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| March 7. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
334. Marco Venier, Venetian Ambassador in Constantinople, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The late Sultan's Secretary told me that the English Ambassador had a claim against Cicala for an English ship which the late Capudan had seized; and they had exchanged abusive language on the subject. The Ambassador had appealed to the Sultan, but
in vain, as the Sultan declared that he was not satisfied that the ship was really English. |
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Dalle Vigne di Pera, 7th March 1595. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| March 21 Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
335. Marco Venier, Venetian Ambassador in Constantinople, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The Secretary promised that the ships and goods of the Venetians should be respected by the Turkish fleet, though the Republic was not such a good friend to the Porte as were France and England; who to please the Porte were making war on Spain. I could not resist remarking that Sovereigns make war in their own interests and not to please other Sovereigns. |
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The Secretary said that the English Ambassador had brought to him many letters from the Queen of England in which she reported her victories over Spain. |
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Dalle Vigne di Pera, 21st March 1595. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| March 22. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
336. Marco Venier, Venetian Ambassador in Constantinople, to the Doge and Senate. |
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No preparations for the fleet of any moment are going forward. In spite of what the Capudan Pasha told me, the number of galleys will not exceed twenty, unless the intrigues of the French and the English succeed, and that is hardly likely. |
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Dalle Vigne di Pera, 22nd March 1595. |
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[Italian; deciphered.] |
| March 25 Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
337. Francesco Vendramin, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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They are mustering troops to the number of eight thousand; part will be sent to Italy, part on board the fleet that is to convoy the Indian flotilla, and the rest will go to garrison Portugal, whence they write that alarm is daily increasing on account of the English fleet, which is rumoured to number upwards of one hundred sail. This fleet will be divided into two squadrons, whose chief object is to harass the India fleet, either by attacking it, if it has sailed, or by preventing it from sailing through fear of an attack. The intention is to cause embarrassment to this Crown. |
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Madrid, 25th March 1595. |
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[Italian; the part in italics deciphered.] |
| March 25 Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
338. Piero Duodo, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The Queen of England has embarked her troops which were in Brittany. Every day it is made more evident that not the revolution in Ireland, but the King's refusal to give Morlaix to the Queen, is the real cause of this step. She has always affirmed that she desired to hold Morlaix merely as a guarantee that she could disembark reinforcement's and provisions for her troops. |
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The Queen begged that the Duke of Monpensier, a Prince of the blood and held in high esteem, might be sent to raise troops in Brittany, where he would have had a great following. The King refused, and this has awakened a suspicion that he desires the war to be carried on at the charges of England, not of France. |
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I have also been told that the French Ambassador in England is on his way home. Although it is true that the Ambassador has been for long in that post, still the suspicion arises that this recall may be connected with the strained relations between England and France. |
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The French are very much afraid lest the Queen should make terms with the King of Spain, of which there is some rumour; but it is thought that all this is merely intended to facilitate the success of the Queen's demands here. |
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Paris, 25th March 1595. |
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[Italian; deciphered] |
| March 30. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
339. Francesco Vendramin, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
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The dread of the English fleet is on the wane. It seems that advices just received place its strength at a lower figure. |
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Madrid, 30th March 1595. |
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[Italian.] |
