carriage very complaisant and in fine such a one as is necessary to beget a good opinion of him I added That by this particular knowledge which I had of Monsieur the Prince I might tell him in the first place That his Excellency would find himself much wearied were he to endure all the Importunities of Monsieur the Prince when he should be near him and that in truth he would little value my Friendship should it not presently produce to him in some sort or other the Advantages he sollicites and that I was sure his Excellency knew this as well as I. It was then he replied to me Would you have a Prince of his Merit return into France without Reputation without any Places Offices or Governments How will you have him live I briskly answer'd him As Five Hundred other Princes of the Blood who without attempting any thing against the King and the State have yet never had any Government or Offices That most of the Princes of the Blood only desiring them to do mischief there is therefore great reason not to give 'em them For their security and the receiving marks of respect from all Frenchmen they need only to live well and serve the King faithfully as they are hereunto obliged more than any other Subjects Here he offered me a Thousand Flatteries and said to me Seeing you are not willing we should give Mounsteur the Prince Places in Soveraignty can I not at least obtain from the King to give him some State as the Two Calabrias or the Kingdom of Sardaignia I told him I scarce believ'd him in earnest and that he dexterously made me these Offers to shew the Prince's Followers the desire the King his Master had to do great things for him knowing well 't would cost him nothing in the end there being no likelihood that the King would consent that the Prince should having this Establishment return into France To which I yet added That if Monsieur the Prince taken with the Present of a Kingdom would receive it from the King of Spain I would consent to it He replied to me That in this case Monsieur the Duke D'Anguienne might return into France to keep there the place of his Father and enjoy whatever the King should consent to restore to Monsieur the Prince But I replied to him That herein the Father and Son were the same and that such a kind of division would be on a thousand accounts prejudicial to the Crown of France and I concluded that his Excellency must resolve to give some considerable Sum of Money to Monsieur the Prince with which he might buy a considerable Estate in Land which would remain to him and his Heirs for ever and would be more advantagious than Places which he must lose when he dyed But he likes not this saying That if they gave him Money 't would be a Gratification and not a Recompence for the Services he had done and what he had lost in France In the heat of the Discourse he was so transported as to say That his Master would have no Allies after the Promises he had made to Monsieur the Prince should he abandon him and suffer him to be stript of whatever might render him and had heretofore rendred him considerable to France I answerd him Three things The First That Subjects who revolt against their King and put themselves under the protection of another should never be term'd Allies because this term is only applicable to Soveraign Princes who are at liberty to Ally themselves and to do whatever they thought good The Second That we have great Interest to use all our endeavours to treat these Allies in such a manner as might not be easie for the Crown of Spain to have any of them for the future The Third That the King 's earnest desire for Peace made him lay aside all those regards to Portugal which Spain affected to have for the Prince The conclusion of my Discourse was That we should once for all end this Astair that whatever respected the Interests of Monsieur the Prince had been wholly concluded at Paris and had it not been so I had never taken such a long Journey That what remained behind was to agree about the Gratification which the King of Spain should give the Prince to which the King would be obliged to consent provided it was not prejudicial to his Majesty and contrary to what had been stipulated by the Article of the Treaty concerning this matter Don Lewis ended the Conference in saying to me That he would think again on the Quality and Form of this Gratification which he still call'd a Recompence and that he hoped we might agree upon it the first time we should see one another which was referred to Saturday I shall not enter on a particular relation of what past on divers other Points because those which we agreed on were not of great consequence and there was nothing concluded on others Neither will I tell you that he omits no occasion to speak of the King in the most obliging terms imaginable and expresses himself always on the Match as if already concluded and in the last place he told me that the Infanta's Person would be well liked of in France and that the Beauty of her Mind was no whit inferiour to that of her Body We resolv'd a-fresh that to abridge the time Mr. de Lionne and the Secretary Coloma should set to the drawing up the necessary Form to those things of which we were agreed and even go over again certain points on which they should agree together as being not of the greatest consequence But being inform'd by a Letter which Monsieur de Lionne wrote me this Morning that not only he advances nothing with Don Pedro Coloma but that he could do nothing with Don Lewis whom he had seen Yesterday I thereupon sent him word I could no longer bear with these delays and that he would tell Don Lewis I wish'd we had our Conference in which I should perceive by his Conduct what success we might expect from this Affair And having instructed Monsieur de Lionne in the things I thought needful for him to insinuate to Don Pedro Coloma that by this Channel they might come to Don Lewis he has very well executed it to the telling him I was afraid Monsieur the Prince would prove fatal to Christendom and be the cause of not making that Peace at Madrid which was determined and agreed on at Paris I believe it 's fit their Majesties should know my opinion in this matter which is That Don Lewis of his own humour and by the hopes of obtaining something to the advantage of Monsieur the Prince will drive out the time as long as he can according to the sollicitation of Lainet and other Adherents of this Prince In the Second place I believe that Lainet by his manner of acting has gotten some ascendant over the Spirit of Don Lewis seeing he has not the power to determine
