therefore send back again to you the same Currier you sent me and who delivered me your Letters as I was going into the Coach to go to the usual Rendezvous which I cannot answer till to Morrow when I shall likewise inform you of what past to day Yet I will tell you in short to satisfie in some sort the curiosity their Majesties may have that Affairs become every day more easie Don Lewis having spoken very soberly to me touching Monsieur the Prince and in such rerms as farther confirm me in the opinion that this Negotiation will be happily ended I intreat you to represent to their Majesties that I cannot have a greater pleasure than in writing to them every hour what passes but this is impossible for without Hyperbolizing I have scarce time to breath all the Ministers of the Princes which are here striving to visit me at every moment the Conferences consuming a whole Day considering the time which is spent in going and returning to the Isle which is two Leagues hence and the way thither very tiresome And moreover I am not only oblig'd to write to you as I do that their Majesties may be inform'd of what passes but moreover in general to all the King's Ministers more exactly than I did when I had the honour to be near his Majesty I write to you in such haste that I have not so much time as to read over what I have dictated so that if there be any fault and every thing be not in so good order as I would have it I intreat you to give your self the trouble to excuse me hereupon to their Majesties LETTER XVII To Monsieur le Tellier Fifth Conference Compliment of Don Lewis Portraict of the King News of the Infanta Restitution of Juliers Ratification of the Treaty made with the Duke of Modena Six Articles which remain to be adjusted Earnestness of Don Lewis for the Prince The Cardinal perplexes him by his Answer Proposes to him to give Sardaignia to the King of Portugal Of Navarre Disposition of the Affairs of Europe advantageous to the Spaniards in the opinion of Don Lewis Contrary Reasons of the Cardinal His remarkable Discourse on the Vnion of the two Kings Cardinals Titles To Monsieur le Tellier From St. John de Luz the 25th of August 1659. I Thought that Yesterday's Conference which was the Fifth would have begun by the point of Monsieur the Prince because Don Lewis had entertain'd Monsieur de Lionne a long time on his telling him by my order that I was not well satisfied in understanding the intention of the King of Spain was not to make satisfaction to Monsieur the Prince as Don Lewis had so many times protested but only to render him considerable by Places which might enable him in certain Conjunctures to disturb the State and likewise to incourage by the greatness of such a Recompence the Persons of his condition and others to engage readily on the side of Spain But he began by asking me News of the King and Queen's Health and by telling me that the King his Master had laid his Commands upon him to intreat me to bring him to the Feet of their Majesties these are his own terms and to assure them he wisht for nothing more passionately than to see himself there in effect and that he expected this Happiness with great reason seeing by the Letters he had received from Madrid he knew that the King his Master resolved on setting out sooner than the First of October He afterwards added that being entred into my Apartment he had admired the King's Picture done by Mignard had observ'd in it a Prince well shaped of good Meen and great Majesty that he would write this afresh into Spain and could tell me without Flattery That the Serenissima Infanta Tenia muy linda cara y muy buen entendimiento had a good Countenance and as good Sense and that in fine she was worthy to be the Spouse of such a King I will make a digression and tell you how I find confirm'd what Don Lewis told me in reference to the Catholick King which is That Don Pedro Coloma has shewed Monsieur de Lionne a Letter from his Wife in which she signifies to him the King would not let the Infanta come alone without accompanying her himself as the King his Father did in respect of the Queen seeing he loved no less his Daughter than Philip III. loved his and that it was resolved on it should be Don Lewis who should perform the Office of conducting her that another might not have this Honour In effect the Duke de Lerma chief Minister of Philip III. should have conducted the Queen had he not been surprized by Sickness which oblig'd him to remit this Honour to the Duke d'Vzeda his Son She says farther in the same Letter that giving the Infanta a visit to tell her that the affair which respected her was much advanced and that her Gallant drew near the Frontier She answer'd muy cara y alegra nueva mi padre me lo ha dicho todo which is to say This news rejoyces me my Father told me as much I return'd to Don Lewis who largely discours'd to me of the manner how the interview might be made on the Frontier but this being a thing of which I must more particularly entertain their Majesties I shall not mention any thing farther on this point He entred in discourse on what regarded the restitution of Juliers to the Duke of Newbourg on which point Monsieur de Lionne had largely discours'd the day before with Don Pedro Coloma in examining with him the points which remain to be adjusted He told me 't was surprizing he should have such a pretension and that it was so equitable that he would not stick to counsel his Master to do what I advised him hereupon for he did not doubt but I would make some reflection on the manner the Duke of Newbourg had used after having been so long time under the protection of the Catholick King making a Treaty with France and engaging himself to embrace its Interests as he had done with so little respect to his Catholick Majesty and so great prejudice to his Affairs that he would make me judge whether his proceeding deserved a Recompence and he to be put into a better condition than he was in when he was allyed with France that he well saw all I could fairly pretend to was to the end it might not appear the King my Master abandoned his Allies that the Catholick King should forget what was past and promise to consider the said Duke and his Interests as he did before he took the King's part I replied to him We were far from our reckoning seeing I was perswaded there was nothing so just as to restore Juiliers to the Duke of Newbourg to whom this place belong'd in just and full right the King of Spain having none to it having been only put into his hands as a Pledge
carriage very complaisant and in fine such a one as is necessary to beget a good opinion of him I added That by this particular knowledge which I had of Monsieur the Prince I might tell him in the first place That his Excellency would find himself much wearied were he to endure all the Importunities of Monsieur the Prince when he should be near him and that in truth he would little value my Friendship should it not presently produce to him in some sort or other the Advantages he sollicites and that I was sure his Excellency knew this as well as I. It was then he replied to me Would you have a Prince of his Merit return into France without Reputation without any Places Offices or Governments How will you have him live I briskly answer'd him As Five Hundred other Princes of the Blood who without attempting any thing against the King and the State have yet never had any Government or Offices That most of the Princes of the Blood only desiring them to do mischief there is therefore great reason not to give 'em them For their security and the receiving marks of respect from all Frenchmen they need only to live well and serve the King faithfully as they are hereunto obliged more than any other Subjects Here he offered me a Thousand Flatteries and said to me Seeing you are not willing we should give Mounsteur the Prince Places in Soveraignty can I not at least obtain from the King to give him some State as the Two Calabrias or the Kingdom of Sardaignia I told him I scarce believ'd him in earnest and that he dexterously made me these Offers to shew the Prince's Followers the desire the King his Master had to do great things for him knowing well 't would cost him nothing in the end there being no likelihood that the King would consent that the Prince should having this Establishment return into France To which I yet added That if Monsieur the