vile Wretch should give the fatal blow however she charged me to proceed with this Caution that no mention should be made of her otherwise she would deny that she ever told me any thing and I would be the cause of many Mis-fortunes that might ensue This was sufficient to puzzle and disturb a more acute and discerning Brain than mine insomuch that I remained very much perplexed and confused with the thoughts of this Matter and in enquiring into the means how to acquit my self well therein without trouble I considered that to hinder so pernicious a Design from taking Effect it was necessary to discover it to the Council that was left at Paris that in so doing enquiry would be made into the grounds of the Report that I should be thereupon urged to give an account whence it came that in declaring it I should act directly contrary to the prohibition and should run the risque of being left destitute and discredited as the Party had protested to me that in concealing her Name I might be esteemed as a Calumniator or a Person void of Understanding and that on the other side if I should be altogether silent the horrid Fact might be Committed and I might be one day accused for neglecting an opportunity of diverting so lamentable a Disaster and might also thereby incur a very great Danger Amidst these and a many other such like Considerations too tedious here to rehearse I thought it convenient to feign that about Nine of the Clock at Night when I was gone home as I was standing on the Threshold of my Door and talking with some Neighbours I was accosted by an unknown Person who spake thus I have sought for you several Hours upon an extraordinary occasion and then related the same Particulars whereof the Religious Woman had informed me which I caused to repeat often that I might remember and afterwards Write them down he added that he could not discover himself for certain Reasons but however if I neglected to take care of this Matter he would accuse me hereafter before the King The next day early in the Morning I went to seek Mr. Arnaud Intendant of the Treasury who was one of those that were left for the Council at Paris to whom I represented the passages of this counterfeit rencounter and propounded them to him as true We resolved together to Cause the Council to be forthwith assembled to deliberate on the report that I had made Who all agreed to lay a charge on me in the first place secretly to give notice to the Principle Attendants about the Prince to take an extraordinary care of his Person and Secondly to cause the Man that had been described to me to be apprehended if I could find him there to this end three Officers were deputed to assist me His Highness then lodged in the Hostel de Montmorency and had for his Guard one of the Companies of his Majesties Regiment of Guards under the Command of Monsieur de Mauson He was the first that I met whom I acquainted with the Orders I had received and as I was giving him a Description of the Person he suddenly told me It is above eight days ago since this Rascal would have intruded himself into my Company which I would never permit because he had a very bad Physiognomy and this Morning I saw the Cooks drive him out of the Kitchen with sticks We went thither immediately to hear what news we could the Cooks informed us that some days were passed since this base Fellow came into the Kitchen and drawing near to the fire said that the extream necessity to which he was reduced constrained him to beg somewhat of them to eat All that day and the next I remained in the Prince's Apartments and not having seen the Man I repaired to the Nun to whom I gave an account of my Proceedings complaining that not being able to find the Person whom she had represented to me it would be thought that I had imposed on the Council she answered that I was not diligent enough in searching after him and that the first time that I went into the Hostel de Montmorency with the Souldiers he perceived us and suspecting lest we should have an intent to seize him as we enter'd at one door went out at another and was gone to hide himself in the Arsenal where a Woman that Lodged in a little House that was above the Dancing Hall had conveyed him into a Garret Upon this advice a Nephew of the Captain of the Guard who was his Lieutenant and as I think named Adomville a Person of great Courage and Resolution was ordered to attend and to go with a certain Number of Souldiers at Ten of the Clock at Night to seize this Man in the Arsenal He came and knocked at the Womans Door who refused to open it tho' she was commanded in the Kings name insomuch that they broke it and being come up into the Chamber wherein they were told that this miscreant lay they found him under a great consternation holding his Breeches in his hand with one Leg therein not being able to put in the other he was so much affrighted and moreover without saying so much as one word to him he cryed out I never had any design upon the Life of the King nor upon that of the Prince The Lieutenant of the Guard Advancing said why do you tell us this We do not only think of you we do not search for you And in taking his Breeches to help him to put them on he laid his hand on a great Knife in the form of a Baggonet the edge whereof was exceeding sharp being pointed like the Tongue of a Serpent and could cut on both sides this was hid within the folds of his Breeches that were very large and stuffed with Hair as the Fashion was to wear them sometime before another Knife of the same sort was also found on the other side and being demanded what he intended to do with them he repeated the abovesaid words that it was not his intention to kill the King nor the Prince They searched his Pockets out of which was taken a Bottle filled with a certain composition that was made of the most subtile and penetrating sort of Poison which the said Lieutenant immediately perceived and told him saying you cannot have all these tools but for some ill purpose No replyed he I would entreat you to believe that I never had a Design to Poyson the King nor the Prince but being by Profession a Physician I make use of these Druggs to prepare good Medicines and as for the Knives that you found I always carry them about me because being poor and indigent I am forced to Begg in the Convents where I receive Charity and have occasion to cut the Bread and Victuals that are given to me He was carried to the Bastile where the Bottle was exposed to view which certainly contained a rank and subtil Poyson and was made
condition I diligently examined my Conscience but could not find that I had offended any but God alone in thought word or deed Having committed no action that might give a just cause of complaint since I had for a long time before taken care to do nothing that might be the occasion of the least suspicion therefore I was apt to believe that the above-mentioned jealousies had mainly operated in this unfortunate conjuncture I was informed by some that my Antagonists to accomplish their designs had animated the Queen-Mother against me although in serving the King I was always very careful lest I should displease her as appears from the preceeding Relation Whilst I revolved these things in my mind a certain debauched young man that had been an Augustine Fryar afterwards was admitted into the Oratory and at last associated himself with the Libertins of the Court pretending to be an Abbot being committed to the Bastille for his Crimes and lodging in a Room over mine gave me an account that he had been employed to cause me to be put into this place after this manner At first a Letter of Complements that I had written to Madame de Lesdiguieres was produced to the intent that he might forge another like it for he had a singular faculty in counterfeiting all sorts of hands but he desired to be excused because he thought mine was very difficult to be imitated for several reasons that he alledged after this denial he was told that he ought at least to depose that for three months together he had seen me going at midnight without a light and only attended with a little Page into the Chamber of Monsicur the King's Brother as also the Sieur de Modene and that we remained shut up there above an hour to this he replied that he was unwilling to mention M. de Modene by reason that he being esteemed as a man of no great judgment it would not be thought probable that he should contrive any Plots but this could not be affirmed of M. Deageant however since he knew him only by hear say and not by sight he feared lest he should be compelled to justify these Depositions face to face before a Magistrate upon these difficulties it was agreed that he should only declare the matter privately to the King the Queen-Mother the Cardinal of Richelieu and the Lord Keeper of the Seals having received a promise that effectual care should be taken to prevent his being confronted The Abbot Fcuquan and l' Anglois his Brother informed me of divers other circumstances when they were brought into the Bastille the former being lodged in a Chamber next to mine insomuch that we could discourse one with another at certain hours though we were closely locked up They confessed to me that they were the persons that prepared the Bill of Indictment in order to my Examination without specifying the particulars of my accusation lest the truth should be thereby discovered for if they had been exhibited to me I could have very easily demonstrated my innocence by proving that I had no Foot-men but such as were biger than my self that it was above a year ago since I stirred beyond the bounds of the street where I lived after seven of the Clock in the Evening and that the Watch was set every Night either at my house or at that of my Brother-in-law over against it where they remained usually till one of the Clock in the Morning and never found me absent so much as once Praised be God for all and may he vouchsafe of his Infinite Mercy not to impute to my Calumniation the evils that they have caused me to suffer but to forgive them this and all their other Offences Perhaps this Digression concerning my own particular Affairs may be accounted very tedious and extravagant but I humbly entreat his Eminency to excuse this boldness since it proceeds from the extreme desire that I have always had that he should be informed of my innocence and of the forgeries that have been invented to withdraw me from the honour of his favour and protection as also to procure my ruin But all these attempts or any other that hereafter may be put in practice to this effect shall never be able in the least to divert me from the affection and service that I owed to him and have long since prosessed neither shall they hinder me from continuing the Prayers that I daily put up to the Throne of Grace for the preservation of his health for many years and for the happy success of his generous Enterprizes Whilst these Memorials were in the Press one of my Friends having shewed to me the Relation that the Arch-Bishop of Embrun composed for the use of the Cardinal of Richelieu concerning his Voyage into England I thought it would not be amiss to insert it here since it confirms one of the most considerable Passages related by M. Deageant touching the inclination of James I. King of great Britain to embrace the Roman Catholick Religion I have hereunto annexed the Duke of Buckingham's two Letters on this subject and the little Summary of the Negociations of the said Arch-Bishop which was adjoyned at the end of this Relation The Letter of the Cardinal of Richelieu to the Arch-Bishop of Embrun SIR HAving call'd to mind the Voyage that you took some years ago into England I could not forbear to lay hold on this opportunity to desire you to let me know whether you were sent thither by the King or whether you went of your own accord and to what end as also whether there were certainly at that time any Negociation depending between his Holiness and the King of Great Britain concerning his Conversion You will very much oblige me in giving an account of all those particulars that you shall judge worthy to be observed on this subject assureing you in the mean time that whensoever an occasion shall be offered to demonstrate my affection to you you shall find that I am Paris Febr. 19. 1635. SIR Your most Affectioned Brother to serve you The Cardinal of Richelieu THE RELATION OF WILLIAM D'HUGUES Arch-Bishop of EMBRUN IN the year 1624. the Embassadors of England on the account of the Treaty of Marriage between the Sister of the King of France and the Prince of Wales being arrived at Compienne where his Majesty then resided a certain English Catholick Gentleman came to me to deliver a Letter from a Scotch Fryer of the Order of St. Francis who had formerly received some favours from me in Italy and at my instance was employ'd by Pope Paul V. in the English Mission the Letter of this Religious Person contained many particulars relateing to the lamentable Condition of the poor Catholicks in England as also a Recommendation of this Gentleman who gave me a very large Account of all things and shewed to me the printed Copies of divers Acts made in England against the Catholicks insomuch that I acquired a perfect knowledg of
