from
England begins, there had been intermittent relations between the
Republic and the English Court. Sebastian Giustiniani was Venetian
ambassador in London in the reign of Henry VIII. (1515-1519); and in the
reign of Mary, Giovanni Michiel represented the Republic for four
years--from 1554 to 1558. The Protestant reign of Elizabeth caused a
long break, during which the Republic received its information about the
affairs of England from its ambassadors in France and Spain. Permanent
relations were not resumed between the two Powers till the accession of
James I., one of whose earliest acts was to send Sir Henry Wotton to
Venice as his ambassador. The appointment of Sir Henry Wotton was a
movement of gratitude on the part of the King; and the cause of it
cannot be better told than in the words of Sir Henry's biographer, who
thus describes this 'notable accident:'

'Immediately after Sir Henry Wotton's return from Rome to
Florence--which was about a year before the death of Queen
Elizabeth--Ferdinand, the Great Duke of Tuscany, had
intercepted certain letters that discovered a design to take
away the life of James, the then King of Scots. The Duke
abhorring this fact, and resolving to endeavour a prevention
of it, advised with his Secretary Vietta, by what means a
caution might be best given to that King; and after
consideration it was resolved to be done by Sir Henry
Wotton, whom Vietta first commended to the Duke, and the
Duke had noted and approved of above all the English that
frequented his Court.

'Sir Henry was gladly called by his friend Vietta to the
Duke, who dispatched him into Scotland with letters to the
King, and with those letters such Italian antidotes against
poison as the Scots till then had been strangers to.

'Having parted from the Duke, he took up the name and
language of an Italian; and thinking it best to avoid the
line of English intelligence and danger, he posted into
Norway, and through that country towards Scotland, where he
found the King at Stirling. Being there, he used means, by
Bernard Lindsey, one of the King's bed-chamber, to procure
him a speedy and private conference with his Majesty.

'This being by Bernard Lindsey made known to the King, the
King required his name--which was said to be Octavio
Baldi--and appointed him to be heard privately at a fix