Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 9, 1592-1603. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1897.
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'Venice: April 1594', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 9, 1592-1603, (London, 1897) pp. 123-126. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/venice/vol9/pp123-126 [accessed 25 April 2024]
April 1594
| April 3. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. | 264. Marco Venier, Venetian Ambassador in Constantinople, to the Doge and Senate. |
|---|---|
| The French Ambassador came to tell me that I had a bad neighbour in Cicala, brother of the Capudan Pasha, who was here on the King of Spain's business, to induce the Turk to attack Venice, in the belief that this would force Venice, the Pope, Florence, Savoy, and other Italian Princes to ally themselves with Spain. Yesterday morning in public divan the Polish Ambassador (fn. 1) asked for an audience of the Sultan; the Grand Vizir enquired whether the Ambassador had brought a present with him; on receiving an answer in the negative, the Vizir told the Ambassador to apply again when the present had arrived. I have heard that subsequently the English Ambassador went to the Grand Vizir to beg an audience for the Polish Ambassador, whereupon the Grand Vizir flew into one of his usual furies and sent a Cavass to the house of the Pole, with orders to take the Ambassador into custody. | |
| Dalle Vigne di Pera, 3rd April 1594. | |
| [Italian; deciphered.] | |
| April 12. Copy of Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. | 265. Tomaso Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in Germany, to the Doge and Senate. |
| The English have sent one thousand four hundred men into Holland; picked troops, well armed, used to war. | |
| Prague, 12th April 1594. | |
| [Italian.] | |
| April 14. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. | 266. Marco Venier, Venetian Ambassador in Constantinople, to the Doge and Senate. |
| The Turks wish to attack Apulia and Calabria, and therefore enquire whether the Venetians will raise opposition if the Turkish fleet enters the Adriatic; if it does not attack Apulia then it will have to be sent to Gibraltar as the French and English Ambassadors wish. | |
| Dalle Vigne di Pera, 14th April 1594. | |
| [Italian; deciphered.] | |
| April 14. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. | 267. Marco Venier, Venetian Ambassador in Constantinople, to the Doge and Senate. |
| The Polish Ambassador had had audience at last, and without making a present, though he received two robes. The Grand Vizir wished to make him hand over the letters addressed to the Sultan; but the Ambassador, who is more a soldier than a man of the long robe, answered that he would die first. He was placed in custody, but the English Ambassador insisted on the unadvisability of alienating the Poles at this juncture, and the Grand Vizir abandoned his haughty attitude. Three days ago the Polish Ambassador and the Agent for Transylvania came to pay me a visit; he spoke Latin, used many expressions of regard for the Republic, and declared that though the Poles could not be the first to attack the Turks, yet, if others took up arms they would certainly not be the last I thanked him for his confidential communication, although he was very merry owing to the dinner he had just had at the English Ambassador's. His face is a mass of huge scars; in his speech and his manner he looks like a soldier of mettle and of experience. | |
| Dalle Vigne di Pera, 14th April 1594. | |
| [Italian; deciphered.] | |
| April 20. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. | 268. Francesco Vendramin, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
| News is constantly arriving from Portugal that the English are doing great damage in those waters. They recently captured a carvel of the Indian fleet, and fought an engagement off Cape St. Vincent. The Portuguese are fortifying the coast and strengthening the guards in case the English should attempt a descent on that country. It is thought that no such attempt will be made, though the ill will of the Portuguese causes grave doubts as to their loyalty. | |
| Madrid, 20th April 1594. | |
| [Italian; the part in italics deciphered.] | |
| April 22. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. | 269. Marco Venier, Venetian Ambassador in Constantinople, to the Doge and Senate. |
| Yesterday evening one of the foremen in the Arsenal came to me and told me that just before he left the Arsenal a violent squall broke the cables of the galleys and drove them on to each other to the destruction of their bulwarks, bows, and sterns, and undoing the work of many months. At this there rose a great cry to heaven, for the storm seemed to portend the ruin of the fleet. | |
| Ibraim, who is a prisoner in the Tower of the Black Sea, has been spared his life alone. All his fortune, which amounts to two, or more likely to three, millions in gold, has been confiscated. It is rumoured that Sciavus Pasha was plotting to become Grand Vizir again, by the help of Ibraim's money. When Ferrad Pasha learned this he took this step by which he not only stripped Ibraim of all his goods, but also searched the house of Sciavus where Ibraim kept much of his money, and though some was found, Ferrad declares that there must still be more, in order to have an excuse for pillaging Sciavus. | |
| This I learn from my great friend Achmet Djelebi. | |
| The charges against Ibraim are based on a memorial presented to the Sultan by the Chief Magistrate of Diarbekr, in which he is accused of peculation: | |
| Dalle Vigne di Pera, 22nd April 1594. | |
| [Italian; deciphered.] | |
| April 22. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. | 270. Marco Venier, Venetian Ambassador in Constantinople, to the Doge and Senate. |
| After my last despatches on the subject of my secretary, Carazza, the Coadjutor; it has fallen out that the latter is paralyzed in his left arm and threatened in his left leg owing to the descent of a humour from the head to the weaker part of his frame. In addition to this he is suffering from a slow, phlegmatic fever which is certain to be long as is the nature of phlegm. Accordingly he is in such a state as to be of no use to me, and he lives in continual dread that he will die here. The air of this place is very unfavourable to his complaint, as the certificate of doctor Valentino testifies. | |
| My secretary has a continual fever which consumes him; and his melancholy humour is now seen to have a real cause, and not to be mere caprice. | |
| I am therefore left alone with Alberti, who can hardly manage to cipher the numerous despatches and register them in the Chancery. All the rest falls on me, for in order to allow Borisi to leave for Venice, all the work of the Embassy now passes through my hands; with the result that I have been up for two whole nights. I say nothing of the fact that Alberti, who has been moved to the Chancery to fill the post of Coadjutor, in which he acquits himself well, is beginning to forget his Turkish, which he has learned at such an expense of time and labour to himself and of money to your Serenity, and so the public service is likely to suffer on occasions such as the present, when Borisi is leaving us. I have sent him to Venice most unwillingly, for he is very valuable here as being able to speak and write Turkish thoroughly. Accordingly I humbly beg that your Serenity on the return of Borisi, will send me some one who is able to assist me in the Chancery. I am without a secretary and without Coadjutor; the labour is beyond my strength, even were I much more able than I am. Therefore, I pray your Serenity, leave me not for long in this oppression. | |
| Dalle Vigne di Pera, 22nd April 1594. | |
| [Italian.] | |
| April 22. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. | 271. Marco Venier, Venetian Ambassador in Constantinople, to the Doge and Senate. |
| I have, as desired by your Serenity, sent Marc'Antonio Borisi to accompany the Cavass Giafer to Venice. | |
| Dalle Vigne di Pera, 22nd April 1594. | |
| [Italian.] | |
| April 23. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. | 272. Francesco Vendramin, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. |
| This last news from France that the King has entered Paris has caused great anxiety to the ministers. It is clear from the way the news is received in Spain that while some desired the division of France and the annihilation of the house of Bourbon, still others, and chiefly the grandees had no wish to see the King of Spain further exalted. In Aragon they are especially bitter about the loss of their liberty; and the whole of Portugal has shown great contentment at the successes of Henry IV. | |
| Madrid, 23rd April 1594. | |
| [Italian.] | |