The French Post coming Monday noone, the remainder of this matter shall be referred to
the next, and in stead of it take some things from other parts.
From Naples, the 15th. of December 1648.
Don [unr]and' Austria prepares himself to bring his Fleet from Messin[nl]a to Palermo, whe[nl]ther
he hath already sent 4 ships and within them certaine Spanish foot. He hath also
commanded out 12 against 6 French ones which have taken divers Prizes upon these
Seas, where lately a great Spanish ship hath been wracked, without possibility of
saving ought that was within her. The said Town of Messina hath restored unto the
said Don[nl] Juan [nl]all that was taken fro[nl]m the King of Spaine during the last Troubles; and
particularly 100 Peeces of Ordnance which he hath restored unto the place out of
which they were taken. Here are daily men raised, but with so little successe as they
are forced to shut them into our Magazin out of which they issue not, but when they are
to he sent into the field: we also take much paines here to buy up Corne and Graine, although
they be not so sarce as they ere before that the Regent Capecelatre provided
good store thereof within Apuglia, and that out Viceroy hath agreed with some Merch[nl]ants
to fetch 100000 Load out of forreigne Countreys and perticulorly 30000 from
Genoa.
From Lisborne, the 19th. of December.
The fust day of this Moncth, and of our Kings Reigne nine yeers ago, after that his
Majesty had assisted at Divine Service, and been complemented, and his hands kissed by
all the chief Lords of this Court, and given Audience to the Sieur Quesne, Captain of
one of the King of France his ships, and Admiral of the Squadron of Dunkers he set at
liberty certain French Prisoners, even such as had been condemned to the Galleys, to
confirm more and more the great affection this Prince hears unto the French Nation:
the day following here died in the 68th. yeer of his age Don Monriques de Silva, Marquis
of Gorea, Lord Steward of his Majesties House, and one of his Privy Counsell; much
lamented for his excellent Parts. This week his Majesty made, Don Manuel de Cugna
(Bishop of Elvas, and designed Archbishop of this Town) and Don Antoni[nl]o Lüis de
Meneses (Earl of Contagneds) and Don Francesco de Far[nl]o, (Earl of Odemire) of his Privy
Counsel. Th' Count of Casselmelbor, Gen. of the Portingal Forces in the Province lying
between Douro and Minho, was also declared Governour of Brasil. The 17, the Sieur Lanier
had his last Audience, and took his leave of their Majesties, and of the Prince
their Son, who signified unto him the great last is satisfaction they had received, for the many
services he had done them during his 37 years residence in that Court.
From Venice the 23 of December.
They write unto us from Constantinople, that the Differences between the Janizaries
and Spabies are now grown to such a height, that it was impossible for th' Officers of the
Divano to compose them; what promises soever they made them; so that they have faln
together by th' cares, with the losse of 800 on both sides, and that the Janissaries having
got the advantage, the Spahes (who are the Hors-guard to the Great Turk, had called to
their aid the Great Cha[nl]m of Tarta[nl]ia; whereupon the said Diva[nl]no had dispatched divers
Messengers to all Basses of the Provinces that way, with order to withstand the
Passages of those Tartars, whose approch hath ever been dreaded at Constantinople; because
they never take the Field, but in a very great number, and destroy all the places
through which they passe, and there is much a do to make them return home again, we
hope that these disorders wil breed us some case in Candia, from whence are informed that
the Eassa Vssaim, who commands th' Otto[nl]man Forces in that Country, seeing that the Rain
had ruined all his Mines before the Town of Candia,after he had raised the Siege, & drawn
off all his Ordnance, had incamped himself some miles from thence, with a resolution to
employ his Forces against the S facciotti; who they say are already skirmishing with th[nl]e
Turks; & that our Gerneral[nl]issimo Mere[unr], to make good his promise of seccour[nl]ing them,