the Turcque in Ambassade to Venice; and, as I think, by this Time arryved there, if the Empereur have not intercepted him, who hath layed waye for him in Ragusa His cuming is nothing pleasant to the Venycians; the Cause therof being, as the Venycians conjecture, the same that I have written to your Majestie before; that is to saye, Passage through their Cuntrey, or to be Enemyes to Enemyes, or to redeem the same with sum great Sumes of Money, if nothing els be asked.

Seignior Horacio being heretofore accustomed to be lodged at the Court, or near as the Place required, is lodged now Four Leaggs of, and yet the King lyeth in a great Town; wherof the Nuncio's Secretarye complayning to the Admirall, the Admirall answered him in Coler, he had one gyven him, and he refused it. cannot give him here a Palais as though he were at Paris, and turned his Back, and would talk no longer with the Secretary.

We

I sende unto your Majestie herewith an other Charte of Algiere, set furth after a sorte, with the Emperor's Assiege before it; the Plate wherof varieth from the other I sent your Majestie before: And yett I trust your Majestie will take the same in good Parte; for as they came to my Hands, being sent to such Personages as they wer; thone to the French King, and this to the Duke of Ferrare; I thought it my Duety to sende both unto your Majestie, leaving unto your Excellent Wisedome the Judgment, whither this, or the other be true, or neither of them bothe.

I sende also unto your Majestie a little Book, both printed here in Paris, conteyning the Conclusion of their Dyet in Almayn against the Turk; whither the same be true, or no, I doubt not but your Majestie knoweth by such Advertisements as you have out of those Partes. And thus having nothing els to writte unto your Majestie at this Time, I beseche God to send you most prosperously and long to Reigne. From Chabliz in Bourgoyn, the 19th of April.

Your Majesties

Most Humble, Faithful, and

Obedient Subject, Servant,
And Daily Oratour,

POSTSCRIPT.

WILLIAM PAGETT.

AFTER I had Written to your Majestie this Letter redy to send the same furthwith: and defferring the Dispeche onely uppon Attendance of the Admirall's Letter, to be conveyed

into England; because the same came not, I sent the same Night one to the Courte, which is Four long Leaggs hens to the Admirall to know his Minde therin; which Messenger he returned to me with this Letter herincloced, written and defaced as your Majestie seith the same; upon Motion wherof, was at his Lodging the next Day, by Eight in the Morning, but I found him not there. At my cumming a Letter was delivered me from certain of your Majesties Privy Counsail, the Tènor wherof, both before and sithens I have observed as far as my Wit can extend, like as your Majestie rather by your great Judgement, and gracious Interpretation of my Discourses, then by my simple Writtings may gather. Anone cummeth Monsieur Admirall, accompaigned with Monsieur Longeville, Governour to the Duke of Orleans, and with more Solemnitie than was wont to be, took me with them to the Church, to passe the Tyme (they said) untill the King wer up. Monsieur Longevile left the Admirall and me walking, and entring Communication after this Sorte. Monsieur Le Ambassadeur, I have been bold to put you to this great Payne this Morning; but this Matier troubleth me so sore, that I am at my Wittes Ende By *I could not sleep for it all this Night. We haye received Letters from our Ambassadeur in England, conteyning the same Discourses that you have declared, which my Master is sorye to heare; mervailing that the King, his good Brother, would offer that Summe to his Sonne with his Daughter, that some of his Gentlemen would not accept. The Pope offered to Monsieur de Guyses Sonne, with his Neyce, Two Hundred Thousand Crownes, and he refused it. To see us so farre asunder, after so long a Traitye, by- tit greveth me. For you must understand, that all which be of Counsaile about my Master, be not of one Opinion. And upon the Receipte of our last Lettres, it was said to me, We told you wherto the Enterprise of this Matier would cum at length: But surely I have never repented me, nor myn Affection can never diminishe, for the Friendship that hath been showed on your Parte, aswell in commyn, as to my particuler. And as for the Pope's and the Emperor's Lyes and Falsetes, we know well ynough. Wherfore, for the Love of God, let us growe to some Friendly Point. After I had declared unto him for some Recompence of his Affection, what good Affection I beare to France; I said unto him, Monsieur L'Admirall, you knowe, we commun now privately, and therefore you shall hear my private Opinion. Seing that you knowe other Men's Proceedings with you to have been * An Oath. † An Oath.

