Appendix: Miscellaneous 1554 | British History Online

Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 6, 1555-1558. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1877.

'Appendix: Miscellaneous 1554', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 6, 1555-1558, (London, 1877) pp. 1641-1644. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/venice/vol6/pp1641-1644 [accessed 26 April 2024]

Miscellaneous 1554



[May ?] Cancelleria Ducale, Istruzioni per l'Inghilterra, Archives of Modena. (fn. 1)	126. Instruction from Hercules II. of Este, Duke of Ferrara, to his Ambassador Count Camillo Montecucolo.
	You will endeavour to go with all speed to England, where on your arrival you will address yourself to his Excellency Don Ferrante [Gonzaga], should he be there, or if not to Lord Paget, or to one of the chief personages now charged with the government of that kingdom. You will endeavour to be admitted into the presence of the Queen, and after very respectfully kissing her hands in our name, you will represent to her that by reason of the ancient duty (servitù) of our predecessors, and especially of our grandfather and father of auspicious memory, in which we continued, with their Majesties her ancestors, and especially with the most invincible King her father, we felt the greatest imaginable satisfaction at seeing that in the revolutions of that kingdom, her Majesty through the assistance of our Lord God, together with her own prudence, ability, and true religion, has overcome those who had the daring to oppose her Majesty's will; and as since her birth her Majesty has always shown herself worthy of that royal race in all her actions, and has now demonstrated to the world her rare judgment by this most propitious marriage with the Prince of Spain, we congratulate her Majesty on it, with our whole heart, and with the greatest mental affection possible, really trusting that from so very Christian a connexion welfare will result universally to States present and future, and some day cause peace between these two great Princes [the Emperor and the King of France], and that Heaven may concede all happiness to the descendants of so felicitous a union, praying the Almighty to grant them all that her Majesty herself desires and as may be reasonably expected from the Divine goodness, she having been and being so intrepid a protectress of the true religion of Christ.
	After performance of this office with the Queen you will endeavour by means of Don Ferrante [Gonzaga] and the Duke of Alva to congratulate in like manner the Prince of Spain, presenting him with one of the two letters of credence which you have with you, taking the advice of the aforesaid Don Ferrante, as one of them will be with the title of “Prince of Spain,” and the other of “King of England. You will regulate yourself according to his Excellency's suggestion, and then dilate with his Majesty on this matter of congratulation as we have commissioned you to do that he may know we have derived so much infinite pleasure from all such augmentation and exaltation as accrues to his Majesty, that greater cannot be felt by any of his devoted servants; this to be done in case that on your arrival in England the Prince also should have got there, but if not you will despatch everything with the Queen as above, awaiting the arrival of his aforesaid Majesty, with whom likewise you will then do as aforesaid, remaining in that kingdom until after the marriage, whereupon you will return to us.
	On dismounting, as you will do, at the house of our ambassador at the Court of the Emperor [at Brussels], you will communicate everything to him, and then endeavour to obtain an audience, and on going to his right reverend Lordship (sic) you will ask for audience of the Emperor, explaining to the said right reverend Lord, and to his Imperial Majesty, the cause of your going to England; but should the Emperor be indisposed, or occupied, so as to delay your journey, you will apologize to the aforesaid “Monsignor,” and request him on our behalf to be pleased to give account of it to his Majesty, and excuse your departure by reason of your haste to execute the commissions given to you by us in this matter, and to get to England before the arrival there of the most Serene Prince.
	You will also have with you, besides those already mentioned, two blank signatures, one for the Regent Figueroa, the other for the Secretary Vargas, with drafts of the letters accrediting you, to be written above them, the reason being, that we do not know their titles, which you will ascertain on arriving at the Court, and have the letters written accordingly on the said blanks, presenting them with such courteous expressions and offers as shall seem fit to you; and as the Regent Figueroa had us written to several times by our ambassador concerning the peace, we will that when visiting him (should it thus seem fit to the aforesaid ambassador) you do commence conversing with his Lordship about the said peace, assuring him of the wish and good will we have to see these two Princes [the Emperor and the King of France] well united together, chiefly for the quiet of their Majesties, and for the universal benefit of all Christendom. On the other hand should the ambassador think this inopportune, you will regulate yourself according to his suggestion.
