There is no room, however; to doubt its entire correctness.  That the occupation of Verrazzano was that of a cruizer on the seas, is not only declared in the letter ascribed to him, [Footnote:  Ramusio gives Verrazzano this character more distinctly than it appears in the original version.  One of the first alterations of the text, is of the passage previously referred to, relating to the cruise of the Normandy and Dauphiny, after their repairs in Brittany.  The Carli version, reads, in connection with the two ships on that occasion:  date restaurati ara V. S. M. inteso il discorso facemo con quelle armate in querra per li liti di Spagna, that is, “where being repaired, your serene majesty will have understood we made the cruize with this fleet of war along the coasts of Spain,” from which it is to be implied only, that the cruize was for the purpose of depredating on Spanish commerce.  But Ramusio, as became his practice, with this document at least, altered this clause into doce poi che furono secondo il bisogno raccociate So ben armeggiate, per i liti di Spagna ce n’andammo in carso, il che V. M. haverd inteso per il profitto che ne facemmo; which Hakluyt fairly renders:  “Where, after we had repaired them in all points as was needfull, and armed them very well, we took our course along by the coast of Spain, which your majesty shall understand, by the profit we received thereby.”  As this cruize according to the date of the letter must have taken place in 1523, this language, which is Ramusio’s own, as to the profit, would seem to refer almost to the capture by Verrazzano of the treasure sent by Cortes, to the emperor which occurred in the summer of that year, as hereafter related:  but Verrazzano’s fleet consisted of six instead of two ships on that occasion.  The words of Ramusio, show, however, that he knew Verazzano was a rover, in search of booty on the seas or at least, that he so regarded him.] but is clearly established by the agreement made by him with Chabot.  Besides, there is no other Giovanni, a Florentine, known in the history of the time, sailing in that capacity under the French flag and from the same port of Dieppe; and the references must have therefore been to him alone.

The appellation of corsair, does not necessarily imply a pirate.  It was applicable to any one engaged in the capture of vessels on the high seas, whether authorized to do so or not.  The state of hostilities between France and Spain, protected Verrazzano under the rules of war, as a subject of Francis, in capturing Spanish vessels, as long as it continued; and the anomalous condition of affairs existing at that time, according to the Portuguese historian, Andrade, of private war between the subjects of the kings of France and Portugal, without any public war between the sovereigns, would seem to have justified him in similar acts in regard to the commerce of the Portuguese, as long as the practice was not forbidden by the kings of the two countries.