so indirect as you speake of, and (as your self hath confessed unto me oftentymes) that the King's Majestie, my Master, hath been so perfaict and sincere a Friende unto you at all Tymes; embrace this Frendship; consyder this Friend; and think that he is to be desyred rather with One Hundred, than any other with Tenne Hundred. You said, your Master will not live alone. Ywys, my Master may have Company enough, if he would slippe out of the Couple from you. Yea, quoth he, I know; but so will not every Man of this Counsaile knowe, their Faulseties. True it is, quoth he, your Friendship hath been much, and we do recognise it, and think our selfs in Obligation to requite it. But we can do no more than we can do. But to come to a Point; the Matier consisteth in these Termes. Within these Two Yeres, we shall owe you a Million; after the which Tyme, we must pay you during the King your Master's Life (God grant it to be long) a Hundred Thousand Crownes yearly, and afterward Fyfty Thousande perpetually, you saye. As for the Pencions, quoth he, there may be sumwhat sayde for Things that should be done by Treaties: For our Defence, Things shuld have been done; Shipps and Men, and I wot not what. And here he began to hack and to hume. Monsieur Le Admirall, quoth I, speke out plainly: for if you have any thing to say in that Parte, I can answer. Well well, quoth he, let those Things passe: You can clayme no Pencyon yet these Two Yeres. And herewithall the King sent for him. With whom, after Masse, he went to the Standing in a Forest hereby; promising me to return ymedyately after Dyner, and praying me hartely to tary his Return. Monsieur Le Admirall, quoth I, in his Eare, if you talk with the King your Master of this Matier, deduce him to some Conformitie. I speake for the Affection I beare unto you: For I may say to you, there be others that woee harder thenne you, and yet hitherto we have not given like Eare. But you know, a Man may droppe Water so long upon Stone, a that it may sooke in. And herewith, Monsieur Longevile took me at his Hand by and by, and had me to Monsieur D'orleans Lodging, where I had an exceeding gret Feast and Chere. About two of the Clock the Admirall sent for me; and after our Meting, every Man avoided out of the Chamber. Monsieur Le Ambassadeur, quoth he, let us devise some good Meane, to joyne these Two Princes together. Then must you, quoth I, go another way to work. Devide your Treatye into Two Partes; Treate a Mariage, and treate the Redemption of the rest you desyre. Well, be it, quoth he: But I understand not yet very well your Reciproque: (and

