Bishop of Laon died in the heat of the affair The Spaniards vigorously withstood his designs and protested they would never suffer him to be made Cardinal unless they had one of their Nation by reason of the equality as they said that the Pope is obliged to observe in regard of Crowns The most Christian King thought it not fit to name him because he would thereby have lost the nomination of another which is due to him at present he pretended that his recommendation joyned to the nomination of the King of Portugal was enough to incline the Holy Father to satisfie him Cardinal Altieri was attacked on all hands if the Bishop of Laon pressed him to shew the effects of his Holiness's promise he had immediately the Ministers of Spain on his top who represented to him that the Queen of Spain had the same pretensions for making Father Nitard Cardinal at her recommendation as the King of France had for the Bishop of Laon. We must know that Father Nitard a Jesuit was he whom the Queen of Spain sent to Rome to satisfie Don John of Austria and his party and because she had with much reluctancy thus dismissed him being her Confessor Confident and Counsellor she was willing to honor that kind of exile by all the real marks of a constant friendship After she had removed the Marquis of Astorgas from his Ambassie at Rome to the Vice-Royalty of Naples she used violence upon the retirement and modestie of that good Father brought him out from among the Jesuits made him a Prelate and gave him the chief charge of the affairs of the Crown of Spain but the good will of that Princess rested not there she would still crown her work by adorning him with Purple and himself laid hold on the conjuncture of the instances that the Bishop of Laon made at the Palace to advance at the same step with him to the Cardinalship Ye see then two Prelats of two Crowns in the same pretensions and Cardinal Altieri in a great puzzle he cannot content the Bishop of Laon without displeasing Father Nitard he cannot satisfie the demands of Portugal and of the King of France without offending the Queen Regent of Spain or one Hat must cost him two and if he make the Bishop of Laon Cardinal he must at the same time do as much for Father Nitard or in fine if he make neither of the two he must incurr all their displeasure alike Nevertheless he makes his advantage of these debates to gain time and in the mean time if the Bishop of Laon press him he tells him that if he will find a way to satisfie Spain he shall immediately have what he desires he follows the same course with Father Nitard but that Father does not much importune him he perceives that the Bishop of Laon does his business for him and it is enough for him only to make protestations that he is in no haste for a Cardinalship but that he hopes they will not do that injustice to Spain to give a Cardinal to France and Spain not to have the same favour from the Holy See The Bishop of Laon was not much concerned provided he were Cardinal though Father Nitard had likewise a Hat but perceiving that in agenting his own affairs he laboured for Nitard whilst that Prelate did not at all sollicite Altieri he believed that Altieri conspired with the Spaniards that he himself had sollicited them to make that instance that he might rid himself of him and that so it was but a colourable pretext of those of the Palace that they might shun the giving of satisfaction to the Crown of Portugal to which they durst not give an open refusal By this artifice matters were delayed and the Bishop of Laon could not forbear to testifie his impatience What Letters were not procured from France What Offices were not imployed with the Pope to beseech him with his kinsmen to gain them with the Spaniards to make sure of them It is enough to tell you that Mr. de Lionne managed the affair he brought things so about that the Duke d'Estrees was sent Ambassador to Rome who being entrusted with the affairs of the Crown in that Court it is to be presumed that there was not any that touched him nearer than that affair wherein the King interested himself for his Brother who had been made to spend there a year of noviciat for the Cardinalship though his merit raised him above many others that met not with the same difficulty Amongst the Instructions that the Duke d'Estrees brought from France none seemed of greater importance at that time than the Proposition he was to make to the Pope for the restitution of the State of Castro and Romciglione to the Duke of Parma It is not my design to discuss that long affair in this place It is enough for my purpose to say that that Estate having been engaged to the Apostolick Chamber and since incamerated that is annexed to the rest of the Ecclesiastical State by Pope Alexander the VII The same Pope by the Treaty of Pisa and by the Articles of reconciliation betwixt his Holiness and the most Christian King obliged himself to restore it to the Duke of Parma upon payment of the sum of 1600000 Crowns and upwards which the House of Parma was indebted to the Apostolique Chamber and for which it was mortgaged and incamerated The death of Alexander the VII prevented the repayment and Clement the IX easily waved the Treating of that affair by the good intelligence that he entertained with France So that his Pontificate having been but short and being expired without any instance made to him concerning