Venice: August 1630, 2-12 | British History Online

Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 22, 1629-1632. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1919.

'Venice: August 1630, 2-12', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 22, 1629-1632, (London, 1919) pp. 383-396. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/venice/vol22/pp383-396 [accessed 26 April 2024]

August 1630



Aug. 2. Senato, Secreta. Deliberazioni. Venetian Archives.	471. To the Ambassador in England.
	We do not wish you to attend to anything but the most important matter of the levy. If none of the persons mentioned will undertake to act as colonel, although we approved of Conway's offer. you will treat with someone else and come to terms. We have given you powers to grant more to the English than we have to the Dutch. We have also sent you supplies of money and we shall continue to do so when we hear that you have obtained the king's permission and have arranged with some capable officer. We are now awaiting the results of your efforts. We send you for information what we are writing this week to the Hague.
	Among the king's ministers, Carleton, who once was ambassador here, has always shown himself friendly. You will cherish intimate and confidential relations with him.
	Ayes, 72.	Noes, 0.	Neutral, 3.
	[Italian.]
Aug. 2. Senato, Secreta. Deliberazioni. Venetian Archives.	472. To the Ambassadors SORANZO and CONTARINI [in France].
	You will commend and encourage the cardinal's idea of welcoming the interposition of the Ambassador Wake for a reconciliation with Savoy, as well as anything else that promises a safe and dignified issue from present troubles.
	Ayes, 190.	Noes, 0.	Neutral, 1.
	[Italian.]
Aug. 2. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Inghilterra. Venetian Archives.	473. GIOVANNI SORANZO, Venetian Ambassador in England, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	The ducal missives of the 11th ult. have reached me to-day, and with them I have the second letters of exchange for the sum of 32,000 ducats, the exposition of the English agent, with other copies of letters and others for his Majesty, which I will present at an opportune moment. I will use the advices upon every occasion that I consider will serve you most. I also find a copy of the terms which I sent to give some idea of the pretensions of Colonel Scot. He did not present them to me, when I made overtures to him about the levy, but I sent them as being an offer made to my predecessor Contarini. I am the more anxious to make this clear because the fact that your Excellencies have sent it back to me annotated gives me the impression that you have counted upon it. I wrote in the same letter that the colonel had hinted to me that present conditions were different, so that it seemed probable that I should have to deal with greater claims on his part and this is what has happened. With respect to the annotations and corrections which you have thought fit to make, I may say that in a draft I made for the first proposal I had already observed all the necessary reservations. If I had succeeded in getting these accepted I have no doubt but that your Excellencies would have had an advantageous bargain, but it is useless to insist too strongly, because on such occasions, when the pressing need is known, men tyrannise over princes, especially in these distant nations, who fix their own profits. Against the third article I observe the note: See what has been written. I imagine that this refers to the first commissions authorising me to spend 5 to 6 ducats per head more than the Dutch levies cost. I had asked for even more latitude if need were. Your letters of the 5th ult. which arrived last week serve to show that you approve of my making the levy even at a cost exceeding the aforesaid commission. In my letters of the 21st and 22nd June I calculated the cost of Scot's terms at 22,500l. sterling, but I beg you to observe that I made a mistake, because the arms are not included in that sum, which will mean 2,000l. sterling more.
	The ninth article is very important about their being engaged for certain for a definite time. I have not written more about this because I suspended my negotiations with the colonels. Now that I have taken them up again they are all agreed in demanding security that they will be kept. I do all I can to avoid including that condition, and I shall be more firm still now that I know the intention of your Excellencies. If I have to give way I shall arrange for the shortest time possible, because I think that if you were absolutely determined not to agree to it, and would rather abandon the levy altogether, you would have expressed yourselves more clearly. I beg you to believe that I shall do my best to make it a success and to save the public money, but this is very difficult to achieve.