here he began to be plaisant in his Countenance, and to set his Wordes merily :) And yet, quoth he, our Ambassador writteth of the same Terme, but I wot not what. You will not, quoth I, understande it: But you must learne it; for els I feare (wherof I would be wondrous sorye) that this Matier will not go forwarde. Let me hear again, quoth he. I told him even the same Lesson, that is declared in the former Parte of this Letter. It is not, quoth he, a Hundred Thousand Crownes, or Two Hundred Thousand, that can enriche_my Master, or impoverishe yours: And therfore, for the Love of God, quoth he, let us go roundly together. We aske your Daughter, quoth he: For her, you shall have our Sonne, a gentye Prince, quoth he, and set him out to Sale. We aske you a Dote with her; and for that after the Som you will give, She shall have an Assignment after the Custome of the Country here. And as for the rest, quoth he, what Reciproque demand you? What will you, that we do for you? As for the rest of the Money, quoth I, take Order for the Payment of it; and for the Pencions, devise a Reciproque. Devise you, quoth he, what you will have us to do for it. Nay, quoth I, offer you furst, for it passeth my Capacitye: And Reason is so; for the first Commodity shall be yours. It is no Mattier, quoth he; we will offer furst, and you shall aske next: Or you shall offer furst, and we shall aske nexte: All is one. But I will now, as I did last Daye, speke unto you after myn own Passion, after myn own Affection; for I would all the World knew I am not Imperial. And here, with many Qualifications and Termes, he set forth his Passion and Affections. You will give us your Daughter, and a Summe with her (it maketh no Matier what); howbeit, I trust, your gentle Prince will aske no Money of us: And as for the Reciproque of the restand therewith stayed. Well, quoth he, to speake frankly to you myn Affection; will you enter the Warre with us against the Emperor? and be Enemye to Enemye, for the Defence of all such States as we have at this present, and of such as we shall Conquere together; or of such as shall be comprised in Treaty: The King your Master to sett upon Lande in Flanders, Tenne Thousand Englishmen, and we Tenne Thousand Frenchmen; Pay the Wages of Five Thousand Almayns, and we of as-many; Finde Two Thousand Horsemen, and we Three Thousand; Finde a certain Number of Shipps, and we as many. And yett shall the King my Master chaffe the Emperor in other Places, he was never so chaffed and spende a Hundred, yea Two Hundred Thousand Crowns a Month other wayes. And of such Lands as shall be conquered, the Pencion furst to be re

doubled, and the rest to be devided equally. What a Thing will it be to your Master, to have Graveling, Dunkirk, Burburg, and all those Quarters joining to his Calais? Mary, quoth I, all the Craft is in the Catching. And here I put him a foolish Question; What if you spent your Money, and conquered Nothing? Mary, quoth he, then should the Pencion stand still as it standeth. Monsieur Le Admirall, quoth I, these Matiers you talk of, be of too great Importance for my Witt; and I have also no Commission to medle in them. But to saye my Fantasye, I know of no Quarrel that my Master hath against the Emperor. * quoth he, why say you so? Doth he not owe your Master Money? Hath he not broken his Leages with him in 600 Points? Did he not provoke us, and the Pope also, to joine for the Taking of your Realme from you, in Preye for Disobedience? And hath he not caused even now the Pope, to offer a Council at Mantua, Verona, Cambray, or Metz (which Place he added now last) the Chief Cause whereof, is to pick you? A Pestilence take him, fause Dissembler, quoth he: Saving my Duty to the Majestie of a King. If he had you at such an Advantage, asyou maye now have him, you shuld well knowe it at his Hande. And here he went furth at large against the Bishop of Rome, and the Emperor; discoursing what Commoditie shuld ensue of this Warre; and that he would have it in any wise beginne this Yere, now that the Emperor wer so lowe; and had, as he saithe, for all his Millions, never a Sols. And that he would the Matier should take effect shortely; for the Yere goith away: reckening how many Moneths wer now lost mete for the Warre: And how the Conquests should be fortified in the Winter; and the Warre recommenced in the Sommer. And that their Chiefe Points resolved, his Master shuld (if your Majestie would) turn into Picardy, to Entervieu. And a great Discourse, Sir passing min Experience, shewing themselfs by his Wordes and Countenance wonderfully gredy of presant Warre: which when he had ended; What say you, Monsieur Le Ambassadeur, quoth he? Will you saye nothing to me in this Matier? Sir, quoth I, and told him Trueth, I wote not what to saye. Why do you not, quoth he? Open the Bottom of your Stomack to the King my Master, quoth I, by your Ambassadour there, by whom you have begun and treated this Matier. And also I noted in our other Conference, that you would not have these Discourses reaported again of your Mouth. Monsieur, quoth he, this is indeed but my Devise. Howbeit, to speake frankly to youe, I have spoken nothing therein, bu

* An Oath.