Venice: January 1578 | British History Online

Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 7, 1558-1580. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1890.

Citation:

'Venice: January 1578', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 7, 1558-1580, ed. Rawdon Brown, G Cavendish Bentinck (London, 1890), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/venice/vol7/pp567-568 [accessed 2 May 2025].

January 1578



1578. Jan. 6. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives.	696. Hieronimo Lippomano, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory.
	The Queen of England has dismissed the two Ambassadors (from Flanders), and provided them with two ships for their passage. She gave to the Ambassador from Don John, who was the first to depart, some silver cups, worth five hundred crowns; and to the Ambassador from the States, a chain of the value of one thousand crowns. It is reported that the Queen,; having ascertained that French troops had gone to Flanders in aid of the Catholic King, had promised the States to permit English troops not exceeding six thousand in number to proceed to Flanders for their service; and she will also lend them one hundred and fifty thousand crowns, when she receives security for repayment, and therefore a Lucchese, a secretary of the Prince of Orange, remains at her Court, for the conclusion both of this loan, as also for the negotiation of the marriage, by means of the Queen, of the Prince's daughter with the Prince of Condé; but as the Prince of Condé on previous occasions had endeavoured to obtain the Princess of Navarre for wife, and almost concluded the marriage, it is believed that he is still not without hope of accomplishing it, in which case the former proposal would be broken off. Nevertheless the Prince of Condé does not cease to favour the Prince of Orange, and has embarked two thousand French harquebusiers at La Rochelle, and sent them to Flanders, and he continues to muster more men, and will shortly have ready another thousand, all good soldiers and veterans. According to the last advices the Catholic King had applied to England for a passport for an Ambassador whom he desires to send to the Queen to induce her if possible not to favour the rebels in Flanders, and to keep him as far as possible well-informed, but here it is believed that the King's advances will bear very little fruit, because the Queen feeds herself and lives in safety upon the losses and misfortunes of others.
	Paris, 6th January 1578.
	[Italian.]