King all the Arguments that I had produced he would entreat me assoon as I should come to London to compose a Letter containing these Reasons and to direct it to him which he would shew to his Majesty and thereby supply the defect of his Memory he recommended this matter very earnestly to my Care and assured me that till it were performed nothing would be concluded We parted after this manner and as we returned to London M. d'Effiat told me that the Duke had promised to come to Town within four or five Days and to bring the final Resolution but this time being expired and the Duke not appearing M. d'Effiat grew impatient and resolved to ride post to him I had then finished my Letter and delivered it into his Hands but he met his Grace that very day in his Journey to London and came back along with him where being arrived at Night M. d'Effiaâ— immediately dispatcht a Messenger to give me notice that I should repair to his Lodgings the next Morning at Sun-rising and that the Duke of Buckingham would be there to determine all things I failed not to attend at the Hour appointed when M. d'Effiat acquainted me that the Duke at their first meeting had enquired of him concerning my Health and whether I had written to him that he instantly gave him my Letter and perceived by his Countenance that he was well pleased After we had waited about two Hours his Secretary came and approaching M. d'Effiat told him with a loud Voice that I might hear that the Duke had at Mid-night received an express Letter from the King by an extraordinary Courier with strict Orders that he should without delay take post to meet him and that afterwards he would return to London having delivered this Message he complemented us in his Name and took his leave at which M. d'Effiat was extreamly incensed and said that he would write to the King to give him an accouns of the perfidiousness of the English and that he ought no longer to confide in them I intreated him to forbear and to have a little patience till matters might be accommodated and retired to my own Lodgings where within a few Hours after I understood that he had already sent a Dispatch to the King thereupon doubting lest in the heat of his Passion he should have affirmed that the Negociation was quite broken off and having an opportunity to make use of the same Courier that had given notice to me of his Departure and of the Pacquet that was delivered to him by M. d'Effiat I immediately wrote a little Note to the Cardinal of Richelieu in which I assured him that the Affair was not desperate tho perhaps it might be otherwise represented to the King and that I hoped that in less than eight Days all things would be concluded to his Majesty's Satisfaction his Eminency received my Letter and I have been since informed by the late Marshal de Schomberg that it was read in a full Council and in the King's Presence Not many days passed e're the Duke of Buckingham wrote to me that he had presented my Letter to the King and that his Majesty referred himself wholly to me whether I thought fit that the Dispensation should preceed the Celebration of the Marriage or not provided that Delays were avoided I have his Letter in my custody that clearly demonstrates how far the King and he relied on me in the managing of this Affair as appears also by other Letters that I have and by the Commission that his Majesty of Great Britain gave me to write to Rome to facilitate the said Dispensation the Original of which I have in my Hands together with the Additions written by the Duke of Buckingham and dictated by the King which plainly shew his Majesty's good Inclinations to embrace the Catholick Faith Afterwards when the Duke came to London all things were concluded according to the effects that ensued These Proceedings being thus far advanced I returned into France but before my departure from London the Duke of Buckingham desired me in the King's Name to commit the principal matters to writing that related to the Spaniards and to the Union that had been proposed which I did and sent them to him Assoon as I arrived in France I gave a particular account to the King of all things that I had performed in my Voyage who was pleased to signify unto me that he was very well satisfied with the good designs of the King of Great Britain and declared that a Report was already spread abroad in France that I treated with that King about his Conversion and that several Persons had informed him thereof I replied that there were the same Suspicions in the Court of England that the King of Great Britain had earnestly enjoyned me to keep the matter secret and that therefore I was obliged to beseech his Majesty to do the like which he promised me very affectionately but all these generous Resolutions were made void by the Death of the King of England the first News whereof was brought to me at Mass by the King himself who expressed his Regret in these Words All our Hopes of England are lost and seeing me surprized he told me that their King was dead I shall only add that I received the marks of the extraordinary Kindness and Esteem that the King of Great Britain professed to me in France as well as in England for when I went to visit his Ambassadors at Paris they shewed to me one of his Letters wherein he ordered them in express terms to account me as his good and faithful Friend which was not a little serviceable in obliging them to surmount the Difficulties and Scruples that they had raised on the occasision of certain conditions mentioned in the Dispensation insomuch that I treated with them concerning this Affair very fully and effectually at the request of Father Berulle I could produce other Testimonies of the like nature but not thinking it necessary I shall finish this Relation with the last Transaction that I managed with the Duke of Buckingham during his residence at Paris wherein I persuaded him to use his endeavours to prevail with his new King to keep a good correspondence with the Pope and to that end to maintain a trusty Catholick Agent at Rome but he desired that the King should first propound it therefore I discoursed with his Majesty on this Subject who gave his consent and ordered me to impart it to Monsieur Tronson that he might put him in mind thereof on the Road as he accompanied the Queen of England which I believe that the King may remember Given at Embrun March 3. 1635. I have here inserted an Addition that I made to the above-said Relation and which was also sent to the Cardinal of Richelieu The Duke of Buckingham relating to me the particular Circumstances of the Negociation with the Spaniards during the aboad of the Prince of Wales at Madrid informed
me that the said Prince having instantly demanded to be admitted into the company of the Infanta and to discourse with her was repulsed and told that this could not be granted unless he would first make profession of the Catholick Religion in the presence of at least six or seven Witnesses to which they endeavoured to persuade him with all the Artifices imaginable but could not obtain their desire nevertheless he was permitted to write to her as he did at several times and received an answer which the Prince believed to be written with the hand of the Infanta but it appeared afterwards to be composed by one of her Ladies of Honour for upon the embarking of the Prince for England Cardinal Sapata that attended him according to the order of the King of Spain delivered a Pacquet to him sealed up which being opened in the Vessel there were found therein all the Letters written by him to the Infanta folded up and sealed as he sent them He acquainted me also that within a few days before my arrival Don Carlo Coloma Ambassador extraordinary from Spain had used his utmost Endeavours to induce him to believe that the difficulties that were raised at Rome in granting the Dispensation proceeded not from the instance nor consent of the King his Master therefore he offered and insisted very much thereupon that if his Majesty would defer the concluding of the agreement with France for six months he would procure the said Dispensation and would religiously observe every Article contained in the Conditions of their Alliance that was treated in Spain viz To restore the Palatinate to send considerable Supplies for the recovery of Guienne and Normandy to permit a free Passage and Commerce to the East and West-Indies and other particulars In opposition to these Proposals I represented to him divers Reasons taken from the very Discourses that he had rehearsed to me and from the Intrigues of the Spaniards already mentioned by him insomuch that he was convinced that all these new Offers were only so many fraudulent Artifices by which nevertheless he confirmed that the King was moved I gave notice thereof to M. d'Effiat who had already perceived somewhat in the Audiences that he had obtained of his Majesty and desired me to search into the truth of the matter as I afterwards did for which Service he protested that he was very much obliged to me Amongst these Discourses he shewed to me a Letter that the Prince Palatin had written to him from the Hague in which he entreated him to take care that this Condition should be inserted in the Treaty and to disannul it in case the Spaniards refused to restore the Palatinate and as an acknowledgment of this favour and also as a testimony of the perpetual Friendship that he intended to contract with the said Duke he proposed that his Daughter who nevertheless was not above seven years old should be instantly married to his Grace's eldest Son to which I perceived that the Duke was much inclined for he told me that the King was not very averse from it However having desired him to refer this matter to me and to hear my Opinion I alledged to him so many Reasons that his Majesty resolved not to oppose the rupture any longer and the Duke not to consent to this Marriage and both determined to conclude that of France with England and this is the meaning of these Words in his Grace's Letter bearing date the 9th of November the Copy whereof I have here annexed But the care of this great Affair to which you have incited me The English Catholicks having penetrated into the progress that was made and well knowing his Majesty's Discourses on my behalf the deliverance of so many Catholicks that were in Prison and the liberty that I had taken which was a thing never seen in England since Heresy prevailed in that Country to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation in London sent an Express thereof to Rome at which the Spaniards being enraged took an occasion to slander me with so many Artifices and false Insinuations that they exasperated the Pope against me under divers pretences viz. That I went into England without the knowledg of his Nuntio that I had confirmed People there without a Licence and that I had visited Persons of the highest Rank in that Kingdom notwithstanding that they were Hereticks even the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and the Earl of Mansfield insomuch that I was obliged at my return into France to write an Apology which I sent to Rome to represent to that Court that since I had diligently endeavoured to prevent a rupture between France and Spain and that this Marriage should not be celebrated without a Dispensation I ought rather to be commended than blamed for performing such Actions but not long after I received an answer from M. de Bethunes that the Pope being informed of all the circumstances of this Negociation was very well satisfied with my Conduct I also sent the Copies of several Letters of the Duke of Buckingham of M. d'Effiat Ambassador in England and of M. de Bethunes Ambassador of Rome which confirm all the principal matters contained in this Relation But that the Letters of M. d'Effiat may be more clearly understood I ought to add that I wrote to him concerning the malitious Accusations and Devices that were contrived against me and entreated him to give an account thereof to the King of Great Britain this is the tenor of his first Letter Moreover the King of England abhorred the Jesuits to that degree that he not only declared that he would never consent that the Confessor of the Princess should be of that Order nor that any one of them should belong to her retinue but his Majesty was also pleased to command me to desire the King France to change his Confessor affirming that this would be necessary for the Prosecution of the Designs that we had agreed upon and would be very advantageous with respect to the Protestant Princes Father Jaquinot coming to see me at Paris acquainted me that he was appointed to go into England with the Princess and entreated me to give a good Character of his person in that Country thereupon I freely professed to him urging several reasons that he would not be well received there since I believed that he would not be suffered to appear that he would be sent back again and that this would produce great dissentions between these two Crowns nevertheless to satisfie him I wrote to M. de Effiat what he had told me and what answer I had given and upon this account he sent me the Letter that the Duke of Buckingham had written to him as the result of his third Letter wherein he discourseth on the same Subject and declares that he intended to deliver my Letters to me himself that they might be burnt A Letter of the Duke of Buckingham to the Arch-Bishop of Embrun SIR THe Hopes that I have to see you
all the Papers Letters and Instructions that he had received from the late King Henry the Great relating to his Negociations in Italy and Germany he sent one of his Servants to Embrun to fetch the said Papers amongst which was the League offensive and defensive that he had transacted with the Princes of Italy having presented the Copy of the said League and other Memorials to the late King his Majesty commanded him with his own Mouth to deliver them to M. de Luines which he did but could never recover them out of his Hands for after the death of the said Monsieur de Luines the late King at his request ordered Monsieur de Tronson to demand them of Monsieur de Modene who replyed that he had seen them but that he knew not how they were disposed It is well known what Advantages accrued to the State upon the Conversion of the late Constable de Lesdiguieres which was accomplished with great applause by the said Arch Bishop who having insinuated himself into the Mind of this Noble Lord continually solicited him to take this good resolution Monsieur de Puisieux whom he acquainted with these Particulars hath given a testimony thereof in his Letter that he sent to him which is also confirmed in another written by the King on the subject of this Conversion According to his Majesty's Order he accompanied the Constable at the Siege of Montpelier and constantly attended him until the Month of January 1624 when he received a Letter from the King importing an express Command that he should come unto him assoon as he appeared at Court his Majesty imparted to him the desire that he had to send him into Italy to treat with the Princes as he had formerly done on the behalf of King Henry the Great against Spain But the time not being convenient for such a Negociation he ingeniously propounded his Reasons to the King which his Majesty approved and declared to him his Satisfaction therein Not long after the King appointed him to go into England concerning which Voyage he hath already composed a Relation for the use of the Cardinal of Richelieu who wrote to him on purpose to desire it It is certain that in this Voyage he was very serviceable in concluding the Marriage that was once broken off It is no less true that he acquired much Credit and Reputation with King James I. to that degree that he not only obtained a permission to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation in London where above twelve thousand English Catholicks received it from his hands and were thereby comforted and strengthened but he also persuaded that Prince very much to incline towards a Conversion and if he had not died so suddainly the good Effects thereof would have appeared the Duke of Buckingham's Letters may serve as a sufficient Testimony of all these Circumstances which are specified at large in the above mentioned Relation The late King was fully informed concerning these Transactions insomuch that besides the Satisfaction that he expressed to him in particular he designed to nominate him to the Cardinalship and signified his Intentions to Cardinal Bagny then Nuncio in France who returning to Rome revealed it to the said Arch-Bishop at Avignon But at this time as heretofore the King 's generous Inclinations to promote the Arch-Bishop proved ineffectuall nevertheless he alwaies persevered to serve his Majesty with his Person and small Estate neither could extraordinary Expences nor great Dangers divert him from this Resolution for in the year 1630. the late King having ordered him to take care of the Passage of the Troops through his Diocese and to furnish them with Provisions Ammunition and other things requisite for the Subsistence of the Army that was to march into Italy Although this obliged him to disburse vast Summs of Money and to incurr extreme Perils since the Plague raged everywhere throughout his whole Diocese so violently that his Almoner and Gentleman Usher fell sick in his own House however he remained alwaies near the High-way to provide all things necessary this may be evidently proved by the Letters of the late King and the Cardinal of Richelieu as also by those of the Marshal de Montmorency de Schomberg de la Force and d'Effiat Moreover he performed other remarkable Services when the King's Forces took Pignerol for the Arch-Bishop being informed that the Duke of Savoy intended to put a strong Garison into his Fort of Lauret in the Valley of Barcelona very near the Roads that lead to Provence and Dauphine through which all the Provisions and military Ammunition were to be conveyed to the end that they might make Incursions and seize on the Waggons and Carriages and might by this means reduce the Army to the utmost Extremity He gave notice thereof to the Cardinal by the Sieur d'Hugues his Nephew at present Agent General of the Clergy of France whom he sent to him on purpose The Cardinal did not neglect this Advice but immediately dispatched Monsieur de Montreal Quarter-Master and the Abbot de Beauvau at present Bishop of Nante who with all possible speed repaired to Embrun with Orders to do whatsoever the Arch-Bishop should think convenient on this occasion who declared his opinion gave to them the Sieur Baron d'Hugues his other Nephew and afforded all manner of Assistance insomuch that the Fort was attacked and the Garison compelled to surrender FINIS