	Since I sent my last despatch I have had time to consider the articles presented to me by the colonels. I found them absolutely exorbitant, and decided to negotiate myself with the captains and owners of ships to arrange the transport with them. I met with even greater impertinence and difficulty, because they asked 300l. sterling for every month for each ship of 300 tons, which would carry 250 soldiers, with an undertaking to hire for seven months, that they should not be employed at Venice, and they also claimed payment for the return journey, which is intolerably exorbitant. They asked ten of their pennies here per head for the food of the soldiers, amounting to 1¼l. sterling a month, and reckoning for four months this single levy with the food would cost 26,800l. sterling. There would be the cost of the levy and arms in addition, so that the expense would be without limit. Accordingly I decided to deal with the colonels once more. As some of them were obstinate in their demands I rejected them at once. Those who were more reasonable in their demands made practically the same proposals. As I was to treat with one only I decided, in order not to offend the others, that the first to make proposals to me should be the first to treat with me about final terms, an arrangement which satisfied all of them.
	I am therefore at present in negotiation with Colonel Scot. He declares most resolutely that he cannot arrange for the same terms as he made with the Ambassador Contarini. His reasons are that in the eighteen months which have passed things have altered greatly; provisions have become dearer, which is only too true, and the ship captains know of the need and have rebelled and will no longer agree to what they accepted before. At that time he had done his part, and he knew what he might expect; at the present time it was necessary to begin the negotiations all over again; and, indeed, from what I have related above your Excellencies may see that there is a great change in the demands which the ship captains make at present. Nevertheless, I have tried by every possible means to get him to conform to those terms, as being, indeed the most advantageous that can be obtained under present circumstances, and to oblige him in every possible way not to depart therefrom. I told him that I had already sent them to your Serenity and that it was not possible to change them. To this he replied that he had never given them and that he ought not therefore to be bound to anything; he had expressed his readiness to the Ambassador Contarini to serve upon the conditions which he then presented in writing; he was as zealous as ever for your Serenity and if you thought fit to employ him he would willingly expose his life, but he did not think he ought to be a loser. He told me further that he had not so much money in the world as the difference which they ask for the transport would amount to. He communicated to me the demands which had been made of him, and I found that they were much higher than those of his capitulations. Accordingly, two days ago I decided to treat again with the ship captains, and I let those who made me the proposals I mentioned alone. But when I came to the point these also demanded more than Scoto had done. That is not surprising, because on every ground he is able to make better terms with his own countrymen, and negotiations are easier for him.
	I have never been so harassed as I am at present owing to the overbearing behaviour of this barbarous and unreasonable race. If they would make up their minds everything could be arranged, because Colonel Scoto seems friendly and anxious to serve, and I am sure that what he does not do may be expected even less from others. Amid this uncertainty I am unable to send your Serenity anything definite about the conclusion of this affair, though I will do everything possible to get it all settled next week. I can assure your Serenity that provided the conditions do not delay the conclusion of the agreement I hope that everything will be ready by the end of next week and that the ships may set sail. It is true that they will be nearly three months on the voyage unless some favourable wind chance to bring them to port earlier, and as they will arrive in the winter season they may be of little use. So far I have not approached the king for permission to make the levy because I do not think it opportune before I have arranged with the colonel. If things go as I have said, I shall have the whole of next week, and I will begin to provide all the things required forthwith, so that everything may be effected as promptly as possible. It is for this reason that I beg you not to delay the remittances a moment.
	Samuel Vassallo, the only one left to accept the letters, readily agreed to make payment, so that the sum of 6,200l. sterling can be raised in three days. This is all that I can report at present about this matter. I need only add that the Earl of Essex as well as the Earl of Warwick has let it be understood that he would like this employment provided the levy is one of 5,000 to 6,000 men. I have not failed to assure both of your Serenity's gratitude for their good disposition, so as to keep them friendly, because we might receive considerable services from them in case of greater need.
	As regards events here, with the king and all the Court far away, there is nothing of more importance than the report which grows more and more likely to be true, that the peace with Spain is about to be settled, and that they will make the announcement in a few days.
	Montagu has recently returned from France and reports that he received favours and honours in great abundance. In response to his mission and to offer congratulations upon the birth the Most Christian has sent M. Eguaglie here, who arrived yesterday. Although Montagu was defrayed while he remained in the neighbourhood of the Court, it is not thought that they will do the like here, especially as the king is in the country.
	Ven has started for Holland and they say that he will return soon.
