Venice: October 1546 | 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 1546', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 5, 1534-1554, (London, 1873) pp. 171-174. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/venice/vol5/pp171-174 [accessed 25 April 2024]

October 1546



Oct. 4. MS. St. Mark's Library, Cod. xxiv. Cl. x.	409. Cardinal Pole to Vittoria Colonna, Marchioness of Pescara.
	Most Illustrious Lady, and most reverend mother.
	Immediately on the arrival here of our Lilio (il nostro Lilio), he exerted himself to the utmost by dint of words at our first conversation, to make me understand how much hearty goodwill your Excellency bears me, and as if this were new to me, and hitherto unknown. I let him say what he would for a very long while, awaiting the inference to be drawn by him thence, which, had it been such as was deserved, namely a comparison between my behaviour, and love more than maternal, taxing me with ingratitude for having made no sign, either by deed or word, of responding to the slightest particle of so much love, making rather a contrary demonstration, as might easily have been proved, I should certainly have taken much pleasure in so just a reproof, administered with that ingenuousness which I have always liked in him. But as he came to no conclusion, I myself will draw it, by so much the more to my confusion, as I know I err greatly in this, matter, and never set myself to correct my fault, although I cannot say that I have not tried to do what I know is my duty in the case; but finding by experience that I do not succeed according to my wish, I let it be (io lo lasso stare), as if God had denied me this grace of gratifying my wish in a matter I so earnestly desire, which in truth at times troubles me greatly. Seeking to console myself, I find no other sort of comfort than that of convincing myself, as I said and wrote to your Excellency heretofore, that such is the Divine will, for the sake of giving you full compensation, as promised to all who are beneficent where no requital is expected, as in the parable of those who bade the poor to their banquets; and thus am I enabled to return your courtesy proportionally as it was bestowed on me. With this hope I comfort myself, and pray God the more earnestly to make ample restitution in so much as on my own part I feel myself utterly incapable to do so, enjoying at the same time the image of the Divine love as expressed by its great-charity, which although not reciprocated by its object, does not however weary of continuing its goodness but rather multiplies it the more, as your Excellency does by me. for this I infinitely thank the Lord who gives me this experience, asking pardon for my infinite defects of his infinite goodness in the first place, and then of you (di Lei).
	Of my own state, there is no occasion to say anything further, as the bearer of this is our Lelio (il nostro Lelio), who will I hope tell your Excellency everything, and of the ease which I enjoy here in the house of Cardinal Bembo, where in the first place I enjoy as much security and mental ease as if it were my father's; and secondly, such convenience that better I at present could not desire, most especially of two things, in which I have always greatly delighted, a study and a garden, both of which I have found in such perfection here, that to my taste I should be unable to find more beautiful anywhere; and in addition to this, the civility of his agents (ministri), who treat me' so cordially, that it exceeds every other pleasure. This I write to your Excellency, as to my mother, to give you occasion, first to thank our common Father in heaven, as he wills to be sought by us, inviting us through the prophet Amos, “Voca me, pater meus es tu” and to him who seeks him, he promises to be his guide in every place, inviting us to say “Tu es dux” etc. Your Excellency therefore will thank the first Father, and then this second, who has been the minister of the first. Your Excellency will oblige me by recommending me to the prayers of that holy company in which you at present find yourself. (fn. 1)
	After writing thus far, I have heard with much greater distress than I ever experienced from my own infirmity, that your Excellency has been indisposed ever since the month of August, and still continues so. First of all, I have nothing to say, save to implore the heavenly physician to vouchsafe to be yours, for from the one below I dare not recommend any other remedy, except advice as to diet and air, about which I beseech you to take counsel; and to your devout orisons I recommend myself. (fn. 2)
	Padua, 4th October 1546.
	[Italian.]
Oct. 14. Parti Secrete, Consiglio X., File no. 6.	410. Motion made in the Council of Ten and Junta concerning a communication made by the English Secretary.