the Treaty of Pisa and the repayment of the Money to content the Duke of Parma it behoved to be brought upon the Carpet under Clement the X. But the French Ambassador had a particular interest to urge that affair briskly for besides the satisfaction of the Duke of Parma he had hopes likewise to draw some advantage from it for the Cardinalship of his Brother and for all other things that he might pretend to from the Palace and the reason was this The restitution of Castro will be always an odious thing to the Popes and a prejudice to the Ecclesiastick State because it will be a concession that the Popes may be deceived the Estate of Castro having been incamerated and dismcamerated by one and the same Pope with advice of the same Cardinals which ushers in an infinite number of vexatious consequences to the Court of Rome besides it would place a Sovereign Prince at the Gates of Rome and settle a Sanctuary for all the discontented so that all Popes will as much as possibly they can excuse themselves from restoring it and will disown what Alexander the VII did that they may not leave an offensive memory of their Papacy to the Holy See That being so the Duke d'Estrees might very well promise himself that Pope Clement the X. to avoid
his Unckles Pontificat when succeeding ages shall see in the Annalls Holland reduced to the obedience of the Holy See or at least the liberty of Religion reestablished under Pope Clement the X and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ so sensibly enlarged under the reign of Altieri What Festivals What Publick Rejoycings What Inscriptions What Medals to render such actions immortal if Pope Pius the Fifth left engraven on Medalls the Victory of Lepanto which cost so much to the Holy See and to all Christendom without much fruit What will not Clement the X. do for the swift course of so many Victories with so little blood attended with considerable advantages If Clement the Eighth filled Rome with Marbles which carried the memory of the return of Henry the Fourth into the bosome of the Church What ought not Clement the Tenth to do for the reduction of Holland If Pope Barbarini abridged the Ocean into a Bason in form of a Bark which he caused to be made at the foot of Mount Pincius where stands a Convent of French Minims in memory of the taking of Rochel What Illustrious Monuments will not Pope Altieri leave to posterity not for one single Town but for so many conquered Provinces In fine if Popes in conjunctures of less importance and glory have contributed to their uttermost for the maintaining of armes whensoever they thought Religion therein concerned either in furnishing of men and Money or else by Legations wherein they employed Prelates of greatest worth if their Nephews have abandoned their own interests if they have gone themselves in person What efforts are there not to be expected from Cardinal Altieri for advancing the progress of Holland Let us observe his conduct In the year 1671 the most Christian King sends the Abbot Bardi-magalotti to the Princes of Italy to treat with them about the raising of an Italian Regiment to be entertained by his most Christian Majesty amongst his foreign Forces I might say somewhat of the different dispositions he found several Princes in according as they stood variously affected towards that proposition led by the Maximes of a Countrey where Sovereigns are obliged to be cautious in their measures for preserving their liberty without offending of those who are more powerful than themselves But we shall handle that at length in a separate treaty The Abbot Bardi without doubt might expect any thing of Cardinal Altieri he could not be ignorant of the design these Forces were to be employed in and what secrecie soever was observed in the Kings Counsils yet all Italy was already filled with a rumour that the cloud that was a gathering would break out upon Holland Nevertheless he had the greatest difficulty in the world to obtain leave to leavie men in the Ecclesiastick State nor was it granted but on most disadvantageous conditions because no Tradesman Master or Journey-man could be listed nor were Drums to be beaten up So that there remained none to be listed but Vagabonds who might safely run away after they had taken the Kings Money the Authority of the King having no force there the rest of the Princes of Italy following the example of Rome and having suffered the Levies to be made within their States upon the same and no other conditions it is no wonder if Italy was quickly full of deserters and that they who remained did afterward so little honour to their Nation From that very time it was perceived that with reluctancy he concurred with the designs of the King so far from shewing himself forward to second them and that the Jealousie of the Spaniards prevailed more on him than all the considerations of the glory and advantage of the Holy See I wave the artifices that were employed to disswade many Gentlemen who on such occasion would have been willing to have served their apprentiship in the trade of War under such a King some of whom I know and could name But let us trace the Politicks of Cardinal Altieri perhaps he hath done nothing hitherto because he knew not where all the preparations of the War were to be employed he is to be excused the King conceales his projects all Soveraigns are in suspence expecting