	No further confirmation has come of the arrival of the fleet, and so it is thought that the previous announcement was one of their usual lies for their own advantage.
	London, the 2nd August, 1630.
	[Italian.]
Aug. 7. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Signori Stati. Venetian Archives.	474. VICENZO GUSSONI, Venetian Ambassador in the Netherlands, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	The English ambassador, Ven, has arrived this evening. He is to stay here a short time and then return to take up his position in the Council of State, recently granted to him by his Majesty. He brings the most determined assurances from England that they will agree to no accommodation with Spain unless the interests of the Palatine are arranged for in some way, but they attach little credit to that here and the ministers believe that the Spaniards in the end will twist the matter to suit themselves.
	The Hague, the 7th August, 1630.
	[Italian.]
Aug. 9. Senato, Secreta. Deliberazioni. Venetian Archives.	475. To the Ambassador in England.
	The Ambassador Gussoni will have remitted 10,000 ducats to you last week. Herewith we send you 30,000 ducats, 7,000 about for London direct, 12,000 by Amsterdam and the rest by Antwerp. By London and Amsterdam they will be payable to you or your agent; by Antwerp to Pietro Bicant, a leading merchant of London, without anything leaking out at Antwerp. The Senate is anxiously waiting to hear of the successful progress of the levy. That of the Duke of Rohan remains on his responsibility and we have as yet no precise account from him. You will show every confidence with Roe, now back in Court, who devoted admirable efforts for the public cause both at Constantinople and in Sweden, and has always been most friendly with our representatives, as this may prove most useful to the interests of the state. We enclose a copy of our letters to the Hague, which you will know how to use upon occasion to the advantage of our service.
	Ayes, 93.	Noes, 1.	Neutral, 1.
	[Italian.]
Aug. 9. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Inghilterra. Venetian Archives.	476. GIOVANNI SORANZO, Venetian Ambassador in England, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	Four days ago I asked audience of the king, who had come to town with the queen to see the prince, their son, before going further away than they have done up to the present. They put me off until the following day, to go and find his Majesty twelve miles away at one of his country houses. (fn. 1) I had audience there and presented the letters in which your Serenity congratulates him on the birth of the prince, making response to the confidential communication on the subject made by him. I accompanied this with the most abundant office I could, which I thought suitable to the occasion and in conformity with the intention of your Excellencies. His Majesty responded, saying that this was not the first occasion that your Excellencies had given him testimony of your friendship and confidence. He thanked you warmly and begged you to continue your affection, and on his part he promised the most sincere and abundant response.
	I took advantage of his Majesty's favourable disposition to proceed to the second office for permission for the levy. I told him that the constant preoccupation of your Excellencies about upholding the public cause was always inducing you to take vigorous steps in the present troubled state of Italy for the defence of yourselves, the Duke of Mantua, and, as a natural consequence, of the whole province. As the enemy was constantly bringing fresh reinforcements for the oppression of a legitimate prince, succeeding to his dominions, it behoved your Serenity to take advantage of the confidential relations which had existed for a long course of years between the most serene republic and this Crown. His Majesty has frequently expressed his royal pleasure that your Serenity might promise yourself all the consequences of a true and sincere friendship. Accordingly, you had ordered me to ask his Majesty to permit a levy of a regiment of 2,000 English and Scottish infantry to be employed for the requirements of your Excellencies. You promised yourselves this from the esteem which you professed for his Majesty, and had charged me to assure him that in addition to the benefit that the public cause will derive therefrom, you will always gratefully remember this favour.
