are to be weighed in making this choice. He said that to send a legate would occasion too much stir, and that it seemed better to send a nuncio. I replied that the English had suggested either a legate or a nuncio, and that there was no definitive proposal of a legate. In conclusion I added that, the intervening time being so ample better consideration might have been given to all matters, and especially to the question of making the brother of the Earl of Utioton [Huntingdon] King in the event of misfortune befalling the Queen of Scotland. They also insist much on this point, to wit, what sort of designation or device may serve to screen this fleet, so that it may neither come to be known nor suspected where it is to operate; and they hold that to obviate all suspicion it will be well that the English should not embark on the fleet, but go by themselves to join the fleet eventually in the port which it shall make. “I said that as to these two points it will be easy to devise expedients; but that as to the substance of the matter the answer now given by his Majesty is quite indecisive, and that we are in just the same position as at first, and that these are but dilatory tactics and methods of evading an answer, and that if we are to be sending couriers to and fro about every point, we shall never come to the end of it. “Perez replied that his Majesty could not neglect to lay before his Holiness what he deemed relevant to the success of so important an enterprise; and I rejoined that it was possible to advise and also to decide, and at last I said that his Majesty might give all the advice that he deemed proper in regard to all matters, and as he left these points undecided, might at least by these letters give his ambassador there [at Rome] full and free discretion to conclude the business and settle all the points, leaving everything to the judgment and will of his Holiness, seeing that the enterprise was being conducted under his Holiness' name; and that he might give express orders to his said ambassador to furnish from his Majesty's States, such as Naples, Sicily and others, ships, victuals, grain and soldiers in aid of the said enterprise; as to which point never a word is said in the letter to the ambassador or to me, though it is a matter of the utmost importance; and that he might, moreover, commission the said ambassador to do his office in his Majesty's name with whosoever might be chosen to command the enterprise (being a dependant of this Crown) to induce him to accept the command. And then I reiterated frankly to the Secretary that as no message more decisive as to matters relevant to this business was being sent than what was contained in this letter to the ambassador, then, in default of this addition to the said letter, to wit, that with his Majesty's entire satisfaction and by his order and commission aforesaid to his ambassador, it be left to his Holiness to decide all these points, it will be evident that the affair is to end in words and not in deeds. “My advice met with the Secretary's approval; and he told me that this evening he will write to his Majesty reporting all that I have said, and that if, as may be, he should have an answer to-morrow, he will add somewhat to the letters that will be despatched to-morrow night by a courier that will then depart; if not, he will in no wise fail to make good the lack by a courier that will depart on the third feast of Easter. I have frankly said that his Majesty's affairs are being ruined by delays, as experience plainly shows us in many instances. There is no doubt that this enterprise is fraught with many difficulties—such on divers occasions has been the burden of my discourse to you—but if one should have regard to that, it will never be attempted: one must indeed consider and provide for all things as far as humanly possible, and not go headlong into it, lest so good a thing should be ruined for ever; and one should have regard to the proposals of the English, who, by reason of their just desire to free their country from such evils, will facilitate the enterprise, and one should then resolve to do what one can, commending their cause to the holy providence of God. “Touching the question of a Holy League of Christian Princes against the Turk, as to which I have not failed to speak to the King on such occasions as have presented themselves, as when the news came of the election of the new King of the Romans, and of the [anticipated] election of the Emperor to the sovereignty of Poland, I am informed by his Majesty that when his Holiness shall have started the business, and there is hope of success, he will not shirk anything that concerns the weal of Christendom, but that for the present he cannot enter into particulars. In the happy event of the election to Poland being in favour of the Emperor, I think a way would be opened to great success in this enterprise, as it would be possible to attack the Turk on that side by launching the Moscovite upon him, and on this side also by means of a good fleet; but there is so much travail on all hands that I know not how to hope for good unless God set His holy hand to the work…. “Since writing this first cipher I have had the ill luck to hear not a word from the King, nor do I gather that he is writing to the ambassador. As to the pirate William, of those four ships, as to whom his Majesty professed to me to have no information either about the man or the deed, saying that he would think the matter over, perchance it was an affair of the Comendador Mayor or other ministers in Flanders, and as there is time you will be able to afford me more light as to this man if you can get it from these Englishmen. “His Majesty is considering whether upon the enterprise there should go two persons fit for the chief command, so that, if one should be disabled, the other might take his place; which purpose, I think, could