the issue Who knows but these numerous Forces may pass the Alpes if that Fleet may not bend its course towards Italy It may be he reserves himself to make some generous declaration when he shall see the King march against Holland when he shall understand that he causes Churches to be opened and consecrated in so many conquered places when he shall be informed that Ecclesiastick Princes are restored to their States which were usurped by a Protestant Republick then some signal mark of resentment is to be expected from the Court of Rome and some great testimony of correspondence with the actions of a Monarch that labours more for the Church than for himself In a small time they had the news at Rome of all that I have said of the progress of the French Forces but nothing of what might have been expected from Cardinal Altieri appeares The French Ambassador daily carried him the news of some Conquest and he seemed insensible at the general good fortune of all Catholicks he understood that the Waters made way to the Israelites that the Egyptians were buried in them that the enemies fled before the face of the God of Israel and he was either deaf or dumb as to Songs of Joy and publick Thanksgivings He stops not there he cannot disguise his secret reluctancy to the advices he receives of so many Victories he lessens the glory of them as much as possibly he can and had he had power over the same that was published by all mouths he would have condemned it to perpetual silence These are no exaggerations they are real truths all the Court of Rome and all Italy it self knew what happened one day when he was told of the passage over the Rhine and of the brave exploits that accompanied and followed that famous action He threw it away as a Grecian Fable and would not believe one word of it He said publickly that there was no such thing and that he had better intelligence how affairs went The French Ambassador was offended at this obstinacy A Minister of that quality is obliged to make good what he says and seeing his steps are well observed especially at Rome so ought he to take good heed how he walkes it would be a dishonour to his Character to give out any thing that must be again retracted though the Spaniards are not so scrupulous in such matters witness the news that Cardinal Nitard a few Moneths agoe brought to the Palace of an imaginary Victory obtained by the Spaniards in the Sicilian Sea It behoved then the Duke D'Estrees to know of Cardinal Altieri himself from whence he could have news contrary to what he had told Altieri was in a puzle on the one side he was unwilling to discover a little commerce that he entertained with Bonvisi at
to please many men by the frequent vacancies of so many places in the sacred Colledge Here was a fair field to reap in who does not now expect honourable Legations for Christian Leagues and Croisado's But that is the least thing in the thoughts of Cardinal Altieri he was observed from the very beginning to be very little addicted to affairs abroad which be remitted wholly almost to the cares of Cardinal Frederick Borromei then Secretary of State He only applyed himself to the building of a sumptuous Palace in Isola to procure rich Furniture for it and to manage intelligences at Rome for Marriages Charges and other small affairs that concerned either the Palace or the Ecclesiastick State Nothing that is great was to be seen in his Projects nothing high in his Conduct Some were pleased to say that he was but as yet a Novice in forreign affairs that he had no experience in the Courts and interests of Princes that he had not advanced to the Sovereign power by Nunciatures and Legations that he became Cardinal by buying the place of Auditor of the Chamber that he was made Nephew by a Caprice of fortune and that so he could not acquire a perfect knowledge of what is fit to be known for entring into commerce with Crowns that it behoved him to wait till business formed him and rendred him capable of greater matters Others to excuse him gave it out that Cardinal Borromei endeavoured secretly to discredit him with the Pope and Sovereigns that so he might render himself more necessary to the Church and gain the good Will and Liking of forreign Princes that Borromei easily engaged the Pope in matters which he knew were not agreeable to Altieri to draw upon him the displeasure of Princes by the repugnancy that he would shew when the matter was of putting his Holiness pleasure in execution that he laid the blame of all the dissiculties which the Ministers met with at the Palace in prosecution of their Masters affairs upon the Nephew that Cardinal Altieri perceived it but that he chose rather to be a publick sacrifice than to displease the Pope by open resentments against Borromei for whom his Holiness had esteem and friendship and by such discourses they excused his conduct Some there were that would have had the indifferency of Cardinal Altieri pass for a politick Fetch they said that Rome used first to be sollicited before it medled in the affairs of Princes that Innocent the X. found the benefit of following that maxime Che il mondo si governa da se that the world should govern it self and that the only way is to let it goe as it goes what measures were to be taken with the Crown of Spain under the Government of a Regent a Pupil and several Ministers who had not too good