|
|
Sept. 2.
Senato,
Secreta.
Deliberazioni.
Corti.
Venetian
Archives.
|
516. To the Ambassador in France.
We desire to hear something of the events in England. It is
some time since we received any news from Salvetti. We give
you this hint with the best of intentions.
Ayes, 114. Noes, 1. Neutral, 13.
[Italian.]
|
517. To the Ambassador in Spain.
Approval of his attitude towards the secretary of England. It
is not possible for the moment to give any positive instructions
on the subject since there is no minister of the parliament resident
here. When the secretary has gone the Senate will be expecting
to hear what answer is given on either of the two subjects. The
ambassador will obtain whatever else he knows to be useful.
Ayes, 114. Noes, 1. Neutral, 13.
[Italian.]
|
Sept. 12.
Senato,
Secreta.
Dispacci,
Francia.
Venetian
Archives.
|
518. Michiel Morosini, Venetian Ambassador in France,
to the Doge and Senate.
Such favourable news comes from England that if there was
not reason to fear that the queen announces it designedly, it
might be possible to hope for the restoration of the monarchy.
The king has entered England with 16,000 combatants, he defeated
two corps of cavalry and is proceeding with growing prosperity,
various towns having declared for him, while his forces are
augmented by the nobles who keep flocking to him. But he is
being followed by Cromuel, and here the Court prefers to hope
rather than to fear.
Paris, the 12th September, 1651.
[Italian.]
|
Sept. 15.
Collegio,
Secreta.
Esposizioni,
Principi.
Venetian
Archives.
|
519. The Resident of England came into the Collegio and
handed in a memorial, which was read.
The doge replied, We know your good intentions, but the master
is often the last to know the irregularities that occur in his house.
The Resident then gave another memorial, which was read.
The doge said, We rejoice at the success of his Majesty's arms
and wish him all prosperity. At this the Resident bowed, made
a reverence and went out.
|
Memorial.
I deeply regret that having been sent to explain the treatment
of my king by his rebellious and inhuman subjects, in order to
stop the spread of the poison, and to solicit your Serenity for some
assistance, I am so unfortunate as to be compelled to come to your
serenity several times to assure you of my upright intentions.
In this recent case of my gondolier I did not wish to defend the
man but only to assure your Serenity that I had not the slightest
idea why he was arrested, I certainly did not wish to take any
guilty persons under my protection and I sent the Capitan Grande
a note of those who were in my house so that if there were others
who had fraudulently made use of my livery, they might be
recognised. On the 4th July last, when informed that some of
my house were committing irregularities, I promptly dismissed
them. I am the latest arrival of the foreign ministers here and so
I may be less skilled in the practices of the city. Other ministers
shelter persons guilty of serious excesses, without question. But
perhaps the fatality of my country is to blame. We are accustomed
to receive such slights, but not to give them, as in 1641
when the Ambassador Giovanni Giustinian asked for the release
of an English priest, named Clapton, (fn. 1) condemned as a traitor
he was immediately restored to him. I relate this only to show
how much I detest anything contrary to the laws and the public
wishes, and to let my king know that his unhappy state is not the
reason for such a slight, as I would rather die than be blamed
justly by his Majesty for not having done what is right towards
your Serenity.
|
Thomas Killigrew, Resident of the King of Great Britain.
Memorial.
At the beginning of August his Majesty had a large army
in Scotland. There he was attacked by an equal force of rebels.
These made great progress in that country, but with the king's
consent, as he had a tacit understanding with his lieges in England,
and so while the enemy was busy occupying places in Scotland,
his Majesty with 10,000 horse and 4,000 dragoons entered the
duchy of Lancaster, which is 150 miles in England. According
to the last letters he is now there without any opposition and
supported by all the nobles and leading people of those parts,
where we hope, with the Divine assistance, his Majesty will soon
recover his crowns. I desire this earnestly so that his Majesty
may be in a position to acknowledge the great obligations he is
under to your Serenity and this republic.
Thomas Killigrew, Resident of the King of Great Britain.
[Italian.]
|
Sept. 17.
Collegio,
Secreta.
Esposizioni,
Principi.
Venetian
Archives.
|
520. I, Giovanni Gioseppe Hiarca, as directed by the
Secretary Bon, went to the house of the Resident of England to
read him the office of the Senate, upon the successes of his Majesty's
arms and their regard for him personally. At this, after showing
the greatest satisfaction, he explained that he must go to the
Collegio, to report further successes.
With regard to himself he said he would inform your Serenity
of the violence and audacity of some expelled from his house, to
receive the commands of the state. He further said that he would
inform his Majesty of this friendly office, of which he took a copy.
I offered to report everything exactly, and then took my leave.
[Italian.]
|
Sept. 19.
Senato,
Secreta.
Dispacci,
Francia.
Venetian
Archives.
|
521. Michiel Morosini, Venetian Ambassador in France,
to the Doge and Senate.
The Duke of Longueville is trying to remove the suspicions
entertained about him. But there is still some apprehension,
the more so because a secret understanding has come to light
between the Huguenots of Dieppe and the English, and no doubt
is felt that this is the work of Longueville, to maintain himself
in his government. The affair is important because of the
consequences involved, as if the Huguenots of Normandy took
arms with the support of England there is no doubt that the rest
would do the same, to the serious detriment of the Catholic
religion and the ruin of the better part of the kingdom. To prevent
this great evil many of the Council incline to recognise the
parliament of England, especially as by the news of this week
the king has lost 5,000 men and Cromuel with 40,000 is advancing
rapidly to expel or surround him. But no decision has yet
been taken, though as it represents the feeling of the most influential
there is little doubt that it will be acted upon promptly
when Condé has decided on hostilities.
Paris, the 19th September, 1651.
[Italian.]
|
Sept. 20.
Senato,
Secreta.
Dispacci,
Spagna.
Venetian
Archives.
|
522. Pietro Basadonna, Venetian Ambasssador in Spain,
to the Doge and Senate.
Don Juan d' Escovedo, secretary of Don Luis, showed me
Cardenas' letter because Don Luis thought I had taken umbrage
because he reconsidered his original intention of putting it in my
hands. I asked him to let me have an extract, to which he immediately
consented, and I enclose it. In his letter of the 11th July,
Don Alonso informed his Majesty that he had suspended the
remonstrance about parliament helping the Turk against Venice
because he had discovered that the information on the subject
was not certain. He spoke to some of the leading men of the
Council of State about ordering their merchantmen not to serve
the Porte. They said it could not be done, for since the republic
of Venice is allowed to charter English vessels, the Turk would
resent it if similar facilities were denied to him, and the prohibition
would be opposed by the English merchants of the Turkey
Company, on account of their property in the Ottoman Empire,
which is liable to seizure on much slighter grounds. But they
promised to warn the Directors of the Company in private to
direct the captains of such ships as they may send unto the Levant
to avoid entering the Turkish service by every possible means.
The ambassador could not get any more from them at the time.
Madrid, the 20th September, 1651.
[Italian.]
|