English espionage in Russia of the 16th century. Europe of the 16th century could justifiably be called a "spy fair." Undercover agents flooded the courts of Italy, Spain, Germany, France, the Netherlands and England. State rulers, diplomats and individuals did not even hide the sources of their information in official and personal correspondence. In the 1550s at the court of the French king there were rumors that "each country has its own network of informants abroad, except for England."