intelligence among themselves what was to be done with the most Christian King unless it were to attract the jealousie of all other Christian Princes who could not already endure his too great power In a word that the Court of Rome could gain nothing with Potentates when they prevented them that on the contrary they would make their advantage with them by valuing dear their correspondence to the desires of his Holiness as they had many instances on several occasions where the Holy See had always remitted of its Rights and Authority by Indulgences Favours and priviledges which it had been obliged to grant to several Princes So that he did very well not to meddle in the interests and affairs of Princes But to speak the truth these reflexions had but little force with knowing men to justifie the honour of Altieri In the first place though he had not passed through the employments which prepare men for the management of forreign affairs yet it is known that the Italian Nation has naturally a great talent for Negotiation and that they wonderfully succeed in it provided they apply themselves a little thereunto other Nephews have been known young enough who left a glorious memory of their Ministry and who had with honor dispatched greatest affairs in most troublesome times as the Farnese's the Borromei's Aldobrandini's Borgheses and the Barberini's As to what was said of Cardinal Borromei Secretary of State it is certain Altieri had no much liking to him perhaps because he was a man of too great merit that he alone clouded him with the Pope and was the only person in whom his Holyness put greatest confidence as he had sufficiently testified by honouring him with the charge of Secretary of State and shortly after with a Cardinals Hat but however Borromei was a Minister subordinate to the Nephew without whom by consequence he could do or act nothing and matters abroad going ill the fault would be imputed to none but the chief mover besides since the death of Borromei matters are gone far worse than before As to the Romish maxime of letting the world goe as it goes and the risque that the Holy See runs of losing rather than gaining when that Court entangles it self in the affairs of Princes many things might be said but it is sufficient at present to averr openly that that maxim is low and unworthy of a Universal Bishop who by that very name is obliged to take care of the necessities of Christendom that it is a pernicious maxime introduced only by those or for those who mind nothing in the Papacy but that which flatters Vanity Avarice and Sensualitie that it is prophane and for those only of whom the Royal Prophet speaks with disdain in laboribus hominum non sunt who avoid taking a share in the labour and care to which humane state is obnoxious that the Holy See never prospered so well as with Emperors and Kings to whom it hath had its recourse whence came the Patrimony of St. Peter from whence the Hexarchat of Ravenna and Romania from whence all the Lands and Territories of the Ecclesiastick State from whence in a word the maintaining of the obedience and homage rendred to the Church if not from their correspondence and good intelligence with Christian Princes what have the Popes ever given them of theirs What have Monarchs ever demanded of them unless it be some indults for providing and presenting to the Benefices of their Dominions Some Tithes for the pressing necessities of Religion Some Indulgences for the edification of their people But what Benefices are better filled than those to which these Princes present What Money better employed than what has been granted them upon the Rents of the Church And what Spiritual Treasures better bestowed than what has been given to people who have so much respect and veneration for Holy things so that all these shadows disappearing and these pretexts ceasing in the Nephew of a Pope and especially as to Cardinal Altieri it was concluded that for great affairs his Talent was not great that all his ambition was confined to the making of his Family by Romish Intrigues and that he had no
stomach as the Spaniards say Por digerir los boccones grandes to digest great pieces In effect if we impartially consider either that he hath let slip so many fair opportunities of signalizing himself or that he has brought upon himself so many unlucky hits without thinking on them we may easily judge that he hath been as indifferent for the one as improvident against the others Let us see then both the chief opportunities of renoun which he hath failed to embrace and the occasions of disquiet and perplexity into which he hath thrown himself that we may make good a truth which will justifie a great many without doing wrong to his conduct We must lay down for a ground then the state of the affairs of Europe at the beginning of that Pontificat to wit France and Spain at peace together the enterprises of the Turk against Poland and the preparations of France against Holland What projects might Cardinal Altieri have had in that conjuncture or rather what might he not have undertaken if the matter was to assist Poland against the Turk what means were wanting to him Peace being between the Crowns of France and Spain or if that peace seemed overcast by some clouds of jealousies and fears there was no difficulty to confirm a serenity in all the climats of Christendom before these clouds