Venice: October 1542 | British History Online

Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 5, 1534-1554. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1873.

'Venice: October 1542', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 5, 1534-1554, (London, 1873) pp. 113-115. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/venice/vol5/pp113-115 [accessed 26 April 2024]

October 1542



Oct. 17. Deliberazioni Senato (Secreta), v. lxii. p. 67, tergo.	285. The Doge and Senate to the Venetian “Bailo” at Constantinople.
	Have heard lately by advices from England that the King has declared war against Scotland, both armies being in readiness and having a great number of troops. The English number 140,000 men in various places, and 25 ships in good trim; the Scots being 50,000 men in two armies. These advices the “Bailo” is to communicate to the Magnificoes the Bashaws, in proof of the Signory's goodwill towards the Sublime Porte (quella excelsa porta).
	Ayes, 162. No, 1. Neutrals, 0.
	[Italian.]
Oct. 21. Miscellaneous Letters, Venetian Archives.	286. Hironimo Zuccato, Venetian Secretary in England, to the Chiefs of the Ten.
	On the 2nd instant, received their letters of the 24th August, through the Signory's ambassador in France, who also sent him copies of other papers relating to the strange outrages (novità) perpetrated at Venice, and the abominable acts of treason discovered there. (fn. 1)
	On the morrow, communicated the whole to the King, who at that very moment, besides the first advices from Venice, had received precisely the same account from his ambassador in France, to whom it was given by the Venetian ambassador there.
	As mentioned in despatch of the 23rd September, the King had already discussed these events with many other persons, so [he (fn. 2) merely added that the French ambassador in Venice, having behaved so ill, was but too well treated by the Signory, and said smiling, “To whom did these traitors of yours reveal the Signory's secrets ?” Replied that this was not written in his despatch, but that the King might easily guess the truth (lo poteva ben saper). He rejoined, “I know it but too well; but see what great things we hear of the French this year! It might indeed be said—as I am assured by my agents in every quarter—that owing to them, Napoli and Romania are in the hands of the Turks;” and expressing surprise both by gesture and language, he continued—“See also what reason they have now to wage so great a war, and cause so much disturbance in Christendom: but they will perhaps repent them; and I understand that they have already retreated more than a league from Perpignan.”
	As the King's discourse showed that he was so unusually irritated against the French, Zuccato, that he might unbosom himself farther, replied, that he attributed all this turmoil to Milan, and that perhaps the French, perceiving their inability to make any progress in the direction of Spain, many of their designs elsewhere being frustrated, would now possibly not be averse to make some fresh peace or truce with the Emperor, as urged by the Pope. The King rejoined, that if Milan was really the cause of so much mischief, he still did not think that the Emperor would ever cede it, and that therefore those two Princes can never be well agreed. In fact, so far as Zuccato can learn from several quarters, and from what he could elicit from certain phrases used by his Majesty, the King seems firmly to believe, or else astutely and with great skill pretends to believe, that no other means can ever be devised for making a good peace between the Emperor and the most Christian King, save by renouncing the Milanese to the French, which on the other hand (as already stated) the King cannot believe will ever come to pass, but that on the contrary the Emperor would rather renounce one half of the rest of his dominions. The secretary then said, “Sire, speaking with due submission, it might therefore be argued, that these two princes could thus more easily come to terms, as the most Christian King, being acquainted with this the Emperor's firm resolve, and seeing how powerful he is, might perhaps find some other and surer mode of agreement with him.”] To this argument the King made no further rejoinder, save by nodding his head, and remained very thoughtful, as he was when Zuccato entered his presence. At length he said, “We will wait and see; “ and he then dismissed the secretary, who was unable to learn anything else more worthy of being communicated to the Chiefs.
	London, 21st October.
	Endorsed, —
	21 Octobris 1541. R. 14 Novembris.
	Secretarius in Angliâ scribit communicasse illi Ser^mo Regi succession revelationis secretorum per secretaries damnatos, et quœ M^tas eius dixit in eo proposito.
	Lectæ Consiglio X.
	[Italian.] cum additione.
Oct 30. Deliberazioni Senato (Secreta), v. lxii. p. 71.	287. The Doge and Senate to the Venetian “Bailo” at Constantinople.
	Have heard nothing more of the occurrences between England and Scotland, than what they wrote to him in their last.
	It is also understood that the marriage of the English King's daughter to the Emperor advances; and concerning the affairs of Flanders, it is confirmed that the troops of Queen Maria [Dowager of Hungary, Governess of the Low Countries], have recovered the places taken from her by the French. To acquaint the Magnificoes the Bashaws with these advices, in such becoming mode and form as to convince them of the goodwill which the Republic bears the Sublime Porte.
	Ayes, 173. Noes, 9. Neutrals, 5.
	[Italian.]