of it desiring nothing more than to embrace all those which might put an end to this Negotiation without prejudicing the Honour or Service of the King But I must confess to you I was strangely surprised when I found by the discourse Pimentel held me that instead of offering me Proposals on the Overture I had made to use my endeavours with the King to obtain some new favour for Monsieur the Prince if he laid at his Majesties feet the Places should be given him by his Catholick Majesty he repeated to me the same things Don Lewis had mentioned to me to excite the King's Generosity and to oblige me to contribute what in me lay thereto and let slip before me that Don Lewis had promised to make him the happiest man in Spain if he could prevail with me on this point I replied to all this that I had reason to be angry with Don Lewis in thinking me capable to give at the stances of a Person whom he sent me what I had refused at his and as to the rest I took Monsieur Pimentel to be too honest a man to design the raising his own Fortune on the ruine of my Reputation After this I pretended to be in a passion at Don Lewis's Proceedings and to apprehend he had concealed Ends in these delays he brought in setling matters which might have been adjusted in one only Conference adding I did not doubt but if I imparted this manner of proceeding to the King his Majesty would command my return it being apparent this delay greatly prejudiced his Affairs For besides his losing several advantages which he might reasonably expect in this Campaign he is likewise obliged on the belief the Peace will be soon proclaimed to hold his Allies in Suspence who press him on all hands to make particular Treaties with them In fine to avoid the prolixity wherein I should fall were I to give a particular account of what past with Pimentel I shall content my self with assuring their Majesties that I sent him away as well satisfied with my reasons as I could be my self and in a disposition of apprehending greatly the Resolutions I might take thereupon and being not yet satisfied with whatever I had said to him I wrote to Monsieur de Lionne who was at Andaye to the end that communicating my Note to the Sieur Pimentel he might the more easily remember to represent the same things to Don Lewis and in a manner as earnest as I had explained my self in of which charge I do not doubt but he will well acquit himself hoping that in the first Conference Don Lewis will yield to the putting an end to this affair The business ended not here for continuing to speak to me still on Monsieur the Prince he told me he could safely call God to witness that he had no other motive in this pursuit than to see all Parties so well satisfied that there might never happen the least alteration in the Peace which was about concluding and that as my particular friend he would entrust me with a scruple which came into his head which was that he greatly apprehended lest the Infanta who on one hand had a great deal of wit and on the other a great deal of tenderness for the King her Father having heard talk of nothing else for several years but the great services Monsieur the Prince had rendred him that he had been the cause by the diversions made in France of the taking of Barcelona and the reduction of all Catalonia and other Advantages which Spain had obtained whether in taking Places from us and especially Cambray the preservation of which they believe they wholly owe to him that he apprehended I say That coming into France with all these things in her mind she should prevail in all occasions relating to the Prince's Service in procuring him the King's favour and all the marks of it he could desire which perhaps might not produce a good effect whether in relation to the Publick or what might particularly concern me I replied to him with a smiling Countenance that I found my self greatly obliged to him for his good intentions and the Friendship he shewed me in opening to me his heart on so nice an affair but I entreated him not to be much troubled at whatever might happen hereupon because that though I no ways doubted of the inclinations of the Serenissima Infanta towards Monsieur the Prince whom she loved as a faithful Servant of her Father and the Spanish Monarchy not knowing at present other interests than those of the King her Father yet I assured my self that being the King's Wife she would prefer the Interests and Service of the King her Husband and his Children before any other consideration and look with an ill Eye on Monsieur the Prince as believing him capable of falling again into the same faults to the prejudice of a Kingdom of which she would be the Queen and though I had well observ'd that his Excellency had contented himself with speaking of the inclination of the Infanta for Monsieur the Prince without mentioning any thing of the aversion she had for me who have done a great deal