so that it might be easily taken out The Council gave notice to his Majesty of what had passed and desired to know his Commands thereupon In the mean time this Wretch laid violent hands upon himself in the Bastile as I have been since informed The second time that I saw the Nun she advised me also to declare that the Garison of Soissons had undertaken an enterprize on a certain Night to seize on the Treasurers that lodged in the quarter of the Celestins at Paris with their Goods and every thing of value that they had in their Houses The Plot was thus laid a sufficient number of Men unknown without any Arms but their Swords were to be introduced into the City and in the Evening appointed for the Execution a Boat privately Laden with Arms was to be brought on the River to the Port St. Paul which about midnight were to be taken by the said Persons who having accomplished their design were to retire through the Mell with their Prisoners and Booty and to repair to the other side of the Bulwark where Horses were prepared ready for them to carry all to Soissons under the Guard of a Detachment of Troopers order'd to attend for that purpose Monsieur de Liancourt Governor of Paris who received an intimation of this project discovered the truth thereof and prevented it from taking effect I shall leave it to the judgment of those that are more capable than I am to determine where this Religious Woman had these two pieces of Intelligence since I never had the Curiosity nor Ability to penetrate into this matter A little after the time that the Prince was Arrested and divers of the Princes and Nobility had withdrawn themselves to Soissons with an intent to make War a certain Person whose name could not be known left at the House of a Gentleman who had the Honour sometimes to attend the King and in whom his Majesty was pleased to confide a Pacquet containing three Letters one for the Queen Mother the other for the Princes at Soissons and the third for this Private Gentleman they were all three open written in a fair French Character without Date or Superscription and in a good Stile though some words had a little relish of the Cloister the two Principal contained several weighty Reasons inforced with passages of the Holy Scriptures and with Examples taken out of profane History the Pacquet was fastned with Spanish Wax without the Impression of any Seal The Letter directed to the Gentleman charged him with a commination of great Penalties in case he neglected it to cause that for the Princes to be sent to them by what means he thought convenient and to deliver the other to the Queen Mother with his own hands entreating her to read it in private and deliberately to consider the Contents without communicating it to any especially to the Party that was more particularly concerned therein and after she had perused it that she would be pleased to restore it to the Bearer The Letter written to the Princes contained several very sound and cogent Arguments to convince them that their Arms were unjust that they would give an opportunity to Foreigners that were Enemies to the Kâ—â—gdom to endeavour to destroy it and would furnish the Protestants with a pretence vigorously to Prosecute their Designs to the great damage of the Catholic Religion and of the State but if these considerations and those of their own safety could not prevail with them to return to their duty they would certainly perish in their Attempts because God had taken a particular Care of the King and promised to Crown the innocency and candour of his disposition with good success As for the Letter directed to the Queen Mother it represented to her the many Favours she had received from the Divine Goodness the little Care she took to demean herself according to the intent of them and the neglect and aversness she shewed to see much good Council that hath been offered to her to follow the pernicious Advice of certain Parasites that had no other end but to advance their own Private Interests and Fortunes to the ruin of the State and even of her Royal Person whom they betrayed The Particulars were not specified but it was apparent that the Marshal D'Ancre and his Wife were principally aimed at in these Reflections several miscarriages in the Government of Public Affairs were also enumerated and the disorders that had already happened as also those that might be expected unless they were speedily prevented If my Memory fails me not these were the Remedies propounded in this Letter in the first place the Queen was exhorted to augment her Devotions in Divine Service and to the Practice of good Works to cause Prayers to be frequently made especially at Paris to give order that young Children of Twelve Years old and under should be exercised therein and that a Solemn Procession should be made and to take care that the Holy Sacrament be better Administred than it hath been in the most part of the Towns and Villages of this Kingdom and that by this means God would divert the evils with which she was threatned in particular otherwise she would suddenly feel the effects of his displeasure it was moreover alledged that in observing the abovementioned directions chiefly those relating to the Holy Sacrament she would soon see the marvellous Fruits thereof throughout all France Secondly The Tenour of this Letter was to perswade the Queen without any farther delay to permit the King to Act in the Administration of the Government for this was a thing that he expected though he did not seem to desire it but it she refused to do it this alone would be sufficient to involve her in extream troubles and Calamities and to overturn the Kingdom which was already embroiled with commotions in all Paris apparently under pretence that the King was â—ept from the knowledge of the Affairs of the State The third Remedy proposed was to send back into their own Country the two occasions of scandal who were the cause of the general discontent and served as a colour to the Insurrection of the Nobility and People that there were good reasons to perswade them to retire viz. That for the future they might not only be permitted to enjoy the great Possessions that they had acquired but might also have more given them that the King would willingly grant this and that thus these two Persons might happily make use of their good Fortune whereas on the contrary if the Queen should obstinately persist in upholding them she would ' ere long with regret see them miserably perishing in her presence and falling into a condition that she hath not yet foreseen would prove an example of the vengeance of Almighty God who hath threatned that the Child shall rise up against the Mother and the Mother against the Child to the great detriment of the Nation and to the manifest Peril of
Master to cause her to be Poysoned Monsieur Deageant who suspected the intreagues of this Travail having perceived that they had talked together a long while enquired of the Secretary what was the Subject of their Discourse who related it to him and he immediately went and acquainted the King with it who caused him to be sent to the Parliament where he was tryed and was confronted with Monsieur de Luines to whom he had imparted something of this design as also with Monsieur de Bressieux and his Secretary the latter was obliged to appear because his Secretary had discovered the wicked intentions of Travail A little after that time a Gentleman named Gignâ—er practised one of the most cunning and artificial cheats that can be imagined with a design to advance his fortune thereby being a Person of a most subtile and crafty disposition An Uncle of his was Lieutenant of a Company of Guards belonging to the Duke of Vendome and had served him in the last Wars of the Princess through his means this Gignier ingratiated himself with the Duke of Vendome and the other Princes and Lords that had withdrawn themselves from Court and were pursued by the Kings Forces After their reconciliation with his Majesty Gignier being introduced into the Presence of Monsieur de Luines made a very formal and plausible relation to him that he had obtained the favour of all these Princes and Lords insomuch that they did not conceal their secrets from him and that although his Majesty had laid so great an obligation on them in receiving them so graciously and restoring them all to their Offices nevertheless they ceased not to have a watchful Eye to find out an opportunity to accomplish their ambitious enterprizes by raising commotions in the Kingdom but if Monsieur de Luines to whose interests he promised entirely to devote himself would confide in him and should think it convenient that in keeping a good correspondence with these Lords he should discourse their actions and inâ—entions in order to give him an account thereof he would acknowledge in process of time that his service would prove not a little advantageous to his Majesty as also to himself in particular On the other side he affected to appear an intimate friend of Monsieur de Luines and endeavoured to perswade these Princes and Lords to believe it with a promise to serve them especially the Duke of Vendome whom he saw oftner than the others by this artifice he began to make a discovery of them to Monsieur de Luines and of him to them but he enjoyned both the one and the others to dissemble what they knew and to take no more notice of one another than they formerly used to do till the proper time that he should declare to them afterwards esteeming that he had caused a strong suspicion and jealousie between them and having prepared divers inventions to cover his wicked devices he came one day pretending to be in a great fright to find out Monsieur de Luines and told him that he had one of the greatest most dangerous and most cruel designs to disclose to him that ever was contrived in France but he demanded two things one was that he should not communicate what he had revealed to him to any not so much as to Monsieur Deageant who was then employed in managing the principal transactions and the other that he should be assured that after he had given some light into this conspiracy he should be established in the Government of Calais or of some other Sea-port Town for the security of his Person and should be gratifyed with an hundred thousand Crowns as a means whereby to Advance his Family having obtained a grant of this recompence he informed Monsieur de Luines that a Plot was laid between the Cardinal of Guise the Dukes of Cheureuse Maine Vendome Nevers Longueville and Bouillon in which they had engaged Monsieur de Coeuvres President le Jay and some other Lords and Gentlemen whom he named that their first enterprize was to put to death Monsieur de Luines and Monsieur Deageant to banish all the other Ministers of State to seize on the King to recal the Queen Mother in his Majesties name to get the Power into their own hands and afterwards to take Possession of the Provinces which were to be divided amongst them and that some had proceeded so far that if the King endeavour'd to make any resistance he should be destroy'd He further assured Monsieur de Luines that these Gentlemen or the greater part of them were often privately assembled together sometimes in one place and sometimes in another to confer about their design and that he being admitted into their consult knew all their resolutions and would faithfully relate them to him Thus he entertained him with such discourses for several days pretending divers meetings and at last to remove all doubts and scruples that might arise he advised him to choose some friend in whom he could confide to the end that he might introduce him at a time appointed without acquainting him with the cause and might shew him these Lords or part of them going privily in the night to their convention But he himself was the sole manager that brought them together sometimes under a pretence to converse with certain Ladies whom he caused to be there present and sometimes inviting them to play at some game and that it might seem more probable that there was such a design he ordered the Affairs after such a manner that these Assemblies were always holden in the night and that those that appeared therein came alone and were perceived at a considerable distance from the House into which they enter'd through several Doors The Person whom Monsieur de Luines deputed assured him that he had seen them twice according to the same circumstances as Gignier had related On a certain day he desired his Uncle the Lieutenant of the Duke of Vendom's Company of Guards to send him two of his Souldiers whom he knew to be resolute sellows he gave to each of them a Pisto ready charged primed and cockt and placed them at the bottom of the Stairs of the Louvre requiring them to wait there till he should bring them further Orders from the Officer he told them also that he intended that they should go a Hunting along with him having set them in this posture he came as it were amazâ—d to Monsieur de Lâ—ines and declared that he certainly knew that two Sentinel were appointed to kill him and Monsieur Deageant if he were with him when he went to Dine in the great Hall near the Counsel Chamber that at the same time several Gentlemen were ordered to facilitate their retreat through the Court of the Kitchens in the House of the Duke of Vendome where there was a private passage but you must be content said he to Monsieur de Luines if I only shew you these two Souldiers with their Pistols in their
