Five autograph letters signed from Stefano Patti, Venice, to Bartholomew de Barnarde Corsini, London [manuscript], 1590 May 4 - 1593 October 1.

5 letters.

Dating between 1590 and 1593, these five letters from Stefano Patti, a Venetian merchant, are all addressed to Bartolomeo Corsini, one of the foremost Italian merchants resident in Elizabethan London. Dated 4 May 1590 and including a copy of a letter dated 20 April, the first updates Corsini on the progress of various litigations and a difficulty in sending out a particular ship from the Venetian Arsenal. Patti notes that he will not be sending his ship out in the summer for fear of Spanish galleys, but later will send it to Constantinople. Other matters discussed include a shipment of frankincense and lemons sent to Hamburg. The second letter, 18 January 1591, includes details of accounts to be paid via Antwerp and shipments of cypress, frankincense, sword and lance blades. Patti mentions his ship returning from Syria, presumably the source of the frankincense. This letter also includes discussion of the Venetian ship Salvagna that, bound for Florence from Lisbon, had been captured 28 October 1590 off Cape St. Vincent by a large squadron of English privateers, among them the poet William Midleton (c.1550-1596) and the explorers John Davis (c.1550-1605) and Thomas Cavendish (1560-1592). Patti passes on thanks to Corsini for his protection of Italian merchants with interests in the cargo of the Salvagna and comments on the rudeness of the English concerning 400 ducats of insurance, and the courteousness of the Venetians. The third letter of 25 January 1591 contains a copy of the previous, together with a note concerning the return of Patti’s vessel from Syria. The fourth also contains mention of insurance in relation to the Salvagna - Patti advises that according to his understanding Queen Elizabeth is believed to be interceding to ensure that no loss is suffered by the Venetian merchants. He requests that Corsini speak to an unnamed earl, presumably English, concerning a new tax. The fifth letter, 1 October 1593, finds Patti preoccupied with concern over the spread of the plague, as a result of which he urges Corsini to bring his ongoing business transactions to a swift conclusion. He reports news from Crete, requests that Corsini ship his cargos of wine and grain from London or Flanders, and discusses his concerns over difficulties with an English pilot named William Daniel on a merchant vessel bound for Zante. Continuing on the subject of the plague, Patti suggests that if the contagion does not cease then Corsini might consider using the port of Danzig.

In Italian.

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Provenance: Corsini archive

Great Britain -- England -- London.

FAST ACC 271859 (flat)