not be better served than by availing ourselves of these Colonnas; for if Marc' Antonio should go in command, the other two, Pompeo and Prospero, would accompany him, and if Marc' Antonio should not go, the case would still be well met by the two other brothers; whereas with other persons fit for the enterprise it would be difficult to colour the design. His Majesty also advises that artillery be taken both for the defence of the ships in case of encounter, and for use by the army on landing, for one knows not what sort of artillery there may be there. I also know that he deems a greater number of foreign troops desirable; and I think that success would be better assured by taking his Majesty's advice. “As to the pretext to cloak the objective of this fleet, that the true purpose of the enterprise be not discovered, I can make no other suggestion than that it be given out as destined for the succour of Malta, it being apprehended that the Turk may come this year to the assault of the island with a great fleet; for except this of Malta or that of England there is no other enterprise by sea in which the Pope could either be visibly or imaginably engaged. “After more mature consideration of the question of the time I know not whether I was right or wrong in expressing myself so censoriously as to the delay in carrying out this enterprise, because, even if his Majesty had forthwith sent a courier back with a message settling all the points, I do not see how it would have been possible to make all the necessary preparations for this enterprise before the summer; and if the judgment of the English is sound that the fleet had better not be sent in the summer for fear that it should be becalmed, and thus kept so long at sea that in the meantime the design should be discovered, and the enemy be able to prepare for the defence, it is necessary to postpone the affair until next winter, as proposed by his Majesty, who will leave the question of the time to be determined there [i.e. at Rome]; and, as to the other points, what will be most expedient for the acceleration or postponement of the enterprise can be decided with the help of those English gentlemen. Happen what may, I do not think it can be amiss to make haste to be ready. I still, as ever, firmly believe that this enterprise is desired and designed by his Majesty, as on all accounts it should be; my sole fear is that reflection on the difficulties and dangers, joined with an ardent desire that the business should be crowned with success, may occasion some irresolution and, by consequence, delay. The disbursement of the 100,000 crowns, which, I am told, will speedily be made, will be a more signal token of his Majesty's good will. One person, the Secretary, said to me, as of his own motion: ‘How think you, Nuncio, will not the King in the end have also to help this enterprise by way of Flanders, if need be?’ “I crave your pardon that I write at such length, for as to this business I cannot refrain from saying all that occurs to me, though I run the risk of lapsing into some ineptitude. Hoc unum est that the enterprise must never be abandoned, but ever kept alive, in which case God at last will bring it to a happy conclusion, albeit so many difficulties discover themselves, and so there intervenes some delay.” 17 April, 1576. [Madrid.] Decipher. Italian.
Vat. Arch. Nunt. di Spagna, vol. x. f. 120	508. Summary of the King's Letter to his Ambassador [at Rome]. “That it is his Majesty's pleasure, as he has already apprised the Pope, that the business of England be put in execution, and to this end he will contribute 100,000 crowns of gold. “That as to the time, he deems it must be postponed to the end of the summer, so as to make the necessary preparations and the departure from Italy after the first fury of the winter is spent, and arrive there [i.e. on the scene of action] at the beginning of the [following] summer. “That furthermore, the affair being of such importance, care should in the meantime be taken to ascertain the basis on which those English negotiate this business, because all the authority of his Holiness is at stake, as also the persons in that realm who may afford succour to our men, the means which they may have of providing victuals, munitions and other things, the artillery, if any, that will be needed for the ships, and the possibility of making a treaty in that realm, besides many other matters that in affairs of such magnitude need to be arranged for better and ampler security. “The pretext to be assigned has also to be carefully pondered and the inexpediency of the English going in the fleet by reason of the suspicion which would thereby be excited in the mind of the Queen of England, more especially as they might very well go by another way. “The question of the person [to command] has also to be carefully pondered, because Marc' Antonio would seem unsuitable both by reason of his quality, and because he should not be sent far from Italy in these times, and also because it would be difficult to make the world suppose that his Majesty is not concerned in the business, if Marc' Antonio were to go as captain. And as regards Pompeo there is also a difficulty by reason that he is in the service of this Crown; and therefore in this matter of the person there is room for reflection, bearing in mind that his Majesty deems that there should be more than one captain to provide against the contingency of one being disabled. “As to the legate, he deems that to send one would occasion a great stir, and therefore a nuncio would be more to the purpose. “As to making the brother of the Earl of Huntingdon King the consideration of that matter may be deferred, as also of the other questions that may arise until the time aforesaid, for time may so alter the complexion of affairs that one thing may be preferable to another.” 17 April, 1576. [Madrid.] Decipher. Italian.
