Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts in the Archives and Collections of Milan 1385-1618. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1912.
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'Milan: 1535', in Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts in the Archives and Collections of Milan 1385-1618, (London, 1912) pp. 575-578. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/milan/1385-1618/pp575-578 [accessed 26 April 2024]
1535
| 1535. March 2. Carteggio Generale. Milan Archives. |
958. Zorzi Andreasio, Milanese Ambassador at Rome, to Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan. The report of the admiral upon his embassy to England has been kept very secret, but something has begun to leak out. I have heard from a trustworthy authority that they have decided that England shall provide 10,000 soldiers, whom the admiral will command, and the Most Christian will pay 100,000 ducats a month to England to make war in Flanders. On the other hand, if the Most Christian wishes to make war in Italy or Spain, England is to pay him 100,000 ducats a month. The Most Christian has sent 100,000 ducats to the Duke of Guelders to make war on the emperor at the same time as England. He is to send 100,000 ducats to the Landgrave, the Duke of Wirtemberg and some other Lutheran princes of Germany to place themselves on the frontier of the King of the Romans, or some other place that he shall choose. Rome, the 2nd March, 1535. [Italian.] |
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| April 1. Carteggio Generale. Milan Archives. |
959. Ottaviano Visconti, Milanese Ambassador at Venice, to Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan. An ambassador of the Vayvoda has arrived here, returning from France and England, but we do not hear what he brings. I am told he is afraid of coming to harm on the way, and so he will not leave here until he sees he can go in safety. Venice, the 1st April, 1535. [Italian.] |
| April 12. Carteggio Generale. Milan Archives. |
960. Ottaviano Visconti, Milanese Ambassador at Venice, to Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan. The ambassador of the Vayvoda of whom I wrote, was sent-to France and England, from what I can gather, for no other purpose than to contract a friendship and union with those sovereigns, and to try and establish it by a marriage alliance. He brought away fair words and ample promises, but nothing definite. Venice, the 12th April, 1535. [Italian.] |
| April 29. Carteggio Generale. Milan Archives. |
961. Advices from England, enclosed in a despatch of the 29th April, 1535. The King of England, seeing the Most Christian disinclined to take from the pope the power to dispose of the benefices of France, seemed to have become somewhat suspicious of him and does not display so much eagerness for the war as at first, and even seemed rather inclined to defer than to hasten the conference. The king has further sent for the imperial ambassador and remained a long while in conversation with him, beyond the usual. He also gave that ambassador the power to visit the first queen frequently. The king has been once to visit his eldest daughter, a thing he had not done for a long while and stayed a long space. From what we hear he made much of her, from which it is supposed that he was also well disposed to the first queen, although he made no sign whatever of that. Probably his Majesty indulged in these demonstrations in order to make the Most Christian uneasy. That monarch also seems in no hurry for the conference, and has shown himself very propitious to the emperor's affairs with the imperial ambassadors. The Most Christian, after negotiating through the admiral to give the second princess of England as wife to the dauphin has began to make excuses, saying she is too young, being no more than four years, while the dauphin is twenty, and she would suit the Duke of Angoulême better, his youngest son. Thus the relations between the two sovereigns, which used to be so cordial, have cooled considerably. [Italian.] |
| May 12. Carteggio Generale. Milan Archives. |
962. Zorzi Andreasio, Milanese Ambassador at Rome, to Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan. It is believed here that the conference between France and England will not take place for the moment, because the relations between them are not so cordial, and as a sign of this they say that Anne, England's concubine, wrote to the Most Christian begging him not to urge her king to cross the sea for the conference as she would have to go with him, and as she is pregnant she is afraid that she may miscarry. The Most Christian king knew how anxious her king is to have a son and might easily imagine how upset he would be if through some mischance he should lose what he desires so greatly (et trovandosi gravida la dubita de disperder, et sapendo Sua Maesta Christianissima quanto sia desideroso el suo Re de habere