But the latter having withdrawn himself by degrees from Monsieur Deageant who gave him good Advice and being led away as well by the perswasions of other Ministers every one of whom in particular strove to obtain his Favour with a Design to Rule according to their own Passions as by the pernicious Councels of divers private Persons who endeavoured to Embroil the State that they might advance their Fortunes by the means of some public Dissension or Change the good Orders that had been instituted for the Administration of Affairs and chiefly for the preservation of the Union between their Majesties began by little and little to be laid aside insomuch that by the Artifices of such Incendiaries those Jealousies were kindled between them that broke out in a flame within a few Months after To this end the Table of the Wolf was put in Practice For altho Monsieur Deageant had no other prospect but the Service of his Majesty the propagation of Religion the Peace of the Kingdom and the particular good of Monsieur de Luines nevertheless he was discharged from the managing of public Transactions and forasmuch as during his Employment therein he had always clearly represented to the King the Intentions that were daily practised to cause him to suspect the Negotiations of his Eminency with the Queen-Mother he was no sooner removed from the Council but they that envyed him on the one side and they that designed to hinder the Re-union of their Majesties on the other acted their parts with double diligence sometimes they forged Letters and sometimes they introduced their Emissaries to perswade the King to lose the good Opinion that he had conceived of his Eminency however it is certain that his Majesty retained so high an Esteem for hiâ— that all these Efforts could not produce the Effect that was expected At last an accidental opportunity was offered which served to accomplish their Design a Letter from one of the above-mentioned Emissaries was read in the Council of the Dispatches which pretended to give an account of some of the secret and sinister Practices of his Eminency and that he had engaged a Party of Soldiers for the Queen-Mother in Pictou the Ancient Ministers of State failed not immediately to take a resolution to advise the King in the Council that was to be holden at eleven of the Clock in his presence that his Eminency ought to be removed from the Queen indeed they left no stone unturned to this end but were not able to effect it but it happened that Monsieur de Chateauneuf the Elder who was in the Council of the Dispatches not being privy to the Secret believed that the Motion that had been made would be approved by his Majesty which was the occasion that he went on Foot from the Louvre to his own House and meeting with the late Monsieur de Richelieu acquainted him with what was concluded thereupon It was thought that Monsieur de Richilieu wrote to his Eminency to advice him to avoid the Storm by retiring of his own accord which he did Upon the account of this and of the protestation that he had made to the King when he thought fit to appoint him to reside with the Queen-Mother viz. That if he perceived that she intended to adhere to evil Councils and would not be diverted from them he would withdraw himself without making any mention thereof those Persons that had undertaken to supplant him told the King that his retreat after this manner made it apparent enough that the Queen-Mother intended to cause Arms to be taken up against his Majesty Moreover they forged false Relations of the Actions of his Eminency and there being none to discover their Artifices they counterfeited a Letter that order'd him to depart to Avignon The Queen-Mother who remained at Blois in expectation of the performance of the Promises that had been made to her that she should be re-admitted in a little time into the Kings Presence and Councils as it was without doubt his Majesties intention seeing all these Proceedings concluded not without some grounds that she was deceived and that-they that were about the King intended to destroy her insomuch that under this imagination being destitute of the good Councils that were given her by his Eminency she sought for some means to put her self in such a Condition as to be able to get an Advantage over those whom she took to be her Adversaries amongst the discontented Party and amongst those whom she thought she had more particularly obliged Instead of the advice of the Cardinal of Richelieu she made use of that of the Abbot of Roueelay who induced her to proceed to extremities against the King and to diminish the high Esteem that she had always expressed of his Eminencies Fidelity and Generosity whose approach he dreaded being very sensible that it would be impossible for him to resist the force of his incomparable Judgement that far excelled his He caused also the Bishop Elect of Besiers to lose her Favour pretending that he endeavoured to delude her though he was altogether innocent Thus several Factions arose in the Kingdom which coming to the Kings Ear obliged him to stand on his Guard and to set a watch over the Actions of those to whom the Queen his Mother had made application and of those whom as he was informed she had employed in her Design She was offended at this and complained thereof to his Majesty who endeavoured by all possible means to divert her from these Thoughts and to perswade her to that which was true that he desired nothing more ardently than their Re-union and good Correspondence Several of those that had obtained the Kings Favour finding that they could not acquire so much power over the Inclinations of Monsieur de Luines as they desired and consequently could not obtain a greater Influence over his Majesty attempted to render Monsieur de Luines more and more odious to the Queen-Mother although during the time that I was conversant there I never observed that he deserved it they imagined that if they ruined him under the name of the Queen-Mother and promoted her return she would think her self obliged to them and would chuse rather to see them near the King than all the rest many others that were desirous of Novelty and Change were engaged in this Project to the same end Some have published that the Princes that were retired from the Court against whom the Kings Forces were employed were privy to the Design contrived against the Marshal d'Ancre and underhand sollicited the Execution however it is most true that they had no knowledge thereof and that if they had not readily returned to their Duty his Majesty was resolved to continue to prosecute them with War and to Command his Army in Person but immediately after the Death of the Marshal de Ancre some of their Kindred made most humble Submissions to his Majesty on their behalf And whereas they proposed a certain Treaty
intended to depart he made his Complements to the Company which were returned to him and then M. de Vair Keeper of the Seals the Chancellor de Sillery being absent spake to him to this effect Sir the King hath commanded us to send for you to acquaint you that he hath thought it very strange that your Master should be so bold as to take upon him to seize on two French Vessels at Legorn by way of reprisal since he is not ignorant that such Practices are not usual between such petty Princes as he and so potent a King as his Majesty that it was very extraordinary that after he had thus violated the respect due to his Majesty he hath not used any of the Solemnities requisite and customary in Reprisals that the King being justly offended at such Proceedings was resolved to cause him to repent it ' ere long and that upon this account his Majesty being no longer able to confide in the Duke of Florence nor consequently in his Agents required him to depart that day from Paris and in three days after out of the Kingdom The Agent replied that he knew nothing of this reprisal but that he was very certain that his Master wanted neither Respect nor Affection to the King and that if time were allowed him to dispatch a Courier to him he promised that he should bring all manner of satisfaction to his Majesty Monsieur du Vair told him that the Kings Orders must be obeyed thereupon he went on that very day to Nancy where he sojourned a great while continuing his former Practices that he had began in France Information had been given by the Syti's that the Sieur de Bournonville Brother to the Baron de Persan Governour of the Bastile had delivered certain dispatches to a man that went often and privately from Paris to Blois who was afterwards discovered and taken being charged with Letters and Memorials written by Monsieur Barbin then Prisoner in the Bastile to the Queen Mother describing the measures that she ought to take to regain her Authority with the King and to destroy those that had obtained a share in his Counsels and that might be able to oppose this design This was the cause that the Officer of the Guard was commanded to go into the Bastile under pretence to speak with another Prisoner where on a sudden according to the Orders that he had received in Writing he caused the Door of the Sieur Barbin's Chamber to be opened that he might enter and seize on his Papers and found him with other Memorials on the same Subject as the former but much larger As soon as he perceived that the Officer took them away he cryed out Alass I am undone he that hath been my only support will see in these Papers what pains I have taken to destroy him but it was to serve my Mistress These Writings being examined in the Council it appeared that Burnonville had suffered himself to be corrupted that he took care of the Letters that the Sieur Barbin sent out of the Bastile and received those that were directed to him It was also inferred from thence that the Baron de Persan and his Family were engaged in the Service of the Queen Mother however the King was satisfied with taking from him the Government of the Bastile But as for Bournonville against whom there were undoubted Proofs he thought fit to order him to be committed into the hand of justice to be brought to his Tryal before the Grand Council that his Majesty had appointed to this end as also to try the others that were discovered to be of the same Faction as well by the Papers of the Seiur Barbin as by the dispatches of the Agent of Florence above-mentioned viz. The Sieur de Marsillac Le See formerly Secretary to the Queen the two Brothers named Syti and Durand a Parisian whom Monsieur de Luines had introduced into the Kings Presence to compose the Verses of the Balls by whose appointment he received two thousand Livers as a reward According to the decree made by the Grand Council Marsillac and Le See on whose behalf Madam de Luines very much interceded were acquitted the Sieur Barbin was condemned to perpetual banishment out of the Kingdom the Younger Syti received Sentence to be Hanged and his Elder Brother and Durand to make public reparation and afterwards to be broken alive on a Wheel These two last had each of them an infamous Libel about them written with their own hands against his Majesties Sacred Person in which Durand omitted nothing that might serve to represent him as the most cruel and abominable Prince that ever lived the Elder Syti finding it too harsh had mollified it a little however he was thought worthy of the punishment to which he was adjudged but they had not time to Publish this Scandalous Pamphlet Amongst Durands Papers were found Letters that assured him of the Office of Secretary to the Queen Mother who was highly extolled therein nevertheless it was believed that she had not read them and that she never would have consented that they should after so base a manner sully the Honour of the King her Son whom all Men acknowledged as one of the most pious most just and most Excellent Princes that ever wore a Crown As for what relates to the Duke of Florence a shew was made of an intention to invade his Country and he began to be afraid of a Storm when he heard that Orders were sent to Monsieur de Lesdiguiers to be ready to command an Army of twenty thousand men in Italy that vast sums of money were provided to set out a considerable number of Ships at Marseilles and that Monsieur de Guise was already departed to go on Board as Admiral and to Act according to his Majesties Orders Insomuch that to allay this Tempest he dispatched the Chevalier Guidy with great diligence to the King to excuse himself on the account of what had passed to the prejudice of the Merchants of Provence of which he protested that he was altogether ignorant till he had received an information thereof in a Letter from his Agent laying the fault on certain Officers whom he had for that reason caused to be put in Prison The Chevalier Guidy brought the Merchants along with him to testifie to his Majesty that not only the Vessels and Merchandizes were restored to them but that they were also satisfied in full for all charges damages and interests and that they were paid for the expences of their journey to the Court The Fleet that was prepared by Monsieur de Guise served to clear the Coasts of Provence of the Pirates of Algier that intercepted their commerce and indeed this was the true reason that such a fund was appropriated for their maintenance The Incendiaries of the Court having as hath been already observed exasperated the mind of the Queen with two different passions distrust and anger made use of the Proceedings above-related