more against the House of Spain than Monsieur the Prince had done for it I ever doubted of the Hatred of the Infanta to me without any great trouble considering from the same reason that becoming Queen of France she would honour with her good will a Person who has served the King and Kingdom with all the Fidelity and Industry possible and who would continue to do it to his last breath So that marrying the King Monsieur the Prince and I should change places in her affections where she would give me that he possesses at present and to him mine I am now to tell you to the end their Majesties may know it that I have learnt from Pimentel that the Horses which Don Lewis would give to the King which according to the relation of those who have seen them are the stateliest in the World will not be presented in his name but in the name of the Catholick King who has ordered him to put them into my hands to take care they be sent to his Majesty So that we must think of returning a Present to the King of Spain which I will remit to Don Lewis by the King's order to the end he may carry it to the King his Master I have already wrote to Paris what I judge fit and in due time will send the Memorial of things of which I think the Present should consist and though 't is usual to give things wherein there is more Art than Riches yet I will endeavour so to order it that here may be both We must also make a considerable Present to Don Lewis as well for that he will sign the Articles of Marriage as that it will be he that will Espouse the Infanta in Virtue of the King's Power and sign the Treaty likewise of Peace A Present
himself on this Subject and tho' he be never so well perswaded by my Reasons when he leaves the Conferences yet communicating them to Lainet he furnishes him with Supplies and makes him believe I shall be obliged to yield to them Yet with all this as I am oblig'd to try all means to put forward Don Lewis and press him to a speedy determination and that I know the present constitution of Affairs obliges the Crown of Spain to seek its Advantages in the Peace Yet I believe I may on good grounds say that all this will end well but it would be an Imprudence to be positive in things so liable to Accidents LETTER XV. To Monsieur le Tellier Fourth Conference Of the King's Marriage Of Renunciations Don Lewis speaks again for the Prince of Conde Sharp Answer of the Cardinal who seems indifferent whether the Match be made or not Cunning Proposition of the Cardinal to sound the intention of the Spaniards in relation to Monsieur the Prince To Monsieur le Tellier From St. John de Luz Aug. 23 1659. YEsterdays Conference was a little sharp I got from it with an entire satisfaction in as much as the Stroaks which I gave some of which being bold enough have shewn me the bottom of Don Lewis his Heart and confirm'd me in the Judgment which I have made That the end of this Negotiation will be good and produce nothing but what shall be advantageous to the Service and Honour of the King The First Point which came into discourse was that of the Marriage there was no great difficulty to agree in what was said on this Point Monsieur de Lionne and the Secretary Coloma being ordered to draw up the Articles and Letters which the two Kings were to write to the Pope for a Dispensation and all other particulars which should be necessary for the more speedy finishing of this Affair I made him a long Discourse on the Renunciations telling him that as the King was going to be most obliged to promote and sustain the Interest of the Serenissima Infanta so I could not forbear proposing her to be considered by the King her Father in this occasion and tho' my Allegations could produce no effect yet I fail'd not to strengthen them with Reasons apparent enough the principal of which was the ready disposition of the King to the Peace yielding several Points on the belief he should espouse the Serenissima Infanta without her being required in Spain to make any Renunciation no one being able to imagine that the only consideration of this Marriage could oblige the King to yield on essential Points in the Treaty of Peace as he had done seeing that without exceeding the bounds of Modesty I may say that if the Infanta be the greatest Match in Europe the King is likewise the same And as to the Emperour his Dignity is transitory and it 's certain he would esteem himself the happiest Prince in the World could he strip himself of his Quality and Countries to invest himself with the Kingdom of France or Spain He answer'd me That what I said was true but were I inform'd of the Offers which the Emperour had made to obtain the Infanta and the great Advantages the King his Master might reap from this Alliance whereas having preserred that of the King he has thereby given his Nephew the most sensible displeasure imaginable there being nothing able to appease him I should be of the same opinion with him That the King prefers the making a cordial Friendship with the King of France before all other considerations whatever and to add to the Affection of Uncle the Tenderness of a Father Their Majesties know and you likewise that in this point he has told us the real Truth and that when he spake of the Offers the Emperour made the King of Spain he means the Emperour would have broke with France and carried himself in all things as the Catholick King would have had him had he granted him the Infanta as she had been promis'd to him For the Renunciations he told me he well saw that I had spoken to him about them that I might say the King rendred this Office to the Serenissima Infanta before he was her Spouse but that he did not doubt but I was well assured Don Lewis could not make in Spain the proposal of such a