	The king replied that he had heard this levy for the republic talked about for some time past, and although he was sure that it would not be made without his permission, yet he did not know what to think. Although a proper course had not been observed in this matter, yet his affection for the republic was so great that it overcame all other considerations, and therefore I might assure your Serenity that you would always find him ready to satisfy you, as being one of the truest friends you have. You would see it on this occasion, because he freely and gladly granted me permission to make the levy. I told him that such a favourable answer compelled me to thank him warmly in the name of your Excellencies who will recognise this favour as a sure pledge of his affection. I assured him that you should hear of it as well as of the declaration of his readiness to afford the republic even greater satisfaction. For the rest I could assure his Majesty that nothing had been done to which any exception could reasonably be taken. He replied that he had ordered his secretary to speak to me more particularly, and he would say no more, except that the laws do not permit anyone to treat with his subjects without his permission. I reserved myself in order to hear what the secretary might impart to me. In the meantime I assured him that things were at their very beginnings, and that if anyone had been to offer himself I supposed he could do so, and that I might hear him and all who came to treat with me. I begged his Majesty to believe that the ministers of the republic would never engage in anything which would cause him displeasure or mischief. At the end I repeated my thanks for permitting the levy, and saying that I would inform your Serenity about it I took my leave.
	Subsequently I saw Carleton, the Secretary of State, who confirmed the permission for the levy in the king's name. He told me that his Majesty and the Lords of the Council had marvelled greatly at the announcement of the levy before anything had been said to the king or ministers, and it was altogether contrary to the laws to treat with the king's subjects before having permission. I replied, thanking his Majesty for the permission. I was sorry that anything had occurred in the matter to displease his Majesty, although I was sure that for my part I had done nothing wrong, because I could not believe that there were any laws to prevent ambassadors from listening to those who come to treat with them. His Majesty's subjects were more bound to know and observe the laws than are the foreign ministers, who are unacquainted with such customs. When I received commissions to make this levy, the report got abroad and many came to offer themselves, and I could not refuse to listen to them. He repeated that it was contrary to the laws and that the whole of the king's council was scandalised about it. I was the first who had done such a thing. I told him that I certainly was not the first, because I knew that others had treated without informing the king. I did not believe that his Majesty meant to prevent me from listening if anyone came to treat with me spontaneously and without being asked. I remarked that the Lords of the Council need not have been so scandalised because their President himself had come to treat with me about this affair, and the secretary himself had sent to recommend a dependant of his to be captain. I asked if it was my duty, when the President came to see me and began to speak of this matter, to tell him that I could not speak of such a thing because I had not the king's permission to listen. He hesitated and then said that if I had done so I should have done well. For his own part he admitted he had done well in sending.
	I made light of this reply and told him that he did not hold such views when he was an ambassador. Such pretences could not be advanced against foreign ministers. It was idle to be punctilious upon a matter of such slight importance. In such cases there were tow things to be considered, the minister who is treating and the matter in negotiation. I proved to him that there was no occasion for punctilio on these grounds, because so far as the minister was concerned, the republic did not merit suspicion, and its sincere affection towards this Crown guaranteed the sincerity of the operations of its ministers. As for the matter in negotiation, I left it to him whether it could be suspect in any eventuality. The more I pressed him the warmer he grew, because he had no arguments to convince me that I ought to have done otherwise than I had. He remarked, however, that he would not argue with me. He had told me the king's intention. If I would rule myself in conformity with it, I should receive every satisfaction, if not, they would devise remedies. I replied that it was no question of the future, but I was only defending the past, on good grounds. I wished his Majesty to know that I never desired anything but what was just and reasonable. I had always thought that his Majesty's permission would be required for this levy, which could not be made without it. I had not asked for it before for reasons which I would keep to myself, which was the refusal of the merchants to pay the money. I imagined that I had hastened to ask for it, quite as much as was necessary to preserve for his Majesty the respect and pre-eminence due to him, because of the three chief parts of this negotiation, consisting of treating, concluding and carrying into effect, the last two remained subject to his Majesty's good pleasure, because I had not yet nominated the colonel, and the affair might be called virgin still, seeing that the negotiations are not concluded and arrangements which are not carried out should be considered null. He said that the king was full of the best intentions towards the republic and had charged him to confirm to me the promise about the levy and to offer all that he and his realms could do in the way of soldiers, ships and other things for its service, but he wished to be recognised as master. I thanked him again for the promise and the even more abundant offers, without saying any more, because I had attained my object.