arose amongst them And therefore fearing if Deageant should altogether quit his Employment least his Majesty should discover his design and might take notice thereof he desired him to remain at Court and to see him at the usual hours He treated him after this manner that the King might believe that he was always present and had a hand in all public transactions whilst he endeavoured to perswade him to give his consent that he might be removed The King by his prudent and generous conduct had extended his reputation very far he was loved by good Men and feared by evil his thoughts and actions were wholly bent to propagate Religion to cause justice to Reign to repair the Ruins of the State to Establish Peace therein and to impart it to those Neighbours that were in trouble But the Devil the Enemy of good Works perceiving that these proceedings tended to the destruction of his Kingdom in Europe to put a stop to this Course stirred up the above-mentioned factions and conspiracies that after divers manners changed the Scene of Affairs and which is worse caused several attempts to be made upon his Majesties Sacred Person he instilled into the mind of a Young Man a Native of Cahors whose name was concealed because he was descended from an Honourable Family that was well-effected to the King's Service most wicked and damnable designs to Execute which he came to Paris and was thus discovered On Easter day in the Morning in the Year 1618. This Young Man went into the Convent of the Cordeliers and enquired whether there were amongst them any Fathers of the Province of Guienne thereupon one was shewed to him in the infirmery named Arnoux he accosted him and after some discourse desired him to hear him in Confession in which he accused himself saying that he had some thoughts that he should be well pleased if the King Queen and Monsieur the Kings Brother were dead and that he had a mind if it seemed good to him to kill them and three other Princes These were the very Words that the Cordelier caused him to repeat to him upon the spot telling him that before he gave him absolution he would consider them well and would talk with him in particular about them which he did at first in the Cloister and afterwards in his Chamber where he brought him and there having fully examined him concerning this Diabolical Imagination he found that he was a Person capable of committing all manner of wickedness and that instead of shewing any contrition for so abominable a thought he seemed always obstinately to persist therein This good Friar fearing least some mischief might ensue if it were not prevented entreated him to tarry a little in the Chamber whilst he went into the Library to turn over certain Casuists in order to resolve his doubts on the Subject of his Confession He took this opportunity to acquaint Monsieur Deageant with what had happened relating to him as he said not that which had been spoken in Confession because that was forbidden but several passages that he had heard from the Mouth of this Young Man in other discourses with him Monsieur Deageant after he had commended his zeal desired him to go and entertain him and to invite him to dinner in his own Chamber or if he refused it to accompany him to his Lodgings till an Officer were sent to apprehend him The Ministers of State were immediately assembled and according to their Advice this Young Man was put into the Bastile and in a Chest that was in the Chamber where he lay his Confession was found containing these wicked thoughts with several other horrible abominations which being viewed by the Privy Counsellors they considered that forasmuch as there was no other Proof against him but his own Confession and the report of the Confessor they ought on several accounts to act circumspectly in such Cases and fearing on the other side least the King should be troubled and it should be made known to the World that any had conspired against his life they thought it convenient to keep him a close Prisoner and that no rumour should be spread abroad touching this matter They to whose custody he was committed and that observed his behaviour reported that he would often talk like a mad man and one that was desperately intent upon some mischeif Monsieur Deageant being soon after discharged from the managing of Public Affairs this as well as many others was neglected insomuch that the Ministers without recollecting as is to be supposed the cause of his confinement and without enquiring into it ordered him to be set at liberty as also were some others that were imprisoned in the same place on slight occasions They repented it afterwards being informed who he was and would have caused him to be taken again but to no purpose On the third day in Easter the Cordelier that had discovered him was as is thought Poysoned in the Convent the Physitians with whose Advice he was carefully assisted observed all the signs of a subtil Poyson that would soon have dispatched him if he had not been of a very strong constitution and had not found such speedy and effectual relief As soon as he was cured he was sent back again into his Convent and during the Seige of Montauban he served as an Almoner where he fell sick and dyed The Devil having failed in this attempt resolved ' ere long to try another Amongst the Pages of the lesser Stables there was one for whom the King had a more particular respect and who upon this account attended on Horseback almost always when his Majesty went a Hunting The Master of the Horse having on a certain day ordered him to mount according to the usual custom he fell a weeping and entreated him that he would be pleased to excuse him affirming that ever since the last time that they Hunted he was troubled with somewhat that incessantly urged him to kill the King that the more he strove to resist this temptation the more he was tormented with it without being able to sleep or to enjoy any peace in his mind and that he had had recourse to Prayer Confession and the Sacrament but could not get rid of a thought that he detested as much as Hell it self He fell on his knees at his feet beseeching him to take care of him and not to permit him to come near the King least the evil Spirit should compel him to commit the execrable Fact to which he was prompted against his Will The Master of the Horse caused him to be examined by two learned Divines and a Physitian to discover whether this perturbation might not proceed from Melancholy they avouched the contrary and that the Page appeared to be of a good natural constitution devout and sound in body and mind his imagination only excepted that was hurt by the malignant suggestion of the Devil with whom he seemed to be possessed he afterwards came and made a
unless the consent of Cardinal Aldobrandini could be obtained whose power equalled if not surpassed that of the House of Bourguere that he would not fail to joyn with Spain as soon as he should see this union proposed that the number of the Cardinals of his Faction being augmented with those that were the Subjects of Spain would always prevail in the Conclave and in the Consistory and therefore that they would be continually opposed and over-powered notwithstanding all that might happen to the advantage of France whereas if the King could unite these two Powers nothing could hinder him for the suture from obtaining all manner of Credit and Power in the Court of Rome even to that degree that when the Pope should dye he might cause one to be chosen of the French Nation A promise was made to him to make an attempt upon the hopes of good success and he was assured that it should be his own fault if his party were not strengthned with his Majesties Authority against that of Spain and the Family of Aldobrandini that was almost extinct A Marriage was then treated between Monsieur the Prince of Piedmont and Madam the Kings Sister Monsieur Deageant was one of those whom his Majesty thought fit to employ more particularly therein who took this opportunity to perswade the Duke of Savoy to endeavour to engage Cardinal Aldobrandini in the French Interests without declaring to him any thing that had passed between him and Cardinal Bourguere he was further urged with the hopes that by effecting this he might cause himself to be elected King of the Romans and from thence might be advanced to the Empire James I. late King of Great Britain instead of inciting the Prince Palatine his Son-in-Law disswaded him from it and was of opinion that the Duke of Savoy ought rather to be regarded One of the English Ministers of State imparted this to Monsieur Deageant that he might inform the King thereof and might induce him to prosecute this Design as being the best and most sure means to pull down the House of Austria to establish Peace amongst the Estates of Europe and to prevent the Commotions that were ready to break forth in Germany This Proposition was approved by the Duke of Savoy who wanted neither Courage nor Ambition he therefore resolved to sollicite Cardinal Aldobrandini on this account and promised much from the strict Amity and Friendship that was betwixt them but he feared least he should meet with some difficulty therein because this Cardinal as to his present Condition at Rome was able to hold the Ballance even in the Conclave and in the Consistory but that he might be over-matched by the Faction of Bourguere that would be fortified with the Spaniards as soon as they should see him inclined to France which was the same consideration that had restrained Bourguere with respect to Aldobrandini as hath been already observed A promise was thereupon made to the said Duke that all possible Efforts should be used to gain Cardinal Bourguâ—re It hath been above related that M. Deageant contrived an Enterprize against Rochel with an Officer that had the charge of the Fortifications of that City this Man had given Information to the Inhabitants that for the security of the Place it was necessary to raise a Bulwark on that side next the Harbour and having received orders to take care that a good quantity of Earth should be carried thither for that purpose left a space open through which seven Men might enter in front this gap was filled up at Night with a few Turfs that might be easily trampled upon and overturned but that he might gain time to prepare all things requisite for the Execution of this Design he prolonged the finishing of this Work Another Inhabitant of Rochel that guarded the Tower of the Lantern on the same side treated in like manner with Monsieur Deageant at the same time to open a passage into the City which he had cut through the Stones and afterwards filled with Earth and was so wide that two Men might march therein in front The other Officer and he without knowing one another Intentions insisted that the King having put a strong Garrison into Fort Lewes that was near the City might re-enforce it as occasion required and might without any difficulty at the return of the tide cause a detatchment of a considerable number of Soldiers that might be sufficient to perform this Enterprize to advance by the way that they should shew without being perceived by the Sentinels Monsieur Deageant to be assured of this sent an Engineer in whom he could confide that at two several Nights entered through the above mentioned Passages and reported that the project was infallible and not long after acquainted the King and Monfieur de Luines with it Thereupon a debate arose in the Privy Council whether in case an opportunity should be offered to surprise Rochel the King should lay hold on it and it was carried in the affirmative though at that time there was a full Peace since the Rockellers as to their particular were continually Factious and in Rebellion There were none then privy to the Design but the King Monsieur de Luines the two Undertakers the Workman that was sent to view the Places and Monsieur Deageant but afterwards Monsieur de Luines perswaded the Person that managed the Affair at the Tower of the Lantern to introduce Monsieur de Auriac Quarter-Master of the Army lately deceased to see whether it could be effected forbidding him to make any mention thereof to Monsieur Deageant Monsieur de Auriac declared that he had seen every thing after the same manner as was represented but that so many Soldiers as would be requisite to take the City could not pass through that Tower unless the other Attempt were vigorously prosecuted at the same time this difficulty arose by reason of the absence of the other Officer who was in Rochel and had treated with none but Monsieur Deageant without whom Monsieur de Luines intended that these Enterprizes should be performed that the Honour of them might be attributed to him he feared also if any success should happen upon the Negotiation of Monsieur Deageant lest he should obtain further Credit and Favour with the King Thus all proceedings in this Matter being delayed no other Effect was produced but the Death of him that acted at the Tower by the Lantern who being sent into the City of Monsieur de Luines to endeavour to induce the Officer to treat with none but him and to desist from conferring any longer with Monsieur Deageant was discovered upon the advice that a certain noble Man to whom Monsieur de Luines had revealed this Design had given to the Mayor insomuch that he was Condemned and Executed Upon this account the Officer fled and having related all these Circumstances to Monsieur Deageant departed to Rome not thinking himself safe in France The Jealousy of Monsieur
de Luines and the removing of Monsieur Deageant were the only Obstacles that hindered the King from becoming absolute Master of Rochel at that time During the Employment of Monsieur Deageant no other Affairs of consequence were transacted in Italy but that of the Duke of Florence above mentioned the Marriage of the Prince of Piedmont the difference between the Dukes of Savoy and Mantua of which the King was Arbitrator and the Accommodation between the King of Spain and the Duke of Savoy And it would be needless for me to enlarge on them since there are many that are able to produce larger Memorials than I can as for the last Father Joseph can give a true account thereof since he was sent into Spain on purpose to cause the Treaty to be put in Execution that was made for the restitution of Verseil I shall only add one particular passage that happened to my Knowledge which perhaps may be thought worth the observing Cardinal Ludovisio who was afterwards promoted to the Pontificate negotiated for the Pope in the aforesaid Accommodation and Monsieur de Lesdiguiers was one of those whom the King had employed therein The Treaty being concluded Monsieur de Lesdiguiers went to take leave of the Cardinal and amongst other Complements wished him the the Mitre he smiled and made him this answer Will you promise me to become a Catholic when I shall be Pope Yes certainly replied Monsieur de Lesdiguiers who seeing him very Ancient and the last of the Cardinals could not imagine that he could attain to this Supreme Dignity however in a little time he was placed in St. Peters Chair and long after dispatched a Brief to Monsieur de Lesdiguiers to put him in mind of his promise to perform which he was already inclined as shall be hereafter observed he sent an answer to this Brief full of respect and even made use of the terms of most Holy Father and his Holiness notwithstanding the Remonstrances that the Deputies of the Reformed Religion and the Consistory of Lyons from whence he wrote exhibited to him on this occasion There were also certain Treaties in agitation concerning the Affairs of the Valtoline which were disannulled by the Venetians at the very first overture but because I knew not the succeeding Events I shall make no mention of them here And as for Spain excepting the Transactions that related to the composing of the differences between them and the Duke of Savoy there was no other matter of moment depending