thing and that he would tell me as a secret that in the King of Spain's Council there was not the least thought of the Alliance without the Renunciation excepting what he and another had all the Council being averse to the Marriage it self believing that notwithstanding these Renunciations if his Master should come to lose his two Children as was greatly to be apprehended being so young the Eldest being not above Twenty Months France would lay claim to the Succession I am well perswaded of all this from very convincing Reasons and moreover I very well remember what the Queen has several times told me when the King her Brother had but one Son but I have been more pleased to hear the same thing from the mouth of the chief Minister of Spain and that all the Council of Spain have spoken conformably thereto After this he return'd to the charge on the Interests of Monsieur the Prince repeating to me all the Reasons he had mentioned to me in his favour in the preceding Conferences adding thereto what ever Lainet and the Adherents of the Prince had lately suggested to him and he reproach'd me more vehemently than ever in that his earnest entreaties could not prevail with me to intercede with the King in favour of a Prince who desired nothing more passionately than to merit by his most humble Services and Submissions the good will of the King and Queen and my Friendship in particular by giving me real marks of his and that if he could but receive some reasonable satisfaction whereby he might return into France without disgrace all things would pass as Heart could wish and in fine we should have another Golden Age. He enlarged himself much on all the Examples there were of the Clemency of the Kings of France in regard to those who had wandred from their Duty as Monsieur the Prince had done and he insisted chiefly on what the King had done in reference to Monsieur the Prince of Conty and the Mareschals of Turenne Hoquincourt and Foucaut and that in fine it was common enough in France to commit the like Crimes and not only to obtain Pardon for them but also draw Advantages from 'em And it was no hard matter for me to observe that he had studied well the Lesson which Lainet had given him on this subject seeing he repeated it word for word I confess this last Clause of his discourse greatly moved me it seeming to me that the Spaniards endeavour as much as in them lies to establish this Maxim That Rebellion is not a Crime in France but rather a means to raise ones Fortune But
therefore send back again to you the same Currier you sent me and who delivered me your Letters as I was going into the Coach to go to the usual Rendezvous which I cannot answer till to Morrow when I shall likewise inform you of what past to day Yet I will tell you in short to satisfie in some sort the curiosity their Majesties may have that Affairs become every day more easie Don Lewis having spoken very soberly to me touching Monsieur the Prince and in such rerms as farther confirm me in the opinion that this Negotiation will be happily ended I intreat you to represent to their Majesties that I cannot have a greater pleasure than in writing to them every hour what passes but this is impossible for without Hyperbolizing I have scarce time to breath all the Ministers of the Princes which are here striving to visit me at every moment the Conferences consuming a whole Day considering the time which is spent in going and returning to the Isle which is two Leagues hence and the way thither very tiresome And moreover I am not only oblig'd to write to you as I do that their Majesties may be inform'd of what passes but moreover in general to all the King's Ministers more exactly than I did when I had the honour to be near his Majesty I write to you in such haste that I have not so much time as to read over what I have dictated so that if there be any fault and every thing be not in so good order as I would have it I intreat you to give your self the trouble to excuse me hereupon to their Majesties LETTER XVII To Monsieur le Tellier Fifth Conference Compliment of Don Lewis Portraict of the King News of the Infanta Restitution of Juliers Ratification of the Treaty made with the Duke of Modena Six Articles which remain to be adjusted Earnestness of Don Lewis for the Prince The Cardinal perplexes him by his Answer Proposes to him to give Sardaignia to the King of Portugal Of Navarre Disposition of the Affairs of Europe advantageous to the Spaniards in the opinion of Don Lewis Contrary Reasons of the Cardinal His remarkable Discourse on the Vnion of the two Kings Cardinals Titles To Monsieur le Tellier From St. John de Luz the 25th of August 1659. I Thought that Yesterday's Conference which was the Fifth would have begun by the point of Monsieur the Prince because Don Lewis had entertain'd Monsieur de Lionne a long time on his telling him by my order that I was not well satisfied in understanding the intention of the King of Spain was not to make satisfaction to Monsieur the Prince as Don Lewis had so many times protested but only to render him considerable by Places which might enable him in certain Conjunctures to disturb the State and likewise to incourage by the greatness of such a Recompence the Persons of his condition and others to engage readily on the side of Spain But he began by asking me News of the King and Queen's Health and by telling me that the King his Master had laid his Commands upon him to intreat me to bring him to the Feet of their Majesties these are his own terms and to assure them he wisht for nothing more passionately than to see himself there in effect and that he expected this Happiness with great reason seeing by the Letters he had received from Madrid he knew that the