	I have sent your Excellencies this precise account because it has been stated that there was some dissatisfaction, and so that you might know exactly what has taken place. I have heard since from what quarter this move may have come, but I have not been able to make sure. I have been told that the king was irritated because the levy has been talked about for some time, but no approach was made to him, though really one could not speak about it before the decision of your Excellencies arrived, which only came a fortnight ago with the remittances for 32,000 ducats. Upon the first commissions, when the merchants refused payment, I could not make any request of the king, because I was more anxious to cover the disturbance than to publish the commissions for the levy. It is true that I continued to treat with those who came to negotiate with me, in order to keep in touch with them and have them ready whenever your Excellencies should make a sign; but I may have done wrong. It seems to me unjust to claim that a foreign minister must ask leave to listen to those who come to treat with him, and it also seems to me that if they are unable to forbid their subjects to come, still less can they prevent ambassadors from receiving them. Someone has suggested to me that the President of the Council himself has performed some hostile office because I have not treated with his son, but this matters little, because I had good reason for what I did. He was the last to come and make an offer and therefore he ought to be the last to receive the reply. I may add that if he had been the only one I do not know if it would have been advisable to give him the appointment.
	Your Excellencies have already honoured me by leaving the choice of the person to me. You may be sure that I shall not allow myself to be deceived, because the greatest favourites do not make the best soldiers. I also believe that the partisans of Spain, seeing matters in train, have brought their share of fuel to this fire. Thank God it has not blazed brightly enough to do more than throw light on their malignity. On this account it seemed to me the more remarkable, seeing that the king had decided to grant the levy, that he should have allowed himself to be persuaded to make a fuss over a matter which does him no harm whatever. When I was making enquiries after receiving the first commissions, I approached the Dutch ambassador, who is my confidant in all matters of state, not only to find out about suitable persons, but about the manner of approaching the king for permission and the time to ask it. The good old man told me that it was necessary first to treat and arrange with the person I thought most suitable, because if I spoke to the king before the levy there was a risk that his Majesty would oblige me to take someone who might not satisfy me or be fit for the post.
	London, the 9th August, 1630.
	[Italian; the part in italics deciphered.]
Aug. 9. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Inghilterra. Venetian Archives.	477. GIOVANNI SORANZO, Venetian Ambassador in England to the DOGE and SENATE.
	The ducal missives of the 19th ult. have reached me to-day, with the duplicates of last week and a copy of what was written to the Hague, which will serve me for information. So also will the advices they give me about the passage of the Queen of Hungary, a report of which is already current here because the merchants concerned in the ships stopped by your Excellencies to use for reinforcing your fleet, have published it. I have defended the action of the state with those with whom I have had occasion to speak, and I have not found one who does not accept it without reserve.
	I have laboured ceaselessly all this week over the levy in order to induce Colonel Scotto to rest content with the conditions which your Excellencies have sent, but he has shown himself so determined and persistent in his demands that I have no hope of arranging anything with him, and still less with the others, who advance even greater claims, so long as I have to confine myself within the limits set by your Excellencies. Last week I did not send the articles which he presented to me, because I hoped I might get him to reduce them, but in spite of all my efforts I have not succeeded in making any progress. I have therefore decided to send the articles herewith, so that your Excellencies may examine them and acquaint me with your wishes thereupon, seeing that I have not been able so far to secure more advantageous terms. All the same I do not rest in my efforts to secure a conclusion, and if I succeed in achieving this with the money which your Excellencies have authorized me to spend, I will go on with the levy and finish it when I have received the money, if not all of it, at least so much as is required for disbursements.
	Actually I despair of success, because in the third article the colonel demands a ducat per head more for the levy than your Excellencies require, and I consider the eighth also insuperable, because he wants the pay of the principal and inferior officers both of the regiment and of the individual companies, as well as the capitation to begin to run after the two months required for the levy, and they want payment three months in advance. This article is the eleventh of the capitulations sent back by your Excellencies annotated, with a note saying, This article falls through, because payment ought certainly to begin in port and actually in this city. I have tried to uphold this, taking the capitulations of Holland as an example, but they answer that the condition is reasonable for the soldiers, since it pays for their food, which consumes all their pay and more, but it is not reasonable that they should leave here and go as far as Venice without any pay; and it has never been heard of that officers should share the portion of the soldiers on board ship, or that they should be subject to live at the discretion of the sailors. To deny them the pay is not absolutely reasonable, since they are in service, so I have much reason to fear either that it will be necessary to grant it to them, or that the levy will not be made. The eleventh article contains the time condition. It is somewhat modified, but not entirely as your Excellencies wish.