Vat. Arch. Nunt. di Francia, vol. ix. p. 292.	509. [Antonio Maria] Salviati, [late] Bishop [of S. Papoul,] Nuncio in France to [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como. … “The King is also compelled to concentrate his forces because the Prince of Condé, La Noue, Thoré, Méru and many other chiefs are marching with horse and foot hitherward, and at a great pace, as if their objective were settled and determined. That their purpose is to besiege or storm Paris, as I have aforetime said, seems to be scarcely credible. The town is strong, surrounded by rivers, and full of men, and moreover the troops that the King will muster are indisputably the superiors of the rebels alike in numbers and in quality. “These that are thus marching hitherward must needs pass the night twelve leagues from here; and there are judicious people who think that, if there should be no accord, they purpose to pass on to Normandy, which is a very fertile country and without a single town of such strength but that they make think to establish themselves therein, besides the advantage which the sea affords them in the way of getting help from England; which might be the idea of Casimir, whom they know to have an understanding and be in accord with that Queen. In such a case they might be joined by Monsieur, who, however, does not show himself as yet. Rather it seems that M. de Birene [sic Biron (fn. 4) ], who comes thence this evening, gives hope of peace as well on his part as on that of Casimir, the very person that is represented as opposed to it. And the passport for the Queen, he says, will be brought by Lafin, on whose arrival the Queen will set out for Sens, which is twenty-four leagues away, and there Monsieur will meet her.” 17 April, 1576. Paris. Italian.
Vat. Arch. Nunt. di Spagna, vol. x. f. 125.	510. [Nicholas Ormanetto, Bishop of Padua,] Nuncio in Spain to the Same. “His Majesty, after careful and mature consideration of all matters touching the arrangements necessary for the fleet to be sent to England, and the time of year favourable and proper for navigation, deems it not merely difficult but next to impossible to do the thing before winter, so that, as his Holiness' adviser, he could give him no other counsel, having regard to the success of the enterprise, which no one desires more than he. “As to these matters, you will be able with the advice of the English and practical men to consider carefully what season would be the best and earliest for the fleet to put to sea, for if his Majesty be by cogent reasoning convinced that it may start earlier, I am disposed to believe that he will give in; therefore, if it so please you, you can let me know where the fleet is to assemble, what its course is to be, by whom it is to be manned et cetera, when it will be able to set sail, and in fine all else that is pertinent to this business, that I may have as solid a basis as possible for negotiation with his Majesty, with whom when the feasts are over I shall rediscuss in detail, as God shall inspire me, how to expedite matters, and all else that may conduce to the success of this holy enterprise. “As to the 100,000 crowns, i.e. as to their speedy appropriation, upon which I again insisted with Perez, he has given me a distinct assurance that appropriation has already been made of 50,000 crowns to this cause, which money will go in the first galleys that carry moneys for Don John, and will be brought into Rome, the remaining 50,000 to be paid, at his Holiness' option, either in Genoa or in some other seaport at which the fleet shall touch, or in Rome, if it should be required there. I doubt not that payment will be made as needed. It is because the King has to provide funds in so many places at the same time, for the fleet against the Turk, for Flanders, and perchance for the affairs of Fez that he requires some latitude of time for the payment of these 50,000 crowns, particularly as the enterprise is likely to be an affair of some considerable duration; but, si necessitas urgebit, and pressing application be made, I cannot but believe that he will pay these moneys whenever his Holiness shall crave them; and when I discuss this business with his Majesty I shall advert to the matter again in good set terms. “As to the captain of the fleet, his Majesty leaves the choice of him to his Holiness, save that he must be none of his vassals, or creatures, or servants, or in his pay, and that he may be trusted; this his Majesty requires, that his having a hand in this enterprise may be kept secret, as agreed for the good of the cause, that is to say, lest the knowledge that Spain is concerned in it should evoke opposition, and the pretended Queen [of England] and other heretics be induced to make open war upon the King in Flanders; from which reservation now made by his Majesty, quite apart from the other objections which I have mentioned, we may infer beyond a doubt that he will not approve of Marc' Antonio Colonna for captain; but of course Prospero is not excluded; for the King has no recollection of his being either his vassal or in his pay; and as for Pompeo, though he hold securities of the King, nevertheless, since this is not as if he were his vassal, Perez believes, though he has not so told me in his Majesty's name, that if his Holiness and the ambassador shall be of opinion that Pompeo ought to be joined with Prospero, the King will agree thereto. I excited Perez not a little by telling him, as touching his Majesty's suggestion of two chiefs, that it will be no easy matter to find two men competent for this business and of one mind about it. “As to the possibility of procuring from the kingdom of Naples and Sicily men, ships, munitions, victuals and other things needful for the fleet, the Secretary has given me no assurance on the King's part; and when I asked again whether it is not necessary to have such an assurance, he answered that he will write to the King; but of his own accord he has told me that he believes that his Majesty will prefer that his Holiness provide himself with all these things from the State of the Church, and by means of other potentates, for the reason assigned in the article of the Captain General; but if this cannot be managed, he still believes that the business will not be ruined thereby. This is what Perez has told me. “As to the pretext and designation by which the enterprise is to be disguised, I deem it difficult to find anything that fits, at any rate so, as to last, as, the voyage being so long, it must be discovered whither the fleet is bound: so I have been pondering whether it might be given out that it was in aid of the King of Portugal in the affair of Fez; but after all to say nothing and mind one's own business will perhaps be the simplest and best thing. However, his Majesty is thinking much about this matter. You will be better able to find some pretext. I go at a venture, saying just what leaps to my pen.” 19 April, 1576. [Madrid.] Decipher. Italian.