	[Ferrara, May 1554.]
	[Italian.]
June 9. Cancelleria Ducale, Dispacci dall' Inghilterra, Archives of Modena.	127. Camillo Montecucolli to Hercules II. of Este, Duke of Ferrara.
	On the 7th instant I arrived here, the Queen being seven miles off, and she is said to have departed on her way to meet the Prince as Soon as she gets the news of his arrival. She having withdrawn chiefly for her amusement, I, on my arrival, determined not to go to her until I had acquainted myself with the proceedings of this Court and its customs. In the meanwhile I sent in quest of that Messer Bernardino Ferraro (fn. 2) of her Majesty's household (che sta con sua Maestà), who fortunately for me came to London the day after my arrival, and I asked his advice about my going to the Queen immediately. We settled that it was better to send to ask for audience of her Majesty; and it seemed well to him that I should go to visit the Lord Chancellor of Winchester [Stephen Gardiner], who is the Queen's prime minister and rules the kingdom. I went and made him many offers in your Excellency's name, praying his right reverend Lordship to let the Queen know of my arrival and the cause of my coming, requesting audience of her. He answered me that I had done well not to go to her Majesty until I had said something to him about it, telling me that he shall go to her today or tomorrow, and will let me know when I am to pay my respects to her, and that I must not leave London until I have advice from him, as he thinks that next Monday, the 11th, I shall infallibly have audience. From what I hear the Queen remains at that place in great gladness. The members of her Council go to her, and she does nothing but what they tell her, they being 12 in number, and on my return I will bring all their names.
	The arrival of the Prince of Spain is expected hourly, as since upwards of six days the wind here has been fair for him.
	The greater part of the peers of this realm have come hither to put their servants into livery (vestir li suoi servitori de concerto), and furnish their houses (et abigliar le loro casse) (sic), they being of opinion that there will be entertainments and military games (feste et cavagliarie).
	London, 9th June 1554.
	[Italian, signed.]
July 10. Cancelleria Ducale, Dispacci dall' Inghilterra, Archives of Modena.	128. The Same to the Same.
	The Prince has not yet arrived, though his coming cannot be long delayed, according to advices had through a ship bound from Spain to Flanders, purporting that he had certainly embarked, and today a report circulated over London that the fleet had been seen on the high sea. This news is a mere public rumour, but his coming cannot be much longer delayed, the preparations for it being made in great haste.
	Yesterday the ambassador from Florence arrived in London, and with him was Pariglio [the confidant ?] of Don Francisco; when at a distance of 20 miles from London he sent to say where he was, whither all the Florentine merchants here, some 20 in number, went to meet him. From what I have been able to elicit he will not go to pay his respects to the Queen until the Prince arrives, and I rather think he will not leave London, as your Excellency's ambassador wrote to me from Brussels that the Emperor has sent hither ordering no ambassador of any sort to go beyond London, but to await the Prince here. The ambassadors of the King of the Romans and of Bohemia are still in London, nor have they ever left it. The Regent Figueroa has also arrived here for his passage to Spain, bringing with him, I am told, many hangings (molti razzi) of gold, silver, and silk made as a present for the Prince, the Emperor having had them wrought at Antwerp.
	London, 10th July 1554.
	[Italian, signed.]
Aug. 14. Mantuan Archives.	129. Queen Mary to Hercules Gonzaga, Cardinal Regent of Mantua.
	His letter of congratulation delivered by his ambassador, the Bishop of Nola, announcing that good will of which she had already heard from the discourse of others, and which is now not only notified by letter, but confirmed in person by his own envoy, gave her great pleasure, which being unable entirely to express in writing she has given this charge to the Bishop of Nola, who will tell him more fully about her mutual regard, and other transactions concerning him in England.
	Richmond Palace, 14th August 1554.
	[Latin, countersigned by the Bishop of St. Asaph's.]
Aug. 31. Parti Comuni, Consiglio X., XXI 124., Venetian Archives.	130. Motion made in the Council of Ten and Junta.
	That the [armoury] halls of this Council, and the Sanctuary of the jewels of St. Mark, be shown to Mr. Richard Bartu (Bertie), husband of the Duchess of Suffolk [Katherine Willoughby] of the Kingdom of England.
	Ayes 17; noes 0; neutral 0.
	[Italian.]
Sept. 26. Lettere sottoscritte, Mar Serenissima Signoria, Venetian Archives.	131. The Doge and Senate to Giovanni Michiel, Venetian Ambassador in England.
	By the enclosed copy you will see what was conceded on the 21st of last June (fn. 3) to our beloved noble Francesco Bernardo, knight, concerning the credits claimed by him from that crown. Wishing him to obtain from her Majesty just compensation for the loss of the three ships, we charge you to render all possible aid as you shall consider fitting, both with the Queen and with her Royal Council.
	26th September 1554.
	[Italian, signed.]