King his Master resolved on setting out sooner than the First of October He afterwards added that being entred into my Apartment he had admired the King's Picture done by Mignard had observ'd in it a Prince well shaped of good Meen and great Majesty that he would write this afresh into Spain and could tell me without Flattery That the Serenissima Infanta Tenia muy linda cara y muy buen entendimiento had a good Countenance and as good Sense and that in fine she was worthy to be the Spouse of such a King I will make a digression and tell you how I find confirm'd what Don Lewis told me in reference to the Catholick King which is That Don Pedro Coloma has shewed Monsieur de Lionne a Letter from his Wife in which she signifies to him the King would not let the Infanta come alone without accompanying her himself as the King his Father did in respect of the Queen seeing he loved no less his Daughter than Philip III. loved his and that it was resolved on it should be Don Lewis who should perform the Office of conducting her that another might not have this Honour In effect the Duke de Lerma chief Minister of Philip III. should have conducted the Queen had he not been surprized by Sickness which oblig'd him to remit this Honour to the Duke d'Vzeda his Son She says farther in the same Letter that giving the Infanta a visit to tell her that the affair which respected her was much advanced and that her Gallant drew near the Frontier She answer'd muy cara y alegra nueva mi padre me lo ha dicho todo which is to say This news rejoyces me my Father told me as much I return'd to Don Lewis who largely discours'd to me of the manner how the interview might be made on the Frontier but this being a thing of which I must more particularly entertain their Majesties I shall not mention any thing farther on this point He entred in discourse on what regarded the restitution of Juliers to the Duke of Newbourg on which point Monsieur de Lionne had largely discours'd the day before with Don Pedro Coloma in examining with him the points which remain to be adjusted He told me 't was surprizing he should have such a pretension and that it was so equitable that he would not stick to counsel his Master to do what I advised him hereupon for he did not doubt but I would make some reflection on the manner the Duke of Newbourg had used after having been so long time under the protection of the Catholick King making a Treaty with France and engaging himself to embrace its Interests as he had done with so little respect to his Catholick Majesty and so great prejudice to his Affairs that he would make me judge whether his proceeding deserved a Recompence and he to be put into a better condition than he was in when he was allyed with France that he well saw all I could fairly pretend to was to the end it might not appear the King my Master abandoned his Allies that the Catholick King should forget what was past and promise to consider the said Duke and his Interests as he did before he took the King's part I replied to him We were far from our reckoning seeing I was perswaded there was nothing so just as to restore Juiliers to the Duke of Newbourg to whom this place belong'd in just and full right the King of Spain having none to it having been only put into his hands as a Pledge
by the Father of this Duke to be kept against powerful Enemies who would have deprived him of it That Don Lewis knew all this Dutchy went always under his Name and that the Duke apprehending no more to lose it seeing the Peace which was going to be concluded impowered him to keep it without any fear so I therefore could not tell how he could do otherways than restore it to him That the King had given a good Example in the like occasion seeing he not only restored to the Duke of Savoy the Four Places he had put in trust into his Hands which were the only ones which remained to him in Piemont he having lost all the others and knowing well it was impossible to keep them but also all the rest to the number of Sixteen which his Majesty had all won by his Arms and return'd to the said Duke as fast as he re-establish'd himself and was in condition to keep these said Places and that so generous an Example should perswade his Catholick Majesty to an imitation in restoring to the Duke of Newbourg a single place which had been delivered to him in trust seeing the King had restored Twenty Two the greatest part of which had cost him so much Blood and Treasure That the King having made no difficulty of promising to the Duke of Newbourg in the Treaty his Majesty had made with him to procure him the surrender of Juliers seeing it was his Patrimony and the King of Spain having so oft declared by his Ministers in Flanders to his Father and to him that he would restore him this place as soon as the Peace should be made I therefore could not see how his Majesty can excuse himself from keeping his Word in so equitable a thing seeing I had seen his Excellency so firm in demanding the satisfaction of Monsieur the Prince alledging for his greatest Reason that the Catholick King had promised by a Treaty to procure it him and so much the rather in that there was a great difference between a Soveraign Prince who required the restitution of a Place which he had parted with in trust and a Subject who would have a Recompence for having in a most rebellious manner taken up Arms against his Prince and procured at his Country's cost considerable Advantages to its Enemies That the Oster he had made me was no great matter That the King his Master should consider the Duke of Newbourg as before without any grudge or Heart-burning in as much as the Allies being to be comprehended in the Treaty the Catholick King could not exempt himself from using