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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47671	The history of Father La Chaise, Jesuite, and confessor to Lewis XIV, present King of France discovering, the secret intreagues by him carried on, as well in the court of England, as in all the courts of Europe, to advance the great designs of the King his master / made English from the French original.; Histoire du père La Chaize, jésuite et confesseur du roi Louis XIV. English.	Le Noble, Eustache, 1643-1711.; Le Noble, Pierre.; Le Roux, Philibert-Joseph.	1693 (1693)	Wing L1052; ESTC R179438	143,271	350

he could not avoid concluding the Peace by reason of the Importunitie of his Subjects I could produce several Copies of the Letters written upon this occasion but because I would not be Prolix this shall suffice from the Dutchess of Portsmouth to Father La Chaise Reverend Father 'T IS but some few Days agoe That the King of England was constrain'd to Sign a Peace full sore against his Will I cannot tell what his Majesty of France may think of it but I cannot forbear telling you That in truth he has no Reason to take it Ill considering how long it was before he came to a final Resolution He stav'd it off to the very last and without doubt had never consented had he not had certain Intelligence that the Prince of Orange finding Holland free and quitted began to listen to the Proposals of the Parlament who as your Reverence knows had invited him into the Kingdom We were perswaded till now That his youthful Years which seem'd not to be ripe for great Enterprizes together with his natural moderation and averseness to Broils and Quarrels would not have permitted him to give ear on that side but since we understand That if he were not fully resolv'd yet his Wavering was enough to continue the King's Jealousies and that the States did no way disapprove his making a Descent which indeed would be the most advantagious Course they could take The News therefore of his Hesitation put the King of England upon coming to an absolute Determination who could not in prudence venture the Invading of his Kingdom by the only Enemy that he had most reason to fear A Revolution like that would have engag'd the King to a Diversion that must have been much to his Prejudice whereas now he may interpose as a Mediator and procure his Majesty an advantagious Peace if he thinks it convenient or if not he may be in a condition to do him all possible Services under-hand and of this your Reverence may assure his Majesty His Britannick Majesty having order'd me to send you word that notwithstanding the forc'd Peace which he has made he will never depart from that Alliance which he has contracted with him n● from his Interests which he looks upon as his own He has given a convincing Proof of his Constancy in rejecting the Addresses that were made him to repeal the Act which was made sometime since at your Request in favour of the Nonconformists under which Pretence he also protects the Catholicks and their Meetings He will do it for the future as much as he can of which your Reverence may be confidently assur'd I am c. The King who could not have had a more favourable Mediator then his Britannick Majesty willingly consented to referr his Interests to him and Sir William Temple was sent to the States to propose his Mediation which they presently accepted Spain and the Empire were more Nice and the Prince of Orange who had no kindness for a Treacherous Peace started all the Difficulties that could be thought of which was the Reason that the Thing was procrastinated for some time Afterwards he fought that famous Battel of Seneff against the Prince of Condè whom he had challeng'd to a fair Field for Fifteen Days together while Condè somewhat Inferiour in number kept himself within his Trenches till at length the Prince of Orange seeing it was impossible to follow him Decamp'd Condè who well knew that the ways were very narrow through which he was to pass let him go till he thought his Van-guard and main Body were out of reach and then came out of his Hole fell upon the Rear-guard and utterly defeated it and had he been so much Master of himself to have stopt there the Honour of the Victory had been solely his But he had too long withstood that martial Heat that importun'd him to be doing and as a Torrent stopt for a few Days by some certain Mound becomes more terrible and violent when once it makes way so Condè's Warlike Ardour that had been bounded by his Prudence for Fifteen Days was no sooner at Liberty but bearing now predominant Sway it made him lose the greatest part of the Advantage which he had won before For having pass'd the narrow Lanes and being got into the Plain he found the whole Dutch Army drawn up in good order which receiv'd him so co●ragiously that he lost about 15000 Men and was constrain'd to retire in great Danger to have been pursu'd but that Night coming on secur'd him The next Year Turenne was kill'd at a time that he thought he had had Montecuculi so fast that he could not have escap'd him Condè left the Army in Flanders to supply his room leaving the Command of the Army to Luxemburgh who so well order'd his Business that the Prince of Orange could not force him to a Battel only he took Binch and demolish'd it Toward the end of the Year 1676. the Commissioners met at Nimeghen to negotiate the Treaty of Peace Thither came the Plenipotentiaries from the Emperor from the Electors from the Duke of Lorrain from Hanover from Sweden from Danemark from France and Holland and England was Mediatrix which made one of the most noble Assemblies that had been known Nevertheless whole Years were spent in regulating the Preliminaries all which time the War was carry'd on vigorously and always to the King's Advantage For he took Condè Bouchain Valenciennes Cambrai and won the Battel of Cassel which was attended with the Taking of St. Omer This prosperous Success alarm'd the Parlament of England and forc'd 'em to desire his Brittanick Majesty to enter into a War and that with so much Importunity as gave him to understand that he must resolve upon it To that purpose they presented Two Addresses to him laying before him the Necessity of opposing such a Torrent of Victory more especially in Flanders beseeching him to make an offensive League with the Hollanders 1677. These Importunities very much displeas'd the King who fear'd nothing so much as that he should be constrain'd to it But at last the Marriage of the Prince of Orange with his Niece being consummated there was a Necessity for him to make a fair shew the best he could so that after long Conferences with him concerning the Peace he consented to the Addresses of his Parlament and promis'd to declare War against France if she stood too high upon her Terms Thereupon Commissions were given out for the raising of 20000 Men and Soldiers came in so fast that in Six Weeks the Levies were compleat so eager were the English for a War with France In the mean time the Dutchess of Portsmouth gave a punctual Account of all things to Father La Chaise who not knowing what other Remedy to apply told the King That now was the time if ever to set his Exchequer at work 1678. in regard his dazling Louidores had a strange Operation upon the King of England

resolv'd to do till death After he came to be a Bishop he liv'd altogether upon Pulse and gave himself entirely up to all the care Functions of a Charitable Pastor Preaching himself to his people visiting the Poor the Widows and the Orphans whom he always reliev'd to the utmost of his power Such eminent Vertues and so rate a Piety produc'd him the Cardinals Cap and the particular affection of Innocent XI And this was that which rendred la Chaise so irreconcileable to him that he could not expect from him for the future any other then the utmost of mischief that he could do him 'T is impossible to speak of all things at once so that I had like to have omitted one of the blackest Circumstances of la Chaise's Life which was very injurious to Christendom and therefore I must be forc●d to run backward for some years All the world knows how the King fell upon Strasburgh by means of the Correspondence which he held with the new Burgomasters under pretence that that City was the Capital City of Alsatia and belong'd to him as a Dependance of that Province which was surrendred to him by the Peace of Munster The Emperor and all the Princes of Germany highly complain'd of this Breach which together with the Blocking up of Luxemburgh and detaining the Castle of Dinant which was to have been restor'd to the Prince of Liege were causes more than