Prince taken with the Present of a Kingdom would receive it from the King of Spain I would consent to it He replied to me That in this case Monsieur the Duke D'Anguienne might return into France to keep there the place of his Father and enjoy whatever the King should consent to restore to Monsieur the Prince But I replied to him That herein the Father and Son were the same and that such a kind of division would be on a thousand accounts prejudicial to the Crown of France and I concluded that his Excellency must resolve to give some considerable Sum of Money to Monsieur the Prince with which he might buy a considerable Estate in Land which would remain to him and his Heirs for ever and would be more advantagious than Places which he must lose when he dyed But he likes not this saying That if they gave him Money 't would be a Gratification and not a Recompence for the Services he had done and what he had lost in France In the heat of the Discourse he was so transported as to say That his Master would have no Allies after the Promises he had made to Monsieur the Prince should he abandon him and suffer him to be stript of whatever might render him and had heretofore rendred him considerable to France I answerd him Three things The First That Subjects who revolt against their King and put themselves under the protection of another should never be term'd Allies because this term is only applicable to Soveraign Princes who are at liberty to Ally themselves and to do whatever they thought good The Second That we have great Interest to use all our endeavours to treat these Allies in such a manner as might not be easie for the Crown of Spain to have any of them for the future The Third That the King 's earnest desire for Peace made him lay aside all those regards to Portugal which Spain affected to have for the Prince The conclusion of my Discourse was That we should once for all end this Astair that whatever respected the Interests of Monsieur the Prince had been wholly concluded at Paris and had it not been so I had never taken such a long Journey That what remained behind was to agree about the Gratification which the King of Spain should give the Prince to which the King would be obliged to consent provided it was not prejudicial to his Majesty and contrary to what had been stipulated by the Article of the Treaty concerning this matter Don Lewis ended the Conference in saying to me That he would think again on the Quality and Form of this Gratification which he still call'd a Recompence and that he hoped we might agree upon it the first time we should see one another which was referred to Saturday I shall not enter on a particular relation of what past on divers other Points because those which we agreed on were not of great consequence and there was nothing concluded on others Neither will I tell you that he omits no occasion to speak of the King in the most obliging terms imaginable and expresses himself always on the Match as if already concluded and in the last place he told me that the Infanta's Person would be well liked of in France and that the Beauty of her Mind was no whit inferiour to that of her Body We resolv'd a-fresh that to abridge the time Mr. de Lionne and the Secretary Coloma should set to the drawing up the necessary Form to those things of which we were agreed and even go over again certain points on which they should agree together as being not of the greatest consequence But being inform'd by a Letter which Monsieur de Lionne wrote me this Morning that not only he advances nothing with Don Pedro Coloma but that he could do nothing with Don Lewis whom he had seen Yesterday I thereupon sent him word I could no longer bear with these delays and that he would tell Don Lewis I wish'd we had our Conference in which I should perceive by his Conduct what success we might expect from this Affair And having instructed Monsieur de Lionne in the things I thought needful for him to insinuate to Don Pedro Coloma that by this Channel they might come to Don Lewis he has very well executed it to the telling him I was afraid Monsieur the Prince would prove fatal to Christendom and be the cause of not making that Peace at Madrid which was determined and agreed on at Paris I believe it 's fit their Majesties should know my opinion in this matter which is That Don Lewis of his own humour and by the hopes of obtaining something to the advantage of Monsieur the Prince will drive out the time as long as he can according to the sollicitation of Lainet and other Adherents of this Prince In the Second place I believe that Lainet by his manner of acting has gotten some ascendant over the Spirit of Don Lewis seeing he has not the power to determine
by the Father of this Duke to be kept against powerful Enemies who would have deprived him of it That Don Lewis knew all this Dutchy went always under his Name and that the Duke apprehending no more to lose it seeing the Peace which was going to be concluded impowered him to keep it without any fear so I therefore could not tell how he could do otherways than restore it to him That the King had given a good Example in the like occasion seeing he not only restored to the Duke of Savoy the Four Places he had put in trust into his Hands which were the only ones which remained to him in Piemont he having lost all the others and knowing well it was impossible to keep them but also all the rest to the number of Sixteen which his Majesty had all won by his Arms and return'd to the said Duke as fast as he re-establish'd himself and was in condition to keep these said Places and that so generous an Example should perswade his Catholick Majesty to an imitation in restoring to the Duke of Newbourg a single place which had been delivered to him in trust seeing the King had restored Twenty Two the greatest part of which had cost him so much Blood and Treasure That the King having made no difficulty of promising to the Duke of Newbourg in the Treaty his Majesty had made with him to procure him the surrender of Juliers seeing it was his Patrimony and the King of Spain having so oft declared by his Ministers in Flanders to his Father and to him that he would restore him this place as soon as the Peace should be made I therefore could not see how his Majesty can excuse himself from keeping his Word in so equitable a thing seeing I had seen his Excellency so firm in demanding the satisfaction of Monsieur the Prince alledging for his greatest Reason that the Catholick King had promised by a Treaty to procure it him and so much the rather in that there was a great difference between a Soveraign Prince who required the restitution of a Place which he had parted with in trust and a Subject who would have a Recompence for having in a most rebellious manner taken up Arms against his Prince and procured at his Country's cost considerable Advantages to its Enemies That the Oster he had made me was no great matter That the King his Master should consider the Duke of Newbourg as before without any grudge or Heart-burning in as much as the Allies being to be comprehended in the Treaty the Catholick King could not exempt himself from using the Duke of Newbourg as the other Allies of France this Duke being no less a Soveraign than the Duke of Savoy So that if the King has the goodness to pardon Monsieur the Prince who being his Subject had forgot his Duty in such a manner as he had done it will be no great matter for the Catholick King to do the same with the Duke of Newbourg who was a Free Prince Methinks there can be no answer to this yet he long contested tho' with very weak Arguments being not able to find good ones in an Affair of this nature I held out still firm and seeing he was so too on his side and that the Secretary of State had told Monsieur de Lionne that he did not doubt but this point was likely to hinder the Peace if I yielded not I therefore told Don Lewis that I had not the power to do it but would dispatch a Currier to the King to know his pleafure I believ'd I ought to sustain this point with the firmness I have done not only that it may serve to shew the Duke of Newbourg we have endeavour'd to serve him to the end having even resolved to tell Don Lewis in the first Conference That the King has commanded me to offer the restitution of Bergue without any Recompence provided justice be done this Duke but likewise that this release