the Duke of Newbourg as the other Allies of France this Duke being no less a Soveraign than the Duke of Savoy So that if the King has the goodness to pardon Monsieur the Prince who being his Subject had forgot his Duty in such a manner as he had done it will be no great matter for the Catholick King to do the same with the Duke of Newbourg who was a Free Prince Methinks there can be no answer to this yet he long contested tho' with very weak Arguments being not able to find good ones in an Affair of this nature I held out still firm and seeing he was so too on his side and that the Secretary of State had told Monsieur de Lionne that he did not doubt but this point was likely to hinder the Peace if I yielded not I therefore told Don Lewis that I had not the power to do it but would dispatch a Currier to the King to know his pleafure I believ'd I ought to sustain this point with the firmness I have done not only that it may serve to shew the Duke of Newbourg we have endeavour'd to serve him to the end having even resolved to tell Don Lewis in the first Conference That the King has commanded me to offer the restitution of Bergue without any Recompence provided justice be done this Duke but likewise that this release which I 'le make valuable may serve to obtain some advantage in other points And it 's fit the King should remember on this subject that having well foreseen the King of Spain would never consent to give this satisfaction to the Duke of Newbourg and much less at the mediation of France I am therefore of opinion his Majesty should engage himself no farther in the Treaty making at Paris with the Ministers of this Duke than to do all good Offices in his favour He spake to me afterwards of the Duke of Modena saying The King his Master judg'd it not fitting to send the Ratification of the Treaty which the Count de Fuensaldaigne had made with this Prince because he had discover'd two things one of which was inconsistent with what an Article of the Treaty of Paris bore touching the payment of the Dowry of the Infanta Margarita this Count having promised to the Duke of Modena what we would have given to the Duke of Savoy and that the other which was to leave him the possession and enjoyment of Correggio without the King of Spain's keeping a Garrison there could not be ratified seeing Fuensaldaigne had promised it without having the power to do it Adding it was not reasonable this Prince should be in a better condition for joyning himself to France against the Catholick King than when he adhered more to Spain than France I told him I could not comprehend how they could retard one day the sending the Ratification of a Treaty solemnly made by a Minister Governour of Milan and his particular Friend and so much the rather that it was immediately executed sincerely by the Duke of Modena who had sent back the Troops of France which he had kept for the security of his Country had written to the King of Spain in the term the Count had desired and in fine had done in general whatever he was engaged to by the same Treaty That I knew not what judgment the World would make of the delaying the Ratification and that at least for the time to come there would be reason perhaps to the great prejudice of Spain not to trust the highest Ministers of that Court. That the Duke had put such confidence in what the Count de Fuensaldaigne had promised him on the point of Correggio on which this Count had received the Emperor's answer that he might do it and that he would give the investiture when the Treaty should be signed and the Duke of Modena should send to desire it that his Highness had already named an Embassador to do this Office and I even believ'd he was gone in all haste to Vienna He made me replies such as one may well judge the matter being so just and clear but I stopt his mouth as you shall see in telling him there was no need of ratifying this Treaty which was already in better form than if the Ratification had been sent directly to Milan seeing there was an Article in the Treaty signed at Paris by
my judgment had all the Qualities requisite for this Employ Whereupon he assured me he should be very glad if his Majesty would make this choice He afterwards spake to me of the Dowry and drew a Letter out of his Pocket which Don Antonio Pimentel had writ to him from Lyons in which he signified to him that speaking to him about the Dowry I had hinted That part of it might be raised from the Conquests which the King had made since the rupture of the Negotiation of Madrid Whereupon he enlarg'd himself according to his usual manner exaggerating the great Advantages which France would draw from this Peace and that the least thing the King could do was to accept of the Dowry from these Conquests I confess I had charg'd Pimentel at Lyons to write in the manner he had done in the belief they would never pretend in Spain the Infanta should make a general renunciation of what ever might appertain to her in certain occasions and he had been told we intended not to restore a Finger's breadth of Land of whatever the King's Arms had conquer'd since the year 1656 and I not only confirm'd to Don Lowis the same thing I had told Pimentel but I farther inform'd him that thinking it just to do for the sake of so great a Minister something more than what had been done for the Sieur Pimentel I therefore declared to him that after having yielded on the point of the Renunciation the King would consent to give to his Catholick Majesty not one part of the Dowry but the whole for some of the Conquests we had made since that time provided they entirely remained in our hands He replyed to me he thought we had 'em entirely seeing that instead of Valentia Mortaria Oudenarde and Ipres which