	All these difficulties really arise because you have changed the cards in my hands, and I have to stand still because I need them, and also because I have not commissions to spend so much as the present demands of the colonel require. Taking the extra ducat per head for the levy, and the three payments in advance of the officers with the capitation, this may amount to 25,000l. sterling and something more, an increase of 2,500l. and more upon the capitulations already spent, and I could not undertake to spend this without special instructions. I see clearly then, with the continuation of these negotiations, if I am not confined within the limits of the powers which I hold, about which I must wait to hear from your Excellencies, other and greater difficulties may be encountered in the matter of transport, if nothing else, because the ship captains here, with whom negotiations are now proceeding, will not agree to wait so long, and when I want to take up the matter again they will either have gone or may advance greater claims, and the same thing might happen if one had to deal with others. Accordingly I see that this affair is subject to alteration from one day to another, and so your Excellencies may judge what powers are necessary for me to arrange it once and for all, otherwise there will constantly be occasion for reiteration. I know what mischief this causes and suffer greatly at seeing the service of the state retarded.
	I need add no more except that it is necessary for me to have the remittances as well as full powers, because without them I cannot even begin much less arrange the levy, because with the exception of some sum which the ship captains might agree to take, certainly not amounting to a third, it will be necessary to have all the rest ready to pay on a single day. With respect to ships for the transport, although I have left Article 5 in the colonel's capitulations, I do not cease to treat with merchants, in order to suffer the least possible disadvantage, although I have no hope of procuring an advantage in anything.
	The letters which have arrived to-day from Antwerp bring word, in conformity with general report, that a courier has reached Brussels with news of the fall of Mantua, taken by assault, all the inhabitants being slain, and that the duke was shut up in the citadel for some time and then withdrew to Venice. Personally I do not know what to believe, although I am much perturbed by the confirmation of the news from so many quarters, in the hands of everyone who has received letters from Antwerp.
	There is some confirmation of the arrival of the fleet in Spain, but not so certain as the Spaniards would have people believe. There is a report from the Spanish embassy that the Counts of Hanolt and Mansfelt have attacked the troops of the King of Sweden and driven them back to their ships, indeed they say that they have embarked again. It is also reported from the same quarter that the Imperialist troops in the Mantovano have again attacked the forces of your Serenity, inflicting a considerable defeat, including the loss of two guns; but the announcement is suspect on every account.
	Two days ago the French ambassador informed me of the news he had received that his Majesty's army had laid siege to Saluzzo, but if the king's withdrawal to Lyons is authenticated as reported, it would be of slight consequence.
	There is nothing about the negotiations with Spain beyond what I have advised, because they are waiting for the return of the couriers last despatched.
	London, the 9th August, 1630.
	Postscript.—If I cannot succeed in making the levy with the money which I have in hand, and what is on the way to me, I will try to employ it in such a manner that it may not prove useless, until such time as your Excellencies' orders reach me.
	[Italian.]
Enclosures.	478. (1) Plague and want throughout Italy make it difficult to levy troops there. To show my devotion to the republic I undertake to levy 2,000 English and Scots, all good troops, the officers being experienced soldiers always subject to his Majesty's leave.
	(2) The companies shall be of 200 men or 150 as the republic pleases.
	(3) I ask 6 ducats di banco per head for the levy and expenses until the time of embaraction, which shall be two months after the contract is signed.
	(4) Officers and men shall be paid at the highest rate granted to Ultramontane troops, and shall have all the advantages that they have.
	(5) I will bring the troops for 40 ducats di banco or 10l. sterling the head for hire of the ships and food.
	(6) The ships shall be prepared and well armed.
	(7) If by interference of any minister of the republic the departure of the fleet is delayed beyond the two months, 222l. sterling a day shall be paid for maintenance of the men in port.
	(8) Payment shall begin from the day the troops arrive in the dominions of the republic and not before, but the payment per head shall begin from the end of the two months, and three months shall be paid in advance, a muster being made beforehand.