between the two Crowns and Peace hath been maintained in despight of the mutual Antipathies of of these two Nations one against another and the different Interests of their Kings There arose about that time a certain contest with England the Ambassador of France was come back and left le Cler his Secretary to act in his stead who proceeded so far that a resolution was taken to treat him somewhat severely he thereupon withdrew himself and having sent an express to the King of what passed he received a Command to find out some means to return which he afterwards did there was also an Ambassador from England with the King who upon notice that the other of France was in the Kingdom gave orders that he should speedily depart since contrary to the Law of Nations his Master had abused his The Duke of Savoy who kept a good Correspondence in England and treated there about the Marriage of his Son hoping that these two Kings being united together would assist him much in obtaining the Crown that had been propounded to him interposed and took much pains to reconcile them since their differences were produced on a very slight occasion The principal difficulty consisted in this Point which of them should first send his Ambassador The King alledged that since there was no composition between the two Crowns touching precedency the English having always yielded it to the French and the King of England having obliged his Majesty to recal his Agent it belonged to him to send his Ambassador first into France The King of England did not dispute about the matter of Composition but pretended that he had not treated the Agent of France after so rude a manner that he ought to have withdrawn himself that he was highly offended that his was sent back without any lawful Cause and that this offence could not be redressed but by sending a French Ambassador to excuse it after the arrival of whom he would cause his to depart At last it was agreed that the two Kings should nominate their respective Ambassadors that the English should first pass over the Sea and that as soon as he had given notice of his Arrival in France the King should order his to set forward the first being very active made so great haste that as soon as he landed in France he travelled to the Court and remained there some time before the later began his Journey An amicable Correspondence hath been since maintained between the two Crowns The King of England upon the recommendation of our King did often mitigate and abate the ordinary rigorous proceedings against the Roman Catholicks in that Country He was also very well pleased with the Propositions that were privately offer'd to him on behalf of his Majesty tending to re-unite him to the bosom of the Church insomuch that after some reiterated Conferences that were managed to that effect in the King's Presence without communicating any thing thereof in his Council lest the effect being made known should be obstructed or prevented the Arch-Bishop of Embrun made a Voyage into England as it were without any design in the habit and under the name of a Counsellor in the Parliament of Grenoble whom curiosity had induced to see England he had no sooner set his foot on Land at Dover but the Duke of Buckingham came to meet him and having saluted him whispered him thus in the Ear Sir You that call your self a Counsellor of Grenoble being the Arch-Bishop of Embrun are very welcome into these Dominions you need not change your Name nor conceal your Quality for you shall receive nothing but Honour here and especially from the King my Master who hath a very particular esteem for you Indeed the King of England treated him very honourably granted him several Favours in behalf of the Catholicks and even permitted him to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation to them in the House of the Ambassadour of France where there was a great Court the doors being open There were near eighteen thousand persons that received this Sacrament without having any thing said to them in the Entry at the Door or elsewhere although there was a great concourse of the English people in the street that saw this Ceremony performed During the time that he resided there he had several Conferences with the King who being satisfied as to all the points in Controversie wrote a large Letter to the Pope by a Catholick Gentleman his Subject whom he privily
sent to him on purpose in which he acknowledged him as the Vicar General of Jesus Christ on Earth as the Universal Father of the Christians and the chief of all Catholicks assuring him that after he had taken care of those things to which he had agreed he would openly declare himself in the mean time he promised not to suffer any search to be made in his Kingdom after Priests that were sent by his Holiness or the most Christian King provided they were not Jesuits in whom he protested that he could not confide for divers Reasons principally because he accounted them as the Authors of the Gunpowder Treason by which they had designed to blow him up as he sat in the Parliament-House In his Letter amongst other things he entreated the Pope to vouchsafe that the Goods of the Church that were entred into the Patrimony of the principal Families of England should not be taken from them but on the contrary that they should be permitted to possess them because otherwise great troubles and commotions would ensue he affirm'd moreover that nothing could detain him from making a publick Profession of the Catholick Religion immediately but the desire he had to gain the King of Denmark his Brother-in-law whom he had to that end but under another pretence solicited to come over into England where he hoped to convert him that by doing this he should be able to establish peace in his Dominions which otherwise could hardly be maintained and that they two being joined together in the same design would draw after them almost all the Northern Countries The Duke of Buckingham and the Gentleman whom he sent to Rome were the only persons that were his Subjects to whom he discoursed these Intentions The Duke had promised to follow him and indeed made a considerable progress therein but the Death of King James that happened during this Negotiation prevented the effect at which his Holiness and the King were very much troubled The King of Great Britain always shewed a great aversion to the design of the Prince Palatine his Son-in-law and an extream desire to cause the Duke of Savoy to be made King of the Romans he solicited M. Deageant during his Employment at Court to endeavour to incite the King to this and to persuade him to make use of his Interest with the Electoral Princes that were his Friends as he intended to do with those that were his promising also to raise Forces to assist him in his Election and Enstalment The Affairs of the Low Countries remained in their ordinary course It is true indeed that the Spaniards in Flanders had determined to renew an old Quarrel by digging a certain Channel over Calais in those Lands that were in dispute between the two Estates but the King oppos'd it declaring that he would hinder the work by force of Arms some Conferences were holden on this account by the neighbouring Officers on both sides but they took no effect however the Spaniards desisted from their Undertaking The King of Sweden obtained leave of the King to levy certain French Troops for his Service that were employed in the War in which he was then engaged The Duke of Lorrain who was as yet only Prince of Vaudemont resided some time at Court where he received all manner of demonstrations of the King's Favour and good Will who defended him in a Quarrel that arose between him and the Count of Soissons and took a particular care of all his Affairs in somuch that when he proposed to marry the Heiress of Lorrain His Majesty afforded him his assistance tho some were of a contrary Opinion indeed no Opportunity was offered wherein he could oblige him but he did it affectionately being very much inclined to love him However Divine Justice hath permitted him to be punished for his unparallel'd ingratitude to the King almost assoon as he had arrived to the highest pitch of his power The D. of Vaudemont his Father who never was well affected to France very early implanted the seeds of those pernicious Principles in his mind that have since produced such bitter fruits in his Family and have at last been the cause of its ruin As for the Affairs of Germany when the King took on himself the Administration of the Government of his Kingdom they were sufficiently embroiled the two Parties the Catholick and the Protestant had already harassed one another in several places the Duke of Bavaria hoped to attain to the Empire being animated by the Counsel of the Jesuits who to that end had advised him to engage in his Interest the principal Officers that had served the Emperour and were lately disbanded as also to cause all necessary provisions to be made for the execution of this Design The Prince Palatine on the other side being excited by his own Ambition and by the greatest part of the Protestants and very much importuned by the Duke of Bouillon suffered himself to be decoyed with the same project of aspiring to the Empire and prosecuted it vigorously Both Parties seeing France enjoying a profound Peace and their King ready to mount on Horse-back to turn the Scales to the side that he should think fit to favour diligently sought to make an Alliance with him The King's Council was divided thereupon some thought it convenient that he should promote the Enterprise of the Duke of Bavaria nevertheless without declaring it openly Others on the contrary were of Opinion that he ought to remain Neuter and with the Forces that he had in the Field to march towards Metz that appearing formidable to both Parties he might be ready to lay hold on all advantages that should be offered which consisted amongst other things in counter-ballancing the House of Austria that apparently designed to exalt it self to the detriment of all the Potentates of Europe and in case matters should be disposed to a Peace in endeavouring to become Arbitrator thereof Moreover there happened another occasion that required the King's Presence at Metz an Information had been given of the secret Correspondence between M. d'Espernon and the Queen-Mother that was at last made manifest by her departure from Blois It was known also that the Duke of Bouillon had promised to join with that Party and that under colour of fortifying the Garrison of Metz he intended to cause Soldiers to be admitted therein to the end that in the midst of the Combustions that he saw were ready to break forth with the assistance of them and some other Inhabitants that were at his Devotion he might attempt to make himself Master of the place to annex it to the Principality of Sedan insomuch that the King to secure this City and to rescue it from the power of those that were very industrious in strengthening themselves in their Conspiracies against him was resolved to proceed to the execution of an infallible Enterprise that had been projected at that time when M. d'Espernon began first to be suspected in order to the
to abandon M. Deageant who was represented to him as guilty of High-Treason against the State in performing this piece of Service At the breaking up of the Council of the Dispatches the Ministers being departed into the King's Closet the Chancellor began to speak on the subject of his Commission saying that the Lords of the Council haveing deliberately considered the contents of M. d'Alincourt's Letter had judged that he that had induced his Majesty to consent to his Eminency's Journey and had prepared the Dispatch deserved immediately to be sent to the Galleys without any form of Process or Tryal But the King interrupting him declar'd that all the Proceedings in that Affair were directed according to his order and for his service and forbad any mention to be made thereof to him for the future under the penalty of his High Displeasure insomuch that none durst persist in importuning him at that time It is true indeed that nothing was omitted that might incline M. de Luines to suspect this Action from whom the King had dextrously and prudently conceal'd it till it was accomplished and to incite him without further delay to destroy or at least to banish M. Deageant for ever from the Court since it was apparent that although he was removed from the Council and from the transaction of Affairs nevertheless he desisted not from undertaking those of the greatest Importance without giving him the lest account thereof From that very time the Prosecutions that had been raised against him were continually promoted and never ceased since tho he retired as far as possibly he could and demeaned himself with the greatest Integrity M. de Luines was also disposed to gratify the Ministers in this respect but he forbore to use his utmost efforts till the Treaty was concluded with the Queen-Mother in which he was serviceable to him even as to his own particular for asmuch as it had been made appear to him by certain Memorials and by a Dispatch sent by some of the Counsellers that was intercepted that they endeavoured to procrastinate this Treaty till they had found out some means to procure his ruin and disgrace whom they strove to render odious to her Majesty During this Treaty the Prince solicited more earnesly than he had hitherto done to be released from Bois de Vincennes where he was confin'd fearing lest if the Queen who had caused him to be apprehended should be near the King she might also give order for his Banishment The Queen on the other side understanding the Inclination of the Court to grant the Prince's request was apt to to believe that if he were dismissed he might oppose the Treaty and prevent her Return to his Majesty Moreover that which encreased her suspicion was the extraordinary kindness that M. de Luines and his Brothers openly professed for the Prince being allur'd by the fair promises that he had made to them and by the Marriage of his Sister the Widow of the deceased Prince of Orange with the younger at present Duke of Chaunes insomuch that the Queen sent a message to the King by M. de Berulle to intreat him that the Prince should not be set at Liberty till she had represented to him by word of Mouth the reason that had induced her to consent to his Imprisonment to which she declar'd that she was not excited by any private Animosity or Passion but only by the great desire she had to preserve his Majesty's Authority which was now so well established that there was no ground or fear lest any one should presume to make an attempt against it The King had determined long ago to release the Prince and had not deferred it only to maintain his Royal Power and to avoid an occasion of offending the Queen his Mother his Intention being to take the first opportunity that should be offered to compose the difference between them and by this means