Venetian ambassador has the pirate William Piers locked up in the harshest prison conditions he can think of, is frustrated to find out that the pirate is paying for extra good service in prison.

>On 20 July the Venetian ambassador was granted a royal audience at Hampton court. He arrived with the satisfaction of knowing that William Piers was now under lock and key. The pirate’s luck had turned against him in Tunis, where a number of his crew had deserted after the booty was sold, forcing him to put to sea shorthanded. There being no honor among thieves, a friend and fellow pirate called William Cunliffe had seized the opportunity to board his ship and steal his plunder. Cunliffe had then sailed back to England with Piers in hot pursuit. As soon as Cunliffe reached shore he was clapped in irons and Piers met the same fate when he was recognized while attempting to flee London for Portsmouth. >Piers had been brought to Scaramelli’s [**the Venetian ambassador**] house on 7 Jul, “like a murderer,” with a mob in pursuit. He proved to be “under twenty five years of age, squarely built and bold looking.” When Scaramelli questioned him he told a stream of lies and so the Venetian put him in “a prison that he merits, loaded with all the irons and chains that he can carry.” He intended to torture Piers until he revealed where he had kept his treasure, assuring the [**Venetian**] Senate that the young man’s courage was a mere façade and he would quickly crack. >Within a week, however, he was informed that Piers was spending four ducats a day on good food and sweetened wine. Scaramelli chose to interpret this as the consequence of his having fallen “prey to despair and the dread of death.” ____________________________________ **Source:** Lisle, Leanda De. "An Anointed King" *After Elizabeth: The Rise of James of Scotland and the Struggle for the Throne of England*. New York: Ballantine, 2005. 234-35. Print. **Original Source Listed:** CSPV, 10, p. 66-7.