	That the statement made yesterday in our College, in the presence of the Chiefs of this Council, by the English Secretary, (fn. 3) and by the nobleman Venier who accompanied him, be communicated to the Senate, with the strictest possible injunctions to secrecy as usually commanded, that said Council may determine as it shall think fit.
	Ayes, 24. No, 1. Neutrals, 0.
	[Italian.]
Oct. 15. Deliberazioni Senato (Secreta), v. lxv. p. 57, tergo.	411. Motion made in the Senate.
	By the writings now read, this Council has heard the proposals made by the English secretary [Alterius?] in the name of the Protestant Princes, and what he said about the writing which he wished to present; so be it put to the ballot, that the said writing be accepted by our College and then read to this Council, that an answer may be given him, and such resolution formed as to this Council shall seem fit.
	Ayes, 182. Noes, 6. Neutrals, 4.
	[Italian.]
Oct. 25. Miscellaneous Letters, Venetian Archives.	412. Alvise Mocenigo, Venetian Ambassador with the Emperor, to the Chiefs of the Ten.
	The Signor Marsilio, the Emperor's equerry (cavalarizzo), who professes to be the Signory's good servant, told me in secret a few ago, that he heard it had been said in the Emperor's chamber, that the most Christian King, the King of England, and your Serenity, were negotiating a league with the Protestants against his Majesty, and that the Signory had also sent an agent into Switzerland.
	It was said, moreover, that at the suggestion of the Emperor all the Italian potentates, with the exception of the Signory, had prohibited trade with the Protestants of Germany; and when some one remarked that it would be too great a loss for the city of Venice to deprive itself of the German trade, the Emperor replied that they might well do it for one or two months.
	Being unable to convince myself that these things had been said in the Emperor's chamber, I did not choose to write them to your Serenity at the time from fear of troubling you perhaps unnecessarily; and I said to Signor Marsilio, that it seemed to me utterly at variance with the truth, and that I could not believe it, as I knew your Serenity was excellently disposed towards his Majesty, and that for certain the Signory had never interfered in that war, either on one side or the other; and as for prohibiting the Germans to trade with Venice, I said I had no notice of it, and should the Signory have been unable to oblige the Emperor in this matter, I did not think he could reasonably take it amiss, should his Majesty consider the extreme inconvenience and infinite loss which would result to Venice, by depriving her of so important a trade.
	I then requested Signor Marsilio to ascertain whether this conversation had in fact really taken place, as I would not write it to your Serenity, unless he confirmed it to me. This he promised to do, and said he would acquaint me with the whole, but subsequently, having been seized with a fit of the gout, he remained in a castle near the camp, and being unable to see him again, I delayed writing, until he corroborated his statement; but today a friend of mine, one Messer Bernardino Pavese, who is a gentleman in the service of the most Serene King of England, came to tell me that he had heard for certain, and from a great personage, that the Signor Alvise Gonzaga, of Castel Zuffrè, has written to the Emperor, that the Kings of France and England, your Serenity and the Switzers have formed a defensive league; said Gonzaga writing that he has this intelligence by letters from the King of England himself.
	Having received this intelligence through a fresh channel, although differing in part from what was told me by the Signor Marsilio, I acquaint your Excellencies with the reports now current here.
	The Rev. Ambassador from Ferrara has told me in confidence that he heard from a secretary of Don Francesco da Este, that said Don Francesco wrote to his brother, the Duke of Ferrara, that the Emperor has ordered one Annibal Calavrese, in whom he places great trust, to make his escape from this camp, and go over to the Protestants; and Don Francesco believes him to have been sent for the purpose of trying, as of himself, adroitly to drop a word about agreement. His Majesty has also allowed two Germans to pass into the enemy's camp, they having offered to kill the Landgrave. These things having reached me from such a source, I have thought fit to represent them to your Excellencies, with this in addition, that I subsequently ascertained that said Annibal is now in the Protestant camp, and that on his passage he was wounded in the arm by a harquebuse shot; a very trustworthy person assuring me also, that within the last month, he has been frequently seen speaking in secret with the Emperor.
	25th October. From the Imperial camp, distant three leagues from Ulm.
	[Italian. In cipher, with contemporary decipher.]