Vat. Arch. Nunt. di Spagna, vol x. f. 131.	511. [Nicholas Ormanetto, Bishop of Padua,] Nuncio in Spain to [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como. “Albeit in my letters, adverting to the time [of sailing], I have expressed myself to the effect that his Majesty deems that the enterprise is not feasible this summer, and, indeed, not before the winter, you are nevertheless by the winter to understand that season after the fury of the cold has moderated, in accordance with what is written to the ambassador there [at Rome], as it appears in the summary; and, discussing the matter with me, Perez deemed that the fleet might sail from these parts at the beginning of February, i.e. towards next spring, which, however, upon further consideration seems to me to be a long delay. I have seen fit to add these few lines in order to leave no doubt as to this matter. Let the propitious season be well pondered, and care be taken to make such preparatory arrangements as may enable us to talk of shortening the time, if it shall be possible to make the expedition, as I have written.” 20 April, 1576. [Madrid.] Decipher. Italian.
Vat. Arch. Nunt. di Francia, vol. ix. p. 318.	512. [Fabius Mirto Frangipani,] Archbishop of Nazareth to the Same. … “That ambassador extraordinary, who, I said, had come from England, (fn. 5) confined himself in converse with their Majesties to dilating on that Queen's desire of peace and concord with this realm, and making the best of matters concerning the reformed religion as they call it, in which alone she seems to be interested, for conscience sake, she says; and he proposed to go and do the same office with the Duke of Alençon, if so it please their Majesties, whereas it is well known that his real purpose is, under this pretext, to go and comfort and animate that lord and the rest to persevere in the enterprise by giving them heart, and hope of aid: so their Majesties have judiciously thanked him and dexterously prevented him from going, and keep him here, giving him as much flattery and allowing him as little freedom as possible. “I have ever admonished their Majesties to believe that this so-called conscience, whether in England or in France, which aims at securing everywhere free exercise of the religion which they call reformed, is nought else but a pretext, whereunder they seek to sow the seed not of religion but of warfare, thereby to possess themselves of the realm; and that their Majesties should make no doubt but that these miscreants have no religion whatever, but make use of the name to corrupt the realm, uprooting obedience to God and the King and planting in stead thereof the armed might of rebellion; and therefore they [their Majesties] ought to be the more chary of granting the exercise of the said religion in regard alike of the honour of God and of the safety of the Crown and the kingdom; and I seize to the best of my power every opportunity of making these and the like remonstrances, which never fail to be of some help, and of which their Majesties have no little need, more, indeed, now than ever, for the two brothers cause every one to be on his guard as to what he says, for he must needs fall foul either of the one or of the other, and everywhere espionage and defamation prevail.” 23 April, 1576. Paris. Italian.
Vat. Arch. Nunt. di Spagna, vol. x. f. 134.	513. [Nicholas Ormanetto, Bishop of Padua,] Nuncio in Spain to [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como. “By what we understand his Majesty will be back here from the Escorial next Tuesday, when I purpose to discuss the acceleration of the departure of the expedition for England; as to which matter I have conversed much with Dr. Sander, and it seems that, the arrangements being made, the fleet might sail in September.” 26 April, 1576. [Madrid.] Decipher. Italian.
Vat. Arch. Nunt. di Francia, vol. ix. p. 336.	514. [Fabius Mirto Frangipani,] Archbishop of Nazareth to the Same. “By means of persons intimate with the English ambassador, who is versed in all the affairs of the Huguenots, and, as it were, arbiter in these evil practices, we understand that he says that nothing is likely to come of the proposed peace. True it is that in his Queen's interest he desires it not, and does all that he may to foster the disorders of this realm, thereby to promote the peace and security of that of England: and that ambassador (fn. 6) extraordinary, who, I said, had arrived here, is applying for leave to visit Monsieur.” 28 April, 1576. Paris. Italian.