to remove every thing that might disturb the Peace of his Kingdom To this purpose his Majesty caused the Prince to be inform'd that he was willing to give him satisfaction but that for the advantage of his Affairs it was necessary for him patiently to wait till the Treaty should be concluded with the Queen his Mother and that his liberty should be obtained through his Mediation because he desir'd to reconcile them He also promised to the Queen by Letters and by M. de Berulle that the Prince should not be acquitted but upon her instance and after she had been with him this was again confirm'd by other Letters and as I think by one of the private Articles of the Treaty Thereupon the Queen being assur'd of the Accomplishment of the Promises that had been made to her traveled from Angoulesme to Tours where it was agreed that she should go to meet the King who was ready to receive her with all the Demonstrations of joy and respect that can be imagined but before he proceeded he sent M. de Luines to congratulate her at a House two or three miles distant from Tours where after mutual Compliments they fell into discourse and M. de Luines declared to her Maiesty that the King had commanded him to acquaint her that he had granted to the Prince his Liberty She was surpriz'd at this word and believed that since they began so soon to act contrary to what had been promised they design'd to treat her otherwise than she expected and to set up the Prince in opposition to her insomuch that retiring into her Chamber she disclosed her mind to some of her Friends and demanded of them whether she should turn back again by the same way that she came they replyed that she was too far advanced and though she was never so desirous to retreat yet she could not since she was surrounded on all sides with the King's Forces and had nothing in possession but the House therefore she ought to run the hazard and to appear with a stern Countenance and an undaunted Courage This Rencounter being soon made known to the vigilant Spies of the Court they inferred from thence that the good Correspondence between their Majesties would not be of long duration and that the jealousy and mistrust with which the Queen-Mother was possessed would oblige her to raise another Faction The Malecontents excited her to it from the very first day that she appeared at Court and perceiving that M. du Main who was come to see the King and expected at his arrival to be received with extraordinary Caresses for the many signal Services that he performed in the Conjuncture was very much dissatisfied at the coolness and indifferency with which M. de Luines entertained him as also the Nobility that were with him and that had assisted him immediately took that opportunity to attack him on the weak side and to engage him in the party of the Queen that daily encreased after this manner till at last the Animosities broke forth in a second taking up of Arms that might have
their Persecutions of the little support that France offered to them and of the general complaint that they had made thereupon even to that degree that they had sent a Relation to Rome wherein they Remonstrated how much the Proceedings of their King on their behalf during the Negociation of the Marriage with Spain differed from his Deportment towards them since the Overtures of the Marriage with France by the Fryer's Letter and by the discourse of this Gentleman I was earnestly entreated in the name of all the principal Catholicks of England to represent their miseries to the King and to make him sensible of the little relief that they received from his Generosity I thought my self obliged to relate the whole matter to the King which I took an opportunity to do very fully one morning a little after he rose and declared to him how much the Complaints of the English Catholicks contributed to cause an ill opinion amongst foreign Estates as to the point of his Majesty's Piety and Zeal how much it would obstruct the gaining of the dispensation at Rome and that it was much to be wished that his Majesty had an Agent in England that might be able particularly to give some consolation and satisfaction to the Catholicks I was patiently heard but all the answer that I could then obtain was that I should attend the next day at the same hour being come then at the time appointed the King told me that he had considered every thing that I had propounded to him and that he should be very glad to find out a proper Person to be sent for this purpose but he knew not on whom to cast his Eye after this reply and other discourses on this subject I took the liberty to acquaint him that if his Majesty thought me capable to undertake this Affair and would vouchsafe to give me a Commission I would very willingly go as a private Gentleman judging that as such I might more easily act than as one that bears a publick Character Thus it was sufficient for me that his Majesty wrote to M. de Effiat that I should go thither to take a view of that Country which was the only part of Europe that I had not as yet seen that it was by his leave and that he recommended me to him Moreover I insisted that this manner of negociating had always been very agreeable to me and that through the Grace of God I had often obtained good success therein For in several Voyages as I visited my Order I took an occasion even by the special Command of the late King to make application to diverse Princes of Christendom and dispatched many important Affairs that in appearance seemed to be transacted meerly upon my motion and amongst others the League of all the Princes of Italy with the late King and that of the Princes of Germany to cause Matthias King of Hungary to be elected King of the Romans against the open Opposition that the Spaniards made in favour of the Arch-Duke Leopold to this the King replied that he was not ignorant thereof and that he did not only consent that I should undertake this Voyage but that he very much desired it and the next day at Mass his Majesty did me the honour to acquaint me that he had commanded M. de la Villeauclerce to prepare my Dispatch and ordered me to go and take it He told me the same thing two Daies after seeing me again at Mass and urged me to depart which I did with all possible Expedition Assoon as I was arrived at Dover the Frier that had written to me came to see me having received notice of my Voyage by the Gentleman that carried his Letter and entreated me in the name of all the Catholicks to take Lodgings at London in a private House and not to reside with the Ambassador that they might have a more easy and private access to me I travelled thither under the name of a Counsellor of the Parliament of Grenoble who had been at all the Courts of the Christian Princes except that of England and soon met with the Duke of Buckingham by whom I was immediately discovered for he told me that one of the Physicians of the King of England a Native of Germany being lately come from France had reported to His Majesty that he had seen the Arch-Bishop of Embrun at Dover in a different Habit from that which he used to wear in France whom he had known long agoe having observed him at Rome when he was General of the Cordeliers at Prague and in Poland and that the King was very desirous to see me and to be informed of the design of my coming into England to this end he desired me to relye on him and freely to declare my Mind which I did being persuaded that since he was the Principal Minister of State I ought to confide in him afterwards he asked me several Questions concerning divers Negociations which the Physician had related that I had transacted in Germany and having given him a satisfactory Account thereof I perceived in him a good Disposition to hearken to whatsoever I should propound and was also confirmed in this Opinion by his Mother and by the Earl of Rutland his Father-in-Law that were almost the first Persons with whom I became acquainted at London by them and their Confessors I was instructed in all the particular Circumstances that ought to be observed in treating with the King of England and with the said Duke of Buckingham for the Consolation of the Catholicks Not long after his Grace appointed me instantly to depart to Royston where the Court then was to see the King he conducted me thither himself and introduced me into his Majesty's Presence who being in his bed indisposed with the Gout entertained me very graciously and ordered the Duke of Buckingham to hear every thing that I should say After several general Discourses that lasted above two hours relating to the Voyages and Treaties which he told me that he had heard that I had dispatched in Germany and especially that of the King of Hungary concerning which he was pleased to enquire of me very particularly at last he began of his own accord to insist on the point of the Marriage whereupon I represented to him the necessity of removing the Obstacles that were raised by the Spaniards at Rome and the measures that ought to be taken to effect it and that to obtain success therein it was expedient that the grievances of the Catholicks should be redressed on which Subject I discoursed very fully and indeed all that I said to him was so favourably accepted that I could not but acknowledg the peculiar Providence of God on this Occasion for at this first meeting I prevailed so far that Orders were given to release many Catholicks out of Prison in London and other Places that the execution of many Laws against them was suspended and that I was permitted to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation
at London where during the time of my residence in that City above ten thousand English Catholicks received this Sacrament from my Hands at which their Enemies were extremely offended and complained thereof to the King but to no purpose for his Majesty answered them that I did nothing contrary to his Pleasure At this time and at all others wherein I had the honour to see this King he was so well pleased with my Propositions that he freely disclosed his Thoughts to me and if M. d'Effiat were now living he would be my Witness that this good Prince did plainly make it appear that he delighted in conversing with me In our Conferences he told me that next to the Happiness he wished for to be allied with France he desired to be revenged on the Spaniards for the Injury that they had offered to him rehearsing to me all the Particulars thereof with great Indignation to which he added the Interests of his Son-in-Law who was said he as it were banished into Holland with abundance of Children I instantly replyed upon this last Expression and acquainted him that to recover the Palatinate it was requisite that the two Crowns of France and England should be united with a firm Resolution to weaken the Power of Spain and to this end to enter into a League with the Princes of Italy who as I verily believed since they had formerly made an Alliance with France alone in the time of the late King would be so much the more willing to do the like again when they saw that England was also engaged with whom the Pope would easily be persuaded to join since he had reason to fear least the Spaniards should one day force him to submit to their Yoke but to procure this Union he ought to assure the Pope and the other Princes that the Catholick Religion should be indemnified upon this I proposed many Expedients which pleased him extreamly as the Duke of Buckingham afterwards related to me In exhibiting the methods to attain Union I took an Opportunity to represent to him that Liberty of Conscience in England would be one of the the most effectual means to give full Satisfaction to the Pope and the Catholick Princes thereupon the King putting his Hand on mine spake these Words I plainly see that you are the Person appointed by God in whom I ought to confide and to reveal the Secrets of my Heart afterwards he very freely acknowledged the good opinion that he had conceived of the Catholick Faith and so particularly that he omitted nothing protesting to me that during his Minority his Tutors having perceived his Inclination to that Religion he run great hazard of being assassinated As to this Liberty of Conscience he professed that he intended long agoe to grant it in his Dominions and that for this very purpose he designed to summon an Assembly of Prelats and other learned Men of England together with an equal number of Forreigners and on the Decisions therein concluded to found the said Liberty adding that he had already determined what Persons should be chosen amongst the English and that if the Assembly could not meet at Dover he would consent that it should be holden at Boulagne as soon as he should be in a condition to relye on the King of France by the means of the Marriage to which he had agreed on his part and to procure these good Effects he thought it convenient that after the Consummation thereof I should return into England under the pretence of accompanying the Princess at which time he would deliver to me two Letters written with his own Hand one for the King and the other for the Pope containing his generous Resolutions he would also give me a distinct Memorial concerning his Intentions which I should prepare and he would sign to the end that being furnished with these Dispatches I should go to Rome under colour of visiting the Apostolick See where I should treat with the Pope alone for whom he said that he had a great Affection and Respect ever since he understood that he had composed Verses in his Youth on the violent Death of the late Queen of Scotland his Mother in commendation of her and of the Family of the Stuarts which he shewed to me He was pleased further to declare that in case I returned from Rome with his Holiness's Approbation of the said Convention he would cause it forthwith to be assembled whereupon extraordinary and admirable Events would ensue but before he proceeded to discover his purpose as to his own Person he would negociate with the Protestant Princes of Germany and with the principal Puritan Lords of England and Scotland and promised that all things should tend to an happy end and to the great advantage of the Catholick Church This is the substance of all our Discourses at several times on this Subject but for a Testimony of the Trust that this King reposed in me I shall here insert the particulars of my Transactions on account of the Marriage A considerable Progress being made in this Negociation the Duke of Buckingham arrived near London and from one of his Houses wrote to M. d'Effiat that he was ready to treat with him about a new Affair desiring him to come thither and to bring me along with him We went accordingly and the Duke told us that the King remembering the Delays and Artifices of the Spaniards to hinder the procuring of the dispensation during the Treaty with them was sensible that they would endeavour much more to cause it to be refused at the solicitation of France that he was resolved not to incurr the danger of a second Affront and that for this reason it was necessary that the King of France should permit the Marriage to be celebrated before the Dispensation for he was informed that an Absolution for Actions already committed was more easily to be obtained at Rome than a Dispensation to do them Upon this the Ambassador alledged two Points first that the King his Master had altogether as much Power at the Court of Rome as the King of Spain and secondly that his Most Christian Majesty would very willingly grant this Demand however I seemed not to approve the last Answer which the Duke of Buckingham soon perceived and taking an occasion after Dinner to shew me his House he desired me to explain my meaning at large as to this Particular which I did and enumerated to him divers Inconveniencies very prejudicial to England that would ensue upon the Consummation of this Marriage without a Dispensation together with the examples of several Princes insisting that this would grievously offend the Pope that no favour could afterwards be expected from him and that by this means the good Designs that the King of Great Brâ—tain intended to prosecute would be frustrated besides I believed that the King of France would never consent to it The Duke having heard me replyed that since he distrusted his own Ability to relate to the