were agreed to be surrendred as well as Dixinude Menin and Comines which I well knew to be Posts not able to hold out Four Days against him that should be Master of the Field he yielded us Thionville Damvilliers Bethune La Bassee and le Quesnoy which were agreed on at Madrid to be restor'd and moreover Hesdin which was the strongest and most important place which Spain could yield up to France besides the Bailiwicks of Artois Aire and St. Omers which consist of to great a number of Villages that they reach further than twenty Leagues and which render the King Master of a Province the more considerable in that it borders on France adding That I had farther the address to draw from Pimentel the Provostship of Jury and Wardenship of Bourborg on which we had not the least reason for a pretension But though there be nothing more true than what he told me hereupon and that what we draw hence is worth without question the double of what we yield yet I boldly replied to him and without fearing to be taken at my word considering the knowledge I have of their interests and intentions that he would give me occasion to merit greatly with the King if he would insist both parties should keep in reference to the Conquests to what was determined at Madrid and the King retain what his Arms have acquired since that time But it concerns 'em so greatly not to leave us a Foot in the State of Milan nor pieces as Oudenarde and Ipres which are capable of keeping always Peoples minds restless that I did not doubt but he would answer me as he did That we should hold what had been determined and that the question being only about Money he did not believe it was for the King his Master's Honour to dispute on that Head as he also believed I could what Monsieur de Lionne had said to Don Pedro Coloma to augment the Sum of the Dowry which was given to the Queen which would not work the same effect at present as it did then because Money was in that time scarcer than now I replied to him I should not do the King a pleasure should I stop a moment on an affair of this nature for the same reason he had told me that it was not for the honour of so great a King to contend for more or less of Money and I told him in laughing that if he would take the pains to defray the charge which would be made in this occasion I would give him a faithful account of it and we would take nothing for the Dowry He might indeed tell me justly that if any Princess were married without a Dowry it should be the Infanta by reason of the excellent qualities she possest That which I am afraid will give us the greatest trouble is that the valuation of Five Hundred Thousand Crowns which were given the Queen was made in Silver which is to say in Rials and as in that time the Crowns in Gold were not worth much more than the half of what they are now we shall come to lose above Twelve Hundred Thousand Livers should they pay us in this manner in which perhaps they would not be ill grounded seeing the words of the Contract converting into Silver the Crowns of Gold say the like Sum should be given in Rials However I have thought of a way how to make our reasons pass and extricate my self out of this affair to the King's advantage remembring I have heard him say when 't was discoursed that the Daughter of la Baziniere had 500000 Crowns Portion that he did not believe her whom he should marry would have more For if I compass the thing as I hope to do in making be valued the Crowns in Gold mention'd in the contract on the current price of our Crowns the Sum will amount very near to three Millions of Livers which will come very seasonable to stop a gap of the expence which we cannot be exempted from in paying almost the like Sum to be given the Arch Dukes for Alsace which is yielded to us by the Treaty of Munster Having spent almost two hours in regulating whatever concern'd the Marriage and supputing the precise time in which the Infanta might be here with the King her Father Don Lewis to whom his Catholick Majesty has design'd this honour according to his own report very earnestly told me having perhaps considered within himself we might conceive some suspicion on the delaying the Infanta's Journey and the consummating the Marriage that we should without any more ado sign execute and proclaim the peace send to Rome for the dispensation sign here the Articles of the Marriage and in general perform all that is necessary to engage the Prince so that no accident may make him change assuring me that on their side they would use their utmost endeavours to gain time We must not wonder at the care Don Lewis has taken to speak to me after this manner being perswaded the King most passionately desires to see this affair ended considering him as a Gallant who impatiently expects the hour he is to see his Mistress I believ'd this Conference would have past without
and those of the Peace according to your orders after which I will go and end my days at the place you shall enjoyn me content with the happiness of having served for 30 Years the King your Father and your self your Arms nor affairs having lost any of their reputation I beg only the favour of you to be perswaded that whatever may happen to me I shall be to the last moment of my life the most faithful and zealous Creature you have LETTER XXXIII To the Queen He imparts to her his grief at the King 's discontent The same day I Am on the brink of despair beholding your trouble at what you have had the goodness to write me would to God I could ease you at the cost of my own blood for I would part with it on this occasion with all imaginable joy The Confident's answer is exprest in terms which sufficiently discover he has no affection for me nor my interests so that I have