	(9) His Serenity shall advance me 4 ducats di banco a head for arms, which shall be rebated from the first payments made at Venice, at the rate of 2,000 ducats a month. If the doge wishes to supply arms at Venice, I will accept the same terms as other Ultramontanes.
	(10) The choice of officers shall rest with the colonel and so shall punishments, except for crimes touching the state.
	(11) The regiments shall be engaged for a year at least from the signing of the contract. When they are dismissed they shall receive two months' pay to return home.
	(12) As I have already served the doge for ten years, I leave my own treatment to the republic.
	[Italian.]
Aug. 9. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Inghilterra. Venetian Archives.	479. GIOVANNI SORANZO, Venetian Ambassador in England, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	The merchant Daniel Harvie has asked me to recommend to your Excellencies the despatch of a suit of his at the Collegio delle Biave at Venice for the hire of a ship, and has presented the enclosed memorial. I consider his request reasonable, and therefore I took the opportunity of doing him a service.
	London, the 9th August, 1630.
	[Italian.]
Enclosure.	480. Memorial of Daniel Harvey, showing that his ship the Elizabeth and margaret was hired at Venice to lade grain in the Archipelago for 1,005 ducats di banco the month, a month's pay being given in advance. After serving two months the ship came to grief, yet his agent at Venice, Rudolf Simes, was forced to give back the month's pay. He appealed against this sentence, but the Collegio delle Biave only meets once a year. Asks that the Five Savii or others may be deputed to decide the case so that it may be dealt with promptly.
	[Italian.]
Aug. 10. Senato, Secreta. Deliberazioni. Venetian Archives.	481. To the Ambassador in Spain.
	You will keep up the closest and most intimate confidence with the nuncio and the French ambassador. You will do the same with the English, maintaining that our levies in England and our forces everywhere are all devoted to the public weal. Our friendship with his king is confirmed and uninterrupted, while any other might easily be spoiled by emulation and past events.
	Ayes, 118.	Noes, 1.	Neutral, 8.
	[Italian.]
Aug. 10. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Firenze. Venetian Archives.	482. MARC ANTONIO PADAVIN, Venetian Secretary at Florence, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	They think of arming four ships of high board here, one of the Grand Duke, at Leghorn, one building for Don Pietro Medici, brother of the Archbishop of Pisa. The Cavalier Manfredini has two large ones, but it is not known if they will take his or hire the English or Flemish ships which are in the port. The purpose for which they are to serve has not transpired.
	Florence, the 10th August, 1630.
	[Italian.]
Aug. 12. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Signori Stati. Venetian Archives.	483. VICENZO GUSSONI, Venetian Ambassador in the Netherlands, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	Sir [Henry] Ven speaks with some bitterness about the Amboyna affair, as his king has not taken in good part the expedient of settling the matter in their chambers of justice here. He wishes the judgment to be left to England if they do not afford him proper satisfaction here.
	The Hague, the 12th August, 1630.
	[Italian.]
Aug. 12. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Signori Stati. Venetian Archives.	484. VICENZO GUSSONI, Venetian Ambassador in the Netherlands, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	Colonel Suynton is away from here, busy with his preparations for the second fleet, which he promises to have ready at the time agreed on. The letters of exchange sent are not available until the end of next month, and so I must postpone all negotiations for a fresh levy until then, as neither merchants nor soldiers will accept anything but ready money.
	The Hague, the 12th August, 1630.
	[Italian.]
Aug. 12. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Germania. Venetian Archives.	485. PIETRO VICO, Venetian Secretary in Germany, to the DOGE and SENATE.
	Within a few days an English ambassador should arrive here accompanied by another of the Palatine of the Rhine, to treat about the latter being received into the emperor's favour, restored to the Lower Palatinate, and after Bavaria's death have the electoral vote for himself, or at least for his eldest son. It is considered that he may easily be pardoned, because Bavaria will offer no opposition, in order to make sure of enjoying the Upper Palatinate in peace and he would rather see this prince, his relation, restored to the Lower Palatinate than the Spaniards masters there.
	Ratisbon, the 12th August, 1630.
	[Italian; copy.]