gathered more and grew thicker and before they broke out in thunder and lightning in many places of the world as since they have done What advances did he make for the assistance of Poland what Legations for the union of Christian Princes what Negotiations to make them turn their Arms against the Common Enemy he made no other step than the raising of vast sums of Money of the Benefices of Italy whereof he very slowly sent to the Republick of Poland Fifty thousand Crowns A Cardinal of great virtue scandalized at the lukewarmness of Altieri sent him a considerable sum of his own Money to awaken him and to excite him to make some brisk attempt in favour of a Kingdom exposed as a prey to Infidels but that secret reproof of backwardness made no great impression on him Caminitz was already carried by the Turks before the Poles were in any condition to make head against them and to compleat their misfortunes King Michael being dead the Kingdom was divided about the election of a successor to the Crown Cardinal Altieri bestirred himself a little but at the instigation of the house of Austria and to the end he might back the designs of the Spaniards who were for Prince Charles of Lorrain his succeeding to the Crown in hopes of making him marry the Queen Dowager of Poland Sister to the Emperor He caused great offers to be made of Money and assistance that he might overcome the difficulty which the Poles might make by reason of the lowness of Prince Charles as to fortune who depended in a great measure on the Court of Vienna and who was not like to have means of supporting the Crown under the pressing Circumstances iâ— lay under Monsieur Bonvizi the Nuncio was the life of his designes in Poland as he had formerly been at Cologne that Prelate who has been always reputed to have a great Heart and small Head was as succesless in the one place as he had been in the other there was but little regard had for the Packt-Offices of Rome the Nuncio's proposition was laid aside and John Sobieski was chose a King a man capable to maintain the Crown both by his consummated prudence and Heroick courage So that the whole Intrigue was useless and served only to disgrace the Holy See in the person of Altieri to beget an aversion in several Princes concerned in that Declaration and to expose his Ministry to the compassion of his friends and to the derision and hatred of his adversaries In truth if we should enlarge in our reflexions upon that Conduct his measures would seem very obscure what obliged him in an affair of that consequence to transgress the bounds of Neutrality which renders the Pope alike venerable to all parties which makes him Umpire amongst all Christian Princes and which places him in the midst of Sovereigns as the Sun is among the Planets to give impartially his light to all the celestial bodies according as they draw near or are at distance from him for the different participation thereof Or if he had a mind to leave that neutrality to gain a Crowned Head why did he not assure himself well first of the success of his enterprize it is true if it had succeeded it would have been of great advantage to him but he had but few instances of free people that have ever been willing to accept of a King from the hands of Popes If they have sometimes given Kings to the kingdom of Naples they had the Sovereign Dominion but he had less reason to promise himself that from the Republick of Poland which professes a liberty so nice that it will not so much as accept of Cardinals of that Nation from Rome because that Dignity puts them on a dependence on forreign Princes Insomuch that they who otherwise know the humor of Cardinal Altieri not to be very undertaking and that he is more ready to Ward than make a Pass could find no other cause of that procedure but an excessive compliance with the Spaniards wherein he may have this comfort that he is not the only Minister or Kinsman of a Pope who hath been out of his measures in following too implicitely the counsels of the Spaniards After the election of the King of Poland one may imagine that that Prince had but little obligation to the Court of Rome and especially to Cardinal Altieri so that it was rationally to be believed that this Nephew in good policie yea even in civility and decorum would take all ways to procure the good Will of a Sovereign who had some reason not to be well satisfied with him because his Faction was against him in the Diet His Majesty of Poland gave him a fair opportunity for this by naming the Bishop of Marseilles to a Cardinalship who would not be perswaded that there should immediately be dispatched a Gentleman of his Holiness's or Cardinal Altier's Chamber to carry a Cardinals Hat to the King of Poland or be disposed of by him as he thought best that by such a courteous carriage he might gain the favours of so generous a Prince and so useful as the King of Poland is in a State where there are different opinions about matters of Religion But Cardinal Altieri's eyes are still shut he cannot but listen to the Spaniards they make him believe that the election of General Sobieski to be King of Poland cannot subsist that it was not formal that confusion and precipitancy hath more concurred to it than mature deliberation that it will meet with opposition that those of Lithuania have not given their consent thereto that that Prince is married and that