uno figliolo masculo, la puo per sua prudentia pensar se per caso gli intervenesse alcuno desastro di quanta scontenteza li seria perder un tanto suo desiderio), and so forth, in order to dissuade him from the conference. His Most Christian Majesty thinking the letter of more importance than appeared on the surface, replied in a few pungent phrases: I understand quite well and they are expecting to make good cheer on the strength of a little bigness (la intendo bien, et che attendano a jar bona chiera, tenendo un poco di grosseza). When England heard this, he began to confer more often with the imperial ambassador resident with him, as we learn from the ambassador's letters, probably in order to render the Most Christian uneasy. I should not be sorry if fury broke out among the dogs; fiat voluntas Domini. Rome, the 12th May, 1535. [Italian.] |
| May 19. Carteggio Generale. Milan Archives. |
963. Zorzi Andreasio, Milanese Ambassador at Rome, to Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan. His Holiness has decided to make a promotion of cardinals and has commenced a general congregation for to-morrow. The eight will be Capua, the Protonary Caracciolo, Symonetta, the Auditor of the Camera, Faenza, Mons. Gaspar Contareno, Paris, and an English bishop (fn. 1), who has been very ill-treated, deprived of the revenues of his bishopric and has suffered much opprobrium besides, because he sided with the first Queen of England. His Holiness has made this selection entirely of himself. Rome, the 19th May, 1535. [Italian; deciphered.] |
| May 21. Carteggio Generale. Milan Archives. |
964. Zorzi Andreasio, Milanese Ambassador at Rome, to Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan. The consistory has just ended, at this 21st hour, and in it Paris, Symonetta, the Auditor of the Chamber, Capua, Contareno and the Englishman have been made cardinals. Rome, the 21st May, 1535. [Italian.] |
| June 3. Carteggio Generale. Milan Archives. |
965. Zorzi Andreasio, Milanese Ambassador at Rome, to Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan. We learn through the French ambassador that the King of England has had four good prelates of the county hanged who defended ecclesiastical liberty, and the ropes were thick so that they might not choke so quickly. While they were being hanged he had their hearts cut out, each in the presence of the others (ha fatto cavar el cor alla presentia luno de laltro), so that each of them might change his mind, but as they persisted they all suffered martyrdom. It is thought that when he hears that Rochester has been made a cardinal that prelate will forthwith end his life as a martyr, as he has already been many months in prison. Rome, the 3rd June, 1535. [Italian.] |
| June 16. Carteggio Generale. Milan Archives. |
966. In Letters from England of the 16th June. (fn. 2) The king on learning that they had made one whom he keeps in prison a cardinal sent one of his first councillors to question him whether he had procured the hat, and if he still persisted that the pope was the true monarch, threatening him with the fate of the Carthusian friars if he did not change his mind in three days. Undaunted by these threats he replied that he had in no way procured the cardinalate, and that he would not alter his opinion. In spite of the threat it is not thought that the king will put him to death at once, as he threatened in order to frighten him, but he will be avenged by keeping him in prison. The conference at Calais broke up without arranging anything, but rather leaving ill-feeling between the two sides. [Italian.] |
| June 18. Carteggio Generale. Milan Archives. |
967. Ottaviano Visconti, Milanese Ambassador at Venice, to Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan. Letters have arrived from England about the conference at Calais between the admiral and the English representatives. They merely met to arrange about the visit of the two kings. England urged this, but is it thought that it will not take place until some other time. Also the marriage announced between the daughter of the second queen and the Duke of Angoulême was arranged upon condition that if the King of England died without heirs male, the duke should succeed him, but if he had sons he would surrender a payment of 50,000 ducats yearly made by the Most Christian, for dowry, and would pay them 50,000 ducats a year for both lives. Venice, the 18th June, 1535. [Italian.] |
| Oct. 5. Carteggio Generale. Milan Archives. |
968. Ottaviano Visconti, Milanese Ambassador at Venice, to Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan. The King of England, according to the latest advices to the Signory, persists in his usurpation of ecclesiastical property and in having public preaching against the Apostolic See. He has recently burned a Carthusian friar because he reprobated such preaching and approved of the pope's authority. Venice, the 5th October, 1535. [Italian.] |