which I 'le make valuable may serve to obtain some advantage in other points And it 's fit the King should remember on this subject that having well foreseen the King of Spain would never consent to give this satisfaction to the Duke of Newbourg and much less at the mediation of France I am therefore of opinion his Majesty should engage himself no farther in the Treaty making at Paris with the Ministers of this Duke than to do all good Offices in his favour He spake to me afterwards of the Duke of Modena saying The King his Master judg'd it not fitting to send the Ratification of the Treaty which the Count de Fuensaldaigne had made with this Prince because he had discover'd two things one of which was inconsistent with what an Article of the Treaty of Paris bore touching the payment of the Dowry of the Infanta Margarita this Count having promised to the Duke of Modena what we would have given to the Duke of Savoy and that the other which was to leave him the possession and enjoyment of Correggio without the King of Spain's keeping a Garrison there could not be ratified seeing Fuensaldaigne had promised it without having the power to do it Adding it was not reasonable this Prince should be in a better condition for joyning himself to France against the Catholick King than when he adhered more to Spain than France I told him I could not comprehend how they could retard one day the sending the Ratification of a Treaty solemnly made by a Minister Governour of Milan and his particular Friend and so much the rather that it was immediately executed sincerely by the Duke of Modena who had sent back the Troops of France which he had kept for the security of his Country had written to the King of Spain in the term the Count had desired and in fine had done in general whatever he was engaged to by the same Treaty That I knew not what judgment the World would make of the delaying the Ratification and that at least for the time to come there would be reason perhaps to the great prejudice of Spain not to trust the highest Ministers of that Court. That the Duke had put such confidence in what the Count de Fuensaldaigne had promised him on the point of Correggio on which this Count had received the Emperor's answer that he might do it and that he would give the investiture when the Treaty should be signed and the Duke of Modena should send to desire it that his Highness had already named an Embassador to do this Office and I even believ'd he was gone in all haste to Vienna He made me replies such as one may well judge the matter being so just and clear but I stopt his mouth as you shall see in telling him there was no need of ratifying this Treaty which was already in better form than if the Ratification had been sent directly to Milan seeing there was an Article in the Treaty signed at Paris by
Goodness in relation to the Duke and Lorrain and his Family had been extraordinary seeing that if his Majesty had stood out from yielding the point of Portugal and restoring so many Places as he yields by the Treaty of Peace on condition of retaining Lorrain no body doubts but the Catholick King would have consented to it I told him further That there were several Persons who well knew Don Lewis his mind and who affirm that if we would only re-establish Monsieur the Prince in what he had before his Rebellion he would willingly have yielded all Lorrain to the King I shew'd my self afterwards very much surprized at Monsieur de Lorrain's having so much as a thought that others could obtain more for him than he could obtain for himself seeing by the Treaty he made in 1639 with the deceased King he authentically yielded the Comte of Clermont Stenay and Jamets Besides that having promis'd and ratify'd several other things with an express protestation to forfeit all his Countries in case he fail'd therein yet he had kept nothing which he had promis'd since his re-entrance that the King dealt very favourably with him in restoring to him all Lorrain on the conditions mentioned in the Treaty of Paris seeing since this Treaty his Highness had continu'd with more obstinacy than ever to serve Spain against France that all the World must needs be surpriz'd at the King's Generosity who possessing all Lorrain and being able easily to keep it yet restor'd it almost entire to the Duke who Fifteen years before had omitted nothing to signalize his aversion against this Crown and that this Generosity appear'd the greater in that the King of Spain whom the Duke had so long time and so successfully serv'd had clapt him up in Prison instead of rewarding him I ended this Discourse in praying the Gentleman to tell or write to his Master that he had reason to think himself happy for the manner after which France dealt with him and to have a livelier sense of this he need only to call to mind the History of Princes who had unfortunately lost their Countries tho' they had not done the Hundred part of what his Highness had done against France and that without having recourse to past Ages there were Examples to be met with in this as those of the King of England and so many Princes of Germany wholly stript or deprived of the greatest part of what they had and especially the Elector Palatin who having been no longer out of his Countries than the Duke of Lorrain and having had the good fortune to be protected by France Swedeland and the Protestants of Germany who obstinately refused to hearken to any terms of Peace if the Emperour did not entirely re-establish him he I say thought himself very happy to sacrifice one part of his Country to recover another And to shut the Duke of Lorrain's Mouth I added that supposing the Spaniards had as much affection for him and as great desire to oblige him as the contrary has appeared by the rigorous usage they have shew'd him it being not very ordinary to detain Soveraign Princes yet the necessity of their Affairs would hardly permit them to do more for the Duke of Lorrain than France and Swedeland could do for the Palatin when their Armies were victorious in Germany Besides there could be no likelihood that the Spaniards should obtain more for the Duke of Lorrain than they could obtain for themselves and so much the less in that they having lost a great many Places by the War were constrain'd to give up a great part of 'em for the procuring a Peace I return to Don Lewis who being prepared as I have already told you to make a fresh sally with all his Forces in behalf of Monsieur the Prince saying that the King his Master would not be content with this Peace if we were resolv'd to accept of no expedient by whose means he might in some sort acquit himself of his Engagements in as much as Monsieur the Prince having no security and wandring where God should direct him it would be impossible to enjoy the effects of the Peace so perfectly as the King his Master wish'd And tho' he shew'd a great earnestness in saying to me what I now tell you yet I affected to answer him with great sedateness saying that I was very much obliged to him for his freedom of expressions to me in what he had now uttered being a kind of declaration that the Peace should not last long that I no longer wondered at what Don Christoval told the Abbot Siri that if he were not obliged to publish so soon what past in relation to the Peace he would have occasion to write in another manner in a short time so that I saw I had nothing else to do but to take my leave of him with the greatest grief in having been so good a Prophet when having seen him return so many times to press me about the Prince I had said that the consideration of Monsieur the Prince having hindred the conclusion of the Peace of Christendom at Madrid above Three years since his Interest would still hinder the conclusion of the Peace which was so lately Signed and Ratified at Paris and that I trusted God who had bestowed so many Blessings on France for a Recompence of the King's intentions who in the midst of his Successes had sent even to Madrid for a Peace without obtaining it by reason of the firmness with which his Catholick Majesty had insisted on the Prince's satisfactions that he I say would crown his Majesties Arms with greater Successes for having brought on his side so great facilities towards the conclusion of the Peace when his Arms were in a condition to make on all sides a greater progress than ever I cannot sufficiently represent to their Majesties how greatly he appear'd astonish'd at my answer and I should be oblig'd to a long Discourse if I would write all the particulars he uttered to me and all the entreaties he made me not to take in ill part what he had said to me protesting again that the consideration of Monsieur the Prince should never hinder the execution of the Peace and that if he had told me the King his Master would not be satisfied it was not with the Peace he meant but only for the not having obtain'd what he desired in favour of Monsieur the Prince It will be enough to say that by his way and expressions I had cause quickly to appease my self but I dexterously kept my self from shewing it to induce him the more to put an end to our satisfaction I told him then this was a new method of Negotiating to say that Monsieur the Prince should not hinder the consummation of the Peace whilst in effect he did hinder it by a continual returning to his Interests and having before he spake to me of this ill satisfaction of the King his Master replied to me all the same
Reasons he had alledg'd to me in favour of the Prince setting perpetually before me that Rebellions were common in France and that those who had been guilty of 'em had been always re-establish'd and hinting to me again what was done in respect to the Constable of St. Paul I thought my self oblig'd to answer him that I was tired with hearing the same things so many times repeated and so much the more in that I did not doubt but he was convinc'd by the answers I made him to inform him and give him means to confound Lainet and the other Adherents of Monsieur the Prince who continually furnish'd him with Arms tho' weak ones to defend his cause that we should once for all agree to bring no more into debate such points as had been already decided it seeming to me I had sufficiently shew'd him that if Rebellions were more frequent among the French they were more dangerous and of longer durance among the Spaniards that if he would take the pains to examin after what manner they were chastised in France when there was an opportunity of doing it he would soon see by the severity which all its Kings have used that they were not very encouraging to the French to make revolts that not to ascend higher than the Reign of Henry IV. he would find the Marshal of Biron with his Head taken off without having executed any thing of what he had projected against the State he would see the last Duke of Montmorency so Illustrious by the Services of his Ancestours chastis'd in the same manner as Biron the Quality of his Relations and the endeavours used on all hands to obtain his Pardon being not able to prevail with Lewis XIII He would see Monsieur de Cinqmars Grand Escuyer and Favourite of this King and Thuanus punish'd in the same fashion the first having executed nothing of the Treaty made with the Count Duke D'Olivarez nor the second committed any other crime than that of having known the thing in which he had no part and not having revealed it that as to Monsieur the Prince I could not but remember his Excellency that Lewis Prince of Conde his great Grandfather would have had his Head taken off at Orleans had not Francis II. dyed suddenly on the Eve of the Day he intended this Execution to be done I ended in desiring him to advertise Monsieur the Prince's People not to have so often in their mouths the Example of the Constable of St. Paul for if he made often his accommodation and even with great advantages because the necessity of Affairs required it yet he at length lost his Head The Don Lewis cryed out 't was true but in the accommodations he was always re-establish'd in his Estate and even in the Places he had on the Somme Ah Sir said I to him would you have Monsieur the Prince now re-establish'd and make such an end as the Constable of St. Paul did I believe you love him too well to wish him the same Fortune It is fit their Majesties should know that by the Discourse Don Lewis has held to me in this Rencounter I have plainly found out that he repeated to me the substance of the Letters which Croisy wrote to Brussels and the Memoirs which have been sent to Paris by Monsieur the Prince I have likewise experimented that it has befall'n Don Lewis what usually happens to those who are constrain'd to fight by their being shew'd their Honour is therein engag'd which is to say to depart the Lists with disadvantage because they therein entred against their Wills and only to deliver themselves from the importunity of their Friends He has been most certainly perswaded he might boldly say what he list and without any danger threaten the breaking off of the Treaty without this endangering of me to resolve on a Rupture And therefore I have omitted nothing to deliver him from this conceit makeing known to him as I have done in this Conference that tho' the Passion with which their Majesties wish for Peace be apparent to all the World and that on my side I should have an extreme regret to return hence without concluding any thing and in the assurance of seeing the War begin again yet I must esteem it advantagious and even glorious this should happen on Monsieur the Prince's account it being certain that not only this Action would be blamed by the Spaniards but that even the very Stones in the Street would rise up against those who had been the cause of this Don Lewis replyed to me what is precisely in one of Croisy's Letters which is that all France would be in an uproar if it were known the Peace fail'd of being concluded because a reasonable Satisfaction was not given Monsieur the Prince Afterwards using me with great gentleness he told me after a Thousand Flatteries he could swear we should part the best Friends in the World and began to enter on the Overture I have already denoted I made to give to the King the Places with which Monsieur the Prince was to be gratified and that in this case I would cast my self at the King's Feet to entreat him to bestow on the Prince and his Son some favours by means of which both one and the other might be better assured of his Majesty's Goodness to ' em He told me then that if I made this Overture to give him a mark of my Kindness to the end to handsomly disengage the King his Master from Monsieur the Prince and that I had no other motive of supplicating the King to make him a better Treatment assuring his Majesty that the Prince should lay at his Feet the Gratification which the King of Spain should make him we might soon come to an Agreement seeing he did not believe that in this case I should insist on the more or the less I interrupted him here entreating him in no sort to speak to me of this because I could not see any Reason to hope that the King would consent to it and that it was out of pure Affection I undertook to intercede with his Majesty to the end that when the Prince begg'd Pardon for the fault he had committed and did remit into his Hands the Places which his Catholick Majesty should give him he might then give him and his Son some proof of his Reconciliation And I greatly extended this Discourse omitting nothing which might warrant him and engage him to accept of this Expedient endeavouring to edg him on by the refusal I made And perceiving from the beginning he pretended to acquit himself in giving something of small consideration I replyed to him That should he consent to my proposing to the King whatever I knew had been offered to Monsieur the Prince I had very strong Reasons to be perswaded that his Majesty would be against it and the Queen would in the opinion which she had of the Prince confirm his aversion He entreated me not to doubt of the Offer
he had made me hereupon in proposing to give to the Prince some Places in Soveraignty but that Lainet well knew these Places were to be given him only with the Securities and necessary Precautions of never disposing of them in favour of the King nor serving his Majesty with the said Places and farther on condition that the Line of Monsieur the Prince failing they should return to Spain He ask'd me whether I believ'd 't was the same thing to give on these conditions Places to Monsieur the Prince as to give them purely to the King and whether there was any comparison between adding to so many Conquests which the King retain'd in the Low Countries what was intended to be given to the Prince or to give 'em to this Prince who would have nothing else but these and who might in a Thousand Conjunctures profitably serve Spain and that by the same reason I told him the King would never consent to this I need not doubt but this was advantageous to the King his Master I answer'd him I could not but agree with him there was great difference between giving to the King and to Monsieur the Prince and that for this effect giving something less I would not fail in using my endeavours with his Majesty as I had already offer'd without being responsible in any sort for his accepting this Overture He continued afterwards his Discourse and I cannot sufficiently represent to their Majesties the pain he had to bring forth the Proposition which assuredly he had premeditated to make me when he should see the Sally I now spake of would not succeed In fine having told me he would make me an offer in which he should confound what the King his Master would do for the Prince and what he would give for Bergue reckoning la Bassee for nothing because it should be demolish'd he spake to me of Mariembourg and Philippe ville with their dependances exaggerating the quality and importance of these two Towns in telling me that Caracene had signified to him they could not be alienated without causing an irreparable prejudice to Spain in all she possess'd on the side of the Meuse I replyed to him he was in jest or thought me very ignorant and easily impos'd on that he must not speak to me but of Aire St. Omers or Cambraye and du Cambresis or of Avenues Charlemont Philippe ville and Mariembourg as they were offer'd to Monsieur the Prince I believ'd it fit to propose this tho' their Majesties know only the last Places were offer'd to him and as to us we may truly say that the first which is to say Avenues is worth the three others He replyed to me that not to spend the time fruitlesly he was oblig'd to declare to me taking God to witness that there had never been any mention made of Avenues to the Prince And after a Thousand Contorsions and inexpressible Pangs to bring forth the word he said in fine to make an end of the business he would dispatch in all haste to the King his Master to intreat him to approve of the offering of Avenues which was in our respect far more important than Cambray and that this was a thing of so great moment and which would make so many People murmur against him for the makeing such a Proposal that he entreated me not to take him at his word nor build on what he told me till he had receiv'd an answer from Madrid Altho' I was lively touch'd with this Proposal there being nothing in my opinion more profitable to the King than the acquisition of Avenues which is assuredly one of the strongest Places in the Low Countries and which renders us more powerful than the King of Spain in Hainault and wholly covers Tierache and Champain when we shall have withdrawn Rocroy yet I shew'd him great coldness saying the offer was not proportionable to what we rendred and to the effect my endeavours with the King might produce in the Princes favour if his Majesty should like it He hereupon seem'd mightily concern'd and at the point of despair and crying out he was very unfortunate seeing I made no reckoning of an offer which he trembled for having made as fearing the Council of Spain would rise up against him when they shall hear the news of it And I continuing in my coldness intreated him not to expose himself to the reproach would be made him in Spain for having offered me Avenues besides Philippe ville and Mariembourg seeing the Peace concluded at Paris might be executed without a word of all this there being nothing else to do but to retain as it is contain'd in this Treaty Bergue and la Bassee which the King would never suffer to be raised on any account considering the Contributions establish'd in this Country by the means of this Place which whether by its Scituation or Fortification was in time of War far more considerable than any of those he offered me I said this tho' I knew well the contrary and that the King could not retain la Bassee without raising it Three Months after that as to the Prince I would ask nothing but on the contrary be eternally obliged to him if he would exempt me from executing a Proposition which the only Passion of obliging his Excellency had constrain'd me to make that there was no more to do but to keep to the Treaty of Paris and to give Monsieur the Prince a Gratification in Money to which I declared the King would not oppose and thus this Negotiation without any more delay would be ended All this serv'd only to heat him the more in the desire of procuring by all sorts of means some satisfaction to the Prince and he told me I had given him a good Example of what he ought to do by the pressing instances I had made him in favour of the Duke of Newbourg even to the offering that the King should yield to his Catholick Majesty one of the best Places left him provided Juliers were rendred to this Duke It was easie for me to silence him hereupon in answering that not to take notice of the disparity between a Free Prince and a Subject and between a place which had been deposited in trust to have it again afterwards when the Duke needed no longer the King of Spain's help to preserve it and what the King had freely given to the Prince when he was in his Duty this Prince by a detestable Perfidiousness had abused Places and Governments which he held from the King in favouring the Enterprises of the Spaniards and that with all this disparity after having insisted a little in favour of the Duke of Newbourgh the King gave over this point being scrupulous whatever Justice there was in his pretension to retard one moment the quiet of Christendom for the Interest of a particular Person tho' never so well grounded but that his Excellency instead of dealing thus return'd continually to the Charge esteeming himself never vanquish'd on the Interest of Monsieur the Prince that I hoped he would honour me with so good an opinion of me to believe I wanted neither Understanding nor Resolution to maintain the Duke of Newbourg's Cause had not the Commiseration of all the People who groan under the delays of the Peace touched the King's Heart and obliged his Majesty to send me order to no longer insist thereupon And I ended in telling him I was not surprised at the obstinacy I found in his Excellency when the Question concerned the restoring to this Duke a Place which the Catholick King held only as a Pledge it not being the Spanish fashion ever to restore what they once get hold on unless it be to draw thence a greater advantage so that I could not but be troubled they had not yet learned the way of parting with what was not their own whatever Example France has given them of the contrary in the last Treaty by which she restored above Twenty Places to the Duke of Savoy tho' they had cost the Crown so much Blood and Treasure The Conference ended in our mutual promising that no mention should be made to any body of what had been treated and especially of the offer he had made me and that we should spend one whole day in examining the things we had discours'd of that we should see one another to day and that I should return him an answer on the proposal he had made me from his own part without power from the King his Master FINIS
had dealt with his Majesty who had heapt on him so many favours yet his Majesty and all those who had the honour to be of his Council would be accused of imprudence should they confide again in the promises of this Prince And for conclusion I told Don Lewis that seeing he shewed such passion for the Prince's interests I resolved on my side to contribute thereto in humbly entreating his Majesty to approve of a proposition which I would offer to Don Lewis by means of which the said Prince would obtain far greater advantages than those he pretends to He heard this with great joy shewing great impatience to know what I would mention to him in this matter I told him then I would beseech the King to re-establish Monsieur the Prince and his Son in all the Offices and Governments which they had before the said Prince engaged himself in the service of the King of Spain and that in exchange of the places which were raised they should have others given them provided his Catholick Majesty would leave Portugal as it was which would end the War on all sides I never faw him so moved as he appeared in this occasion wherein all the heat of his body appeared in his face He told me there was a great deal of difference between the Duke of Braganza and Monsieur the Prince to which I replied that he said true for one was in possession of two Kingdoms and that the other had nothing In fine he far rejected this proposition alledging to me several other things which as you may believe were not heard without reply After which I told him that I would not let Lainet have any knowledge of this overture which though it was rejected by his Excellency as impracticable yet would give occasion to this man to importune him in the name of the Prince of Conde his Master I knew I might boldly make this proposition without apprehending to be taken at my word seeing that moreover this would be a means to demonstrate to Don Lewis what a ready disposition the King shewed for Peace and of what consequence the point of Potugal was which his Majesty had yielded at my humble supplication and to re-establish Monsieur the Prince in so many places Offices and Governments provided the King of Portugal might remain a peaceable Possessor of what is at present in his Obedience And Don Lewis speaking to me continually of the great advantages which the King would draw from this Peace reckoning up all the Places and Provinces which would remain in his Majesty's hands I always helpt my self out by telling him that this was not to be put in the ballance with the release which we made on the Article of Portugal although by other reasons which I would not let the Spaniards know the thing is not in effect such as I endeavoured to make it appear Here is all I judg'd fit to write to you to make known to their Majesties to whom it 's fit to declare likewise that God designs not only to have a peace between these two great Potentates but moreover to take away the aversion which has always had such firm root between these two Nations For whereas Don Lewis and I were equally afraid there should happen some quarrel between the Persons of our Train during the course of the Conferences they live together as if they had for many years contracted a firm Friendship between one another which does not appear strange between Persons of rank but to see on both sides from the most considerable even to the Grooms and Lacqueys that there should be an emulation who should be most civil and treat one another most friendly this is a thing so extraordinary that it is no marvel if we be greatly surprised with it Every day of the Conference I take care to provide Collations and this produces a good effect for during the Conference all the great Ones of Spain and the most considerable Persons of Don Lewis's Train come and drink in my Appartment and those which belong to me go into that of Don Lewis's where they are likewise very well entertained To morrow Monsieur the Mareschal of Gramont makes a great Feast at Andaye to the principal Lords who accompany Don Lews So that you see that the great Affairs in hand hinder not these Gentlemen from making good chear LETTER XIII To Monsieur de Lionne On occasion of the following Conference From St. John de Luz August the 21th 1659. I Come from receiving your Letter of Yesterday night six of the Clock I am very glad you have adjusted the Conference for to morrow and I will be there without fail at the usual hour I am the more pleased that I see you have no great hopes of adjusting any thing essential with Don Pedro Coloma seeing you could no more do it with Senior Don Lewis I wish he executes the resolution which he told you he had taken to use on his side all kind of diligence to the end this work may be the sooner perfected and if he keep his word I promise you that the most essential points shall be soon adjusted at least-wise it shall be no fault of mine if they be not But you will see and I wish I were a false Prophet that we shall confer four or five hours and depart as we are wont which is to say without coming to any positive conclusion I should be very glad if you would come here to night if it be possible to the end we might confer about the answers I have received from the King on the particular you know for we must concert the manner to execute well the orders I have receiv'd from their Majesties LETTER XIV To Monsieur le Tellier Of the Bishoprick of Apt. Conference with Don Lewis His earnestness for the satisfaction of the Prince of Conde Reasons of the Conduct of Don Lewis His Proposals on this Subject Cardinal's Answers Complaint of the slowness of Don Pedro Coloma Cardinal's judgment on the Conduct of Don Lewis To Monsieur le Tellier From St. John de Luz August the 21th 1659. I Wrote to you Yesterday by a Currier whom the Chevalier de Caderousse sent me and I defer the writing to their Majesties what past in the last Conference till the return of the King's Footman Before I enter on any other matter let me entreat you to keep secret what I wrote to you touching the Bishoprick of Apt for the King will be perhaps obliged to have more consideration for the first President of the Parliament of Aix who requests it for his Brother than for what I am to represent thereupon to his Majesty However if he thinks fit the determination of this Affair may be deferred till my return to Bourdeaux tho' I very much apprehend this will not be so soon as I wish for and judge fitting You will know the reasons of this fear and what I do likewise to hasten the conclusion of this Affair
which it was said that in respect of the interests of the Duke of Modena what he had treated and concluded with the Count de Fuensaldaigne should be confirmed so that the King of Spain having sent the Ratification of the Treaty of Paris this Article by consequence was no less ratified than the rest Don Lewis seeing he had nothing to answer me saved himself by telling me That in consideration the Duke of Modena was my Nephew the King his Master would pass over this point as I desired I told him I was far from receiving as an obligation what his Catholick Majesty could not excuse himself from doing without violating his Justice and Honour that the Duke of Modena would have great reason to complain of me should I pretend he were indebted to me for a thing which is due to him by a Treaty by which he had likewise consented and executed other points in the manner as the Count de Fuensaldaigne had desired The Conclusion was an Article should be inserted in the Treaty which should be couch'd in the terms I desired I took afterwards a Paper in which are markt in Abridgment all the points which remain to be adjusted to the number of twenty and we agreed in all excepting five or six the first of which is a pretension which I dexterously proposed to joyn Constans to the County of Roussillon which is a contiguous Country and of considerable extent seeing it consists of more than two hundred and fifty Villages The second concerns the Recompence of Bergue and la Bassee the first of which I may say without bragging I have gained to the King by pure address The third regards the pretensions which I likewise advanced to have not only the Bailywick of Artois but moreover the places of this Province which depends on no Bailywick as Merville and the Provostship of Chavancy to which in truth we have no right The fourth is touching what remains to be adjusted for a Road which we pretend in Lorrain and the Salt Pits of that Country for which Don Lewis has entreated me to tarry till an Officer of the Duke of Lorrain arrives who will soon be here and have power to treat and conclude whatever may regard the interests of this Prince The fifth concerns the Affairs of England and for very strong reasons I placed it then last as having judg'd 't was not for the King's service to insist thereon before we agreed to the preamble of all the other points Yet we spoke of it several times agreeing that this was too wicked an Example to be left unpunished to Posterity that Subjects should arraign their King and put him to death and that the Republick of England establishing it self 't was a power to be redoubted by all it's Neighbours seeing without exageration it would be an hundred times more formidable than that of their Kings I forgot to tell you that the restitution of Hesdin is agreed to be made on the day appointed he taking on him the execution in some sort or other of what he has promis'd hereupon I do not set down for the sixth the affair of Monsieur the Prince tho' this has been the subject of the greatest part of our Conferences because that though Don Lewis has not uttered a word thereupon yet it seems to me he is resolved and will herein pretend nothing which may retard or break the Peace I was in some kind of astonishment in that three hours had past without his so much as mentioning Monsieur the Prince when he began to say to me Will you be always resolute We shall separate without giving some satisfaction to Monsieur the Prince as I have so many times told you the King my Master is oblig'd in Honour to do I told him I thought this affair was ended and no more talk should be of it and so much the rather in that I thought that the satisfaction of this Prince did not so much affect him as to put him into a condition more considerable than before nor to give him signal marks by which might be always seen in France how the Catholick Kings recompence the French who range themselves on their side seeing on what I had said to him of the Propositions which Caillet had made me he had sufficiently declared himself that in giving Places to this Prince they would take the necessary Precautions that they might not fall into the hands of the King which had the more surprised me that I had imagined his Excellency would be greatly pleased if by means of the gratification which his Catholick Majesty would give to Monsieur the Prince he might attain to that of changing it into other things which were more likely to contribute to his re-establishment in the King's favour his Soveraign without the least inclination to Spain remaining behind there being nothing in my opinion and that of all his Relations and Friends more necessary than this for his quiet and the welfare of his affairs I added that I had ever observ'd the greatest pleasure he could have who imparted a benefit was when this benefit might produce to him who receives it something more considerable and more honourable but that seeing his Excellency was far from having this aim in respect of Monsieur the Prince I was forced against my will to believe he could have no other end than that which I denoted heretofore insisting boldly on the giving great advantages to Monsieur the Prince in assurance the King would not grant them and thus he might oblige Monsieur the Prince at small cost I must acknowledge to you I believe never man was so put to it as Don Lewis appear'd to me in this occasion for assuredly it is fallen into his head that if Lainet and the other Adherents of Monsieur the Prince should come to know the discourse I held to him he will be troubled to get off from granting him what he has so many times offered and which might wholly meliorate his conditition He studied a long time and though he told me afterwards reasons which would not permit him to give Places to Monsieur the Prince without a caution they should not go out of his Hands he added he would consider afresh what might be done for this Prince to see if it were possible whether he could be so happy to find out some means whereby to give a satisfaction which I could approve But I replied to him with the same firmness that there is no other than the giving him some Sum of Mony to make some considerable purchase of Land and that for the discourses which I had held him which perhaps he might take for an overture capable of meliorating the condition of Monsieur the Prince I conjured him to believe that the only desire of pleasing him in a thing which he had made known to me in such earnest terms had induced me to this For to be plain I much doubted whether the King would consent to this tho' I was determin'd
that the King of Spain can obtain no advantage of 'em but by the Treachery of some of the Portuguises themselves which they have publish'd to be the cause of the raising the Siege of Bajador and not the fear of the Army which came to attack their Lines And it must be acknowledg'd that herein he has good reason and speaks as one that has a perfect knowledge of their humour which may cast 'em into some wretched disaster for I do not perceive they seem to be concern'd to defend themselves or to make an accommodation So that for want of foresight the King and Queen of Portugal run a great risk of falling into great perplexities and losing their Crown and Persons without bringing any Remedy We afterwards discoursed of England and agreed on what could be wisht on both sides which is to say if the War continued between his Catholick Majesty and England we should observe a perfect neutrality without giving any assistance either during the present Reign or under another which might continue the War with Spain and that on their side if England should come to have a War with us they should do the same in relation to us I thought of getting clear out of this Conference without a word of Monsieur the Prince but I found my self much mistaken for Don Lewis having made me the usual declaration that this point shou'd in no sort retard the execution of the Peace and I having answered him it would delay it seeing he spoke to me continually about it to the great prejudice of Christendom whose quiet ought not to be deferred one moment for the more or less satisfaction of a particular Person who deserved punishment for having been guilty of the most horrid Rebellion was ever seen he began by repeating to me the things he so often had mention'd to me to wit the great advantages which the King drew from this Peace He insisted mightily on the renunciation of Alsatia which the King his Master made without any recompence tho' it be certain that this Province and Brisac cannot be lawfully acquired by France but by the King of Spain's renunciation to whom this should return in case of failure of the Line of the Arch Duke of Inspruck wherein it is certain he has reason and that he looks with astonishment on all the great advantages which France gains there being no instance of any Peace she has made in which she has so greatly profited whether in reputation or number of Places and extent of Country which on all sides enlarges her Frontiers In fine the conclusion of his discourse was That though on account of all these Reasons the King his Master might expect some relaxations in favour of Monsieur the Prince yet he had order to declare to me that his Catholick Majesty would think himself obliged to the King regarding it as an effect of his generosity and that himself in particular would be so too and do all things to shew me his acknowledgments if I would use my endeavours for this I told him That as I could not always repeat the same things every time he held me the same discourses I would only add That these kind of generosities are commonly exercised between private Persons but that great Kings what Friendship soever they might have never steer'd by these motives in things which regarded their reputation and the good of their Kingdoms and that as I would never pretend to the liberty of asking of the King of Spain any thing which should be against his interest and honour so I could not but find it strange that his Excellency far from dealing thus should insist still on the same arguments though I had without vanity be it spoken entirely overthrown ' em He afterwards desired me not to take it ill if he proposed to me an Expedient he had thought on which was that his Catholick Majesty to oblige the King to give a place of surety to Monsieur the Prince as Havre de Grace might be should give Olivenza to the Duke of Braganza besides his re-establishment in his Lands and Honours and the Office of Constable of Castile I told him I belived he jeer'd me and that we should make no great progress if we spent our time in such kind of projects that Monsieur the Prince would be more considerable with Havre de Grace than he was heretofore with all the Places and Governments he had and that the King of Portugal would receive for a recompence of two Kingdoms he was now possest of his Estate and a place which was in the heart of Spain forty Leagues off of Lisbon and Portugal which is to say that instead of surety this which was offered him was a Trap for him and that did I not believe he offered me these Proposals to move laughter I should have great reason to be scandaliz'd at his thinking me a man fit to put such discourses on He fell to laughing in effect and replied to me he saw well I was informed what kind of place Olivenza was and that I had reason to say that if his Master recovered Portugal this place and that of Elvas should be raised as having been fortified by the Duke of Braganza only to make head against the Countries under his Catholick Majesty's Obedience However he omitted not for all this to use other discourses touching Monsieur the Prince and perceiving I grew a little hot in my answers Well then said he we will conclude the Peace we will do it sincerely Monsieur the Prince shall cast himself at his most Christian Majesty's feet and present him his Son whom he shall leave with his Majesty and he will go to Venice or Holland where he may live on the Money my Master will give him in payment of what he owes him and this will not be over well I answered him that Monsieur the Prince accepting the favours the King offered him by the Peace neither he nor his Family would want the Spanish Money for subsistance and that as to the rest he need not be at the pains to cast himself at the King's feet nor bring his Son thither unless he determined before hand to submit to what he was obliged by the Treaty of Paris seeing without the King could not receive him nor let him enjoy the Priviledges granted him by this Treaty So that the Tryal he made to see whether the Prince might not do thus served only to disabuse him and put him out of hopes of it After this I thought 't was fit to conclude although the Conference lasted not so long as half the time of the others and I made the bad weather and rotten ways a pretence for this But as I arose he prayed me to give him the liberty of sending Monsieur Pimentel to me by whom he hoped to propose to me some Expedient as well in relation to Monsieur the Prince as what remained to be adjusted which would be to my satisfaction I told him I should be very glad
must likewise be made to the Secretary of State Don Pedro Coloma LETTER XXXV To Monsieur le Tellier Eighth Conference Begun in such a manner that the Cardinal thought all would be broke off Earnest instances of Don Lewis for the Prince the Cardinal's answers From St. John de Luz September the 3d. 1659. YOu will find hereunto adjoyning the Relation I told you should be delivered to you by the Sieur Charlet and I defer till to Morrow the sending you that of Yesterday's Conference if we do not hold one again to Morrow For although I employ every moment to dispatch Business yet I question my strength and their Majesties must bear with me if I do not inform them of every thing so succinctly as I would I have put something into the Letters which I gave to Messieurs de Noailles and de Vardes for their Majesties touching what past in Yesterday's Conference but seeing the Sieur Bartret will arrive sooner than they to give an account to their Majesties that I thought in the beginning of the last Conference that all would break off considering how Don Lewis spake to me of the satisfaction of Monsieur the Prince in telling me with great concern 't was very strange that after so many Instances made he might not obtain that the Catholick King should recompence the Services which Monsieur the Prince had done him In fine the business proceeded so far that I express'd my self in terms which left it to his own choice whether we should break off the Negotiation but he quickly grew cool and hindred me from rising up with great protestations his Intention was always the same in relation to the Peace the consummation of which was no longer to be doubted so that having been sometime without appeasing my self I began again to treat with him as before and the end of this Conference which lasted near Six Hours was well enough as their Majesties will see by the relation I shall send them I must not omit the saying by the way that I well foresaw I should hazard no great matter in resenting so stifly the dissatisfaction Don Lewis gave me about the Prince for I immediately read in his Countenance he came with intention to make this last tryal at the pursuit of Monsieur the Prince's Agents and some Spaniards his Abettors who have near access to Don Lewis so that 't was no difficult matter for me to make Head against Don Lewis Sally and I am bold to say I did it in such a manner that all the advantage remained on my side and I hope this action will produce something considerable for the King He earnestly entreated me not to communicate to any body what â—past Yesterday between us which is what I promis'd him and I have kept my word and therefore it is fit no body should be acquainted with it LETTER XXXVI To Monsieur le Tellier Particular relation of the Eighth Conference Of the Duke of Lorrain Discourse of the Cardinal with the said Duke's Envoy Small inclination of the Spaniards to this Duke His Treaty with France in 1639. The Elector Palatine scarcely recovers half of his Countries tho' protected by France and Swedeland Great effort of Don Lewis for Monsieur the Prince as strongly repulsed Of the Constable of St. Paul Rebellions severely punish'd in France Replies of Don Lewis furnish'd him by Monsieur the Prince's Agents His new Proposition in favour of him Contrary Proposition of the Cardinal Of the Duke of Newbourg From St. John de Luz Sep. 4. 1659. I Will now make you a Rehearsal of what past in Yesterdays Conference which was the Eighth to the end their Majesties may know the particulars of it It began with the Interests of Monsieur de Lorrain on occasion of the Sieur de la Chaussee who came from him and brought Letters for Don Lewis and me Don Lewis told me this Duke desired leave to come here to sollicite in person his own Affairs but he must see the King his Master first and he spake to me in terms whereby I easily found his intention was not to bring him here in haste and Don Lewis having ever spoken to me about the Duke as of a Person who enjoy'd his full liberty I thought it therefore not amiss to hint to him by the way that this Gentleman knew otherwise seeing he told me that the Duke of Lorrain thought himself under a greater constraint than ever in that he was oblig'd to give it under his hand not to stir from Toledo and the adjacent places and not to come within Six Leagues of Madrid so that he was more confined now than when he had his Guards for then he flatter'd himself with some hopes of escaping of which he could have no thoughts now I told him moreover something of the Conversation which I had with this Gentleman to confirm him by the answers I had made that the King intended to alter nothing which had been determined at Paris in relation to Lorrain But it 's fit their Majesties should know the discourse I had with the Sieur de Chaussee He began by telling me his Master would see the best Friend and most affectionate Servant I had in the World that he desired nothing with greater passion than my Alliance that his intention was not to marry nor to return into Lorrain if 't were not desired but to remit all to Prince Charles his Nephew and to go into Germany into England or any other place his Majesty should prescribe that he would resolve on all this with Madam and with his Brother and other Princes of his House and that in fine he had still some interest in the World and Friends to render some signal Service to France if his Majesty thought fit to employ him the rest of his days Hitherto all went well but the end spoiled all for he added that his Master would chuse rather to dye a thousand Deaths than to re-enter into Lorrain on condition of sacrificing the least part of it and that I ought to interess my self herein by reason of the Alliance he proposed to me In fine he talk'd to me of restoring all to Monsieur de Lorrain just as if it had been no more than a pair of Gloves I told him I was sorry for the Proposal of the Alliance which his Highness had ordered him to make me because this stopt my Mouth and hindered me from speaking so much as one word in favour of his Interests it being impossible to hinder every one from believing that my own would make me speak tho' in effect I could never have any other than those of the King and the State for the least of which I should think my self happy to sacrifice both my Family and my own Person that after this his Highness would plainly see I was the unlikeliest Instrument to procure any change in what had been determin'd at Paris with the King of Spain's Plenipotentiary and ratifyed afterwards that I might truly say the King's