very suddainly detain me from rendring to you the due Testimony of my Gratitude being extremely ambitious of the Honour to embrace you at London and pay my Respects and Thanks to you for the great Esteem and Affection that you have expressed to me and for the satisfaction that you have given to me in your Letters But the care of this great Affair to which you have incited me with cogent Arguments obligeth me to wave all Ceremonies and to hasten our Master in bringing this Work to perfection to which I am more inclined than to any other thing in the World and which at present is so far advanced that nothing seems to be wanting but your Bencdiction which I also begg for myself and invite you hither to bestow another here the lasting marks whereof shall for ever remain in my Family The ardent desire of this Benefit hath caused me to forget the difficulty of the journey and your trouble but not in the lest the acknowledgments that I shall owe to you and the obligation that I shall thereby receive In the mean time I remain At Newhall Novemb. 9. 1624. SIR Your most Affectionate and Humble Servant G. BUCKINGHAM Another Letter by the same Hand to the same Person SIR I Tender to You my most hearty Thanks for communicating your Sentiments and for the Kindness from whence it proceeds The Liberty that you have commanded me to take and the certain Knowledg that I have of the good Affection and Inclination of my Master have emboldened me to alter two Passages in your judicious and most elegant Letter which otherwise I durst not have presumed to touch and therefore hoping that you will esteem it as a Design to serve you I shall only endeavour to put you in mind how necessary it is to expedite the Marriage leaving it to your mature deliberation whether it be requisite that the Dispensation should preceed or follow it if you find that there is any probability of dispatch at Rome I think the Marriage need not be so much hastened but if procrastinations and delayes be intended it would be most convenient according to my opinion to resolve on the accomplishment thereof and afterwards to expect the Dispensation for it is easily to be imagined that his Majesty cannot with any satisfaction remain long in suspence by reason of the joy and delight that he promiseth to himself in the Issue of this excellent Prince his only Son forasmuch as this is an Affair on which depend innumerable Considerations of the greatest Importance You have already seen that the Treaty of Marriage with Spain hath failed and if this should not succeed which God forbid there would be no Grounds nor Hopes for the future to treat with any Prince whatsoever of the Roman Catholick Religion from whence it would most certainly follow that all the Mitigations and Overtures made in favour of the Roman Catholick in these Kingdoms would soon cease the general Peace of Christendom would be in apparent danger and the Union of the Forces of these two Crowns being dissolved no means could be found to establish such a Correspondence and assurance of mutual Supplies as might be able to oppose any exorbitant and ambitious Power that might arise and if for default of the issue of so excellent a Prince these Crowns should fall into the possession of a Daughter and her Children their Number would encrease so far as to become burthensome to these Kingdoms and their Education might cause many Changes according to the opinion of those that have conceived great Hopes in the consummation of the Marriage between his Royal Highness and the Princess Mary This is a consequence that your Discretion hath already foreseen having strictly examined all the Arguments that can be proposed on this Subject insomuch that I shall altogether rely on your Judgment and Mediation to procure all the Expedition that can be imagined and to confirm and if it were possible to encrease the Reputation that you have gained not only with the King my Master but also amongst all those that have the Honour to know you who are very sensible that you are endowed with extraordinary Prudence Integrity and Charity to which I again recommend these Affairs and dayly praying to God for your Prosperity I shall remain in the indissoluble bonds and obligations wherein your Vertue hath engaged me At Newmarket Novemb. 15. 1624. SIR Your most Affectionate and Humble Servant G. BUCKINGHAM Pray be pleased to excuse the writing of the Alterations in your Letter for to keep it secret I did not think it convenient to make use of any other Hand but my own THe Arch-Bishop of Embrun by many signal Services that he performed in France before he was General of the Order of Sr. Francis rendered himself considerable in the Esteem of the deceased King Henry the Great through the means of his Ambassadors that informed his Majesty of his Person and extraordinary Qualifications insomuch that being made General of his Order and the opportunities of continuing these Services being more frequent he acted so prudently and pleased the King so far that his Majesty from that time imparted to him his most important Enterprizes and employed him in making a League Offensive and Defensive with all the Princes of Italy against Spain in which he obtained good Success in the prosecution of the King's Orders and his Majesty was so well satisfied with his Transactions that he resolved to make use of him again for the same purpose in Germany against the House of Austria thereupon haveing acquainted him with his Pleasure he judged that he might gain greater Advantages if his Negotiation were private and perswaded the King to vouchsafe that he should go under colour of visiting the Provinces of his Order in Germany and to palliate his Design he furnished himself with divers Dispatches and Commissions from the Pope thus under this pretence after he had received Instructions from the King that were delivered to him by M. de Champigny his Ambassador at Venice he departed into Germany travelled through the whole Countrey and passed even as far as Transylvania and Poland proceeding everywhere according to the King's Orders the chief of which were to divide the House of Austria and at length to take away the Empire from them and to put it into the Hands of some other Family in Germany To facilitate the procuring of this Division there happened two favourable Occasions First the Discord between Matthias King of Hungary the Emperor's Brother and the Arch-Duke Leopold his young Nephew both pretending to a Right to be Elected King of the Romans Secondly the Indignation of Matthias because the Emperor his Brother preferred his Nephew Leopold before him These Advantages were so well prosecuted that upon the Propositions that the said Arch-Bishop offered to Matthias of the assistence of the Forces of France that should be re-enforced with those of the Electors of Triers and Palatin whom he very much distrusted he
abandoned the Interests of his own Family and resolved to enter into League with the King of France and even obliged the Arch-Bishop to go into Transylvania to engage Bethlehem Gabor The Project of withdrawing the Empire from the House of Austria was principally grounded on this Division for Matthias was already advanced in years and was not married therefore when he should be created Emperor either he would have no Children or if he had any he could not leave them capable to possess the Empire at his Death on this account it was very probable that it might be easily transmitted into another Family and this was the most powerful Motive to induce the Princes of Germany to unite with the King and to make a League Offensive and Defensive with him After the Arch-Bishop had concluded this Allyance in Germany he returned into France and passed through the Low-Countreys where to conceal his Negotiations with the Infanta and Nuncio of Flanders he continued to make use of the Instructions that he had received from his Holiness About the end of the year 1609. he arrived at Paris where he gave an account to the King of every thing that he had performed and delivered to him the Memorials and Certificates relating to these Transactions but the King thought fit to employ him again in the League of Italy to cause the Princes to consent to and to sign certain new Articles that his Majesty had added He might justly boast that the King was very well satisfied with his Endeavours and if the late Queen-Mother were living she would be a sufficient Witness of the Kindness and Respect that his Majesty expressed towards him He resided about two months at Court and three daies before he took his leave the King himself told him that he was resolved to cause him to be promoted to the Dignity of a Cardinal not at his Nomination but as it were upon the Pope's own Inclination that he might not be suspected by the other Princes and that he might not lose the great Credit and Reputation that he had acquired amongst them Monsieur de Villeroy confirmed this to him at his Departure and indeed being arrived at Rome he was informed by Monsieur de Breues the Ambassador of France that he had Orders to solicit it and that the Pope was willing to give his consent but the Effect was frustrated by the unfortunate and lamentable Accident of the King's Murther nevertheless his Holiness declared to him that he intended to persist in his Purpose and it was generally reported that he would be one of the five Cardinals that were to be created in the Month of August 1621 but it happened otherwise for the Procurator-General of his Order was made Cardinal in his stead and on the very same Evening after this Promotion Cardinal Melliny came to acquaint him that the Pope was obliged to change his Resolution because the Ministers of Spain having penetrated into his Intentions had insisted that if his Holiness made a French-man Cardinal without the Nomination of his King he ought also to advance a Spaniard after the same manner making great Protestations if he should act to the contrary Some time after the Arch-Bishoprick of Embrun was given to him which caused him to return into France and being arrived at the Court to take the Oath of Allegiance in the King's Presence he represented to the Queen-Regent the small Revenue that belonged to his Arch-Bishoprick which did not amount to above two thousand Crowns being abstracted from the Charges and great Salaries that were annexed to it as it appeared by the computation that the Commissioners of the Regalia had made thereof Her Majesty replyed thereupon that she thought that she had been assured that it was worth much more However remembring that Monsieur de Breues had written to her that the Kings of Hungary and Poland had importuned him to abide in their Dominions and more especially that the Count de Castres Vice-Roy of Naples had offered to him the Coadjutorship of the Arch-Bishoprick of Taranto to which appertained a Revenue of twenty thousand Crowns the Arch-Bishop whereof was his near Kinsman and died within six Months after she immediately commanded Monsieur de Villeroy to treat with Monsieur de Crequy concerning the augmenting of this Pension with a thousand Crowns that should be taken out of his Arch-Bishoprick and promised to pay the extinction in ready Money Moreover she was pleased to order the said Sieur de Villeroy to put her in mind of the Arch-Bishop in case of any Vacancy Her Majesty also further expressed her good will in sending him into Spain where he resided by her special Command at the time of the Marriages to observe the Actions of the Spaniards on the account of this Alliance and principally the Duke de Lerme with whom he was particularly acquainted as also with many other Noble-men of Spain that he had known in Italy But all these Favours that he received from the Queen suddenly ceased upon the great Revolutions that happened at Court This Journey was the cause of another that he took into Piedmont for the Duke of Savoy being informed by his Ambassador in Spain of the frequent Conferences that this Arch-Bishop held with the Duke de Lerme and how much he was esteemed by the said Duke interceded with the Marshal de Lesdiguieres to persuade him to go into Piedmont insomuch that he went thither with the King's Approbation and it may be certainly affirmed that he laid the first Foundation of the Peace that was afterwards concluded by the means of a large Letter in form of a Relation that he wrote to the Duke de Lerme containing the Reasons that might induce Spain to incline to this Treaty Notwithstanding all these Journeys and vast Expences he did not neglect his Bishoprick for he re-established therein several Rights that had been lost in the time of the Wars redeemed five Territories and divers other Demesns that had been alienated and after this manner encreased the Revenue of the said Arch-Bishoprick but all this could not be effected without a great deal of Trouble and Charge since he was forced to sue for it and to obtain almost 30 several Decrees It is no less true that he found his Archi-Episcopal House so ruined it being burnt by the Huguenots that at his arrival at Embrun he was constrained to take Lodgings for his Family in the City nevertheless he restored it to so good a Condition that the late King and most of the principal Nobility of France have lodged there and have given him very great Commendations on this Account Moreover he hath expended considerable Sums of Money in divers Journeys that he undertook at the command and in the Service of the late King and never was reimbursed to the value of one Penny When he was at Paris about the beginning of the Year 1620 the King at the persuasion of Monsieur de Luines having told him that he desired to see