nothing to do but to execute his orders to abridge the time of the Marriage and having signed the Contract and Articles of Peace which will be glorious and advantagious for his Person and State take the resolution which shall be the most proper to deliver him from my importunities and the best for his Service beseeching God to bless my intentions For in this case the Confident will be the greatest and happiest Prince in the World My heart is so full of anguish that I can say no more and you may easily believe it if you reflect never so little on what passes in my mind in this conjuncture I might have dissembled in the Letter I wrote to the Confident till my return to him but God forbid I should deal thus with my Master to whom I am wont to open my whole heart without reserve Let me entreat you to pray to God for me for I never more needed his assistance I would not send the Confident word that my Nephew designed an escape from Brisac and though he said when he was taken his intention was to get to me thinking you would approve of it the truth is this was the least of his thoughts and I believe my Niece has contrived this and you may judge what this may oblige me to suspect Be pleased to reflect whether the Confident has reason to desire I should love her and believe her affectionate to me and desirous of my Master's Honour We must take care the Confident mentions not a word of this to any body LETTER XXXIV To Monsieur le Tellier Seventh Conference Of the sending a Gentleman to Portugal and of the Affairs of that Kingdom Discourse of the Cardinal with Mr. Locker New entreaties of Don Lewis for Monsieur the Prince Renunciation of Spain to Alsatia Proposition of Don Lewis touching Olivenz rejected Pimentel repeats the Propositions of Don Lewis Reflections of this Letter proposed to the Cardinal who makes answer Presents to be made To Monsieur le Tellier From St. John de Luz September the 2d 1659. I Have already signified to you that I had no great account to give you to inform their Majesties of what past in the last Conference which lasted not above half so long as the others The first thing Don Lewis askt me was whether I would dispatch a Gentleman into Portugal as I had told him I would to impart to the Duke of Braganza what had been inserted in the Treaty concerning him and I told him I thought it not so convenient to hasten this Envoy altho' the Gentleman was ready and had the King's Dispatches before I came here It being imprudent to send News which most certainly would not have a welcome reception in Portugal without first ending whatever concern'd Monsieur the Prince whose interests his Excellency still maintained with such heat and constancy though in truth I should rest satisfied with the reiterated Declarations he had made me That this point should not in any fort retard the proclaiming and execution of the Peace He afterwards perswaded me to lay aside all suspicion of the Success of this Negotiation and that I should no longer defer thesending away this Gentleman because perhaps the Dutchess of Braganza who is of the Family of the Gusmans and his Cousin German seeing an impossibility of maintaining her Son in the State he is in after the Peace concluded between the two Crowns might resolve on having recourse to the Catholick King 's Clemency to shelter her Person and all her Family from the inevitable misfortune which threatned them and thus he might be freed from the trouble of bringing Troops from Italy and Flanders into Spain to form a great Army to be employed in the recovery of Portugal I could easily perceive by his discourse in which he much enlarged himself he could wish this War were ended rather by a Treaty than Arms and I believe if the Queen of Portugal would take this course she might greatly advantage the condition of her Son and her self in returning her self a Subject of Spain which is what I shall not fail to acquaint this Queen with to the end that considering well in what condition affairs will be in after the Peace she may take that resolution she shall judge most proper Neither do I doubt but if she would have elsewhere the recompence of her Son's and her Estate in that Country and even with Usury and also any thing else fitting for her she might easily obtain it seeing Don Lewis has told me in several occasions that if she would be content to have conferred on her Son the Office of Constable of Castile and other Honours of this nature he believed the King his Master would grant 'em them for the sake of the Peace and the cessation of all hostilities I hereupon took occasion to draw advantage from our Entertainment in acquainting Don Lewis that I was willing to do him a pleasure to dispatch the said Envoy I dexterously engaged him to grant me a continuation of the suspension of Arms from the part of the King his Master for the whole Month of December with Portugal although according to what had been determined at Paris it should end at the conclusion of the next Month which certainly is very advantagious in the present conjuncture to the King of Portugal for hereby he has more time to prepare himself and to make an accommodation with Holland and engage the States and England to assist him Being informed by Mr. Locker that the Embassador of Portugal will set forward immediately for London this makes me observe to you on the business of Portugal that having discoursed sufficiently of the presumption of this Nation he ended by exagerating to the utmost point that they are incapable whatever Peace is made and whatever facility by this means his Catholick Majesty has to employ all his Forces against Portugal ever to yield they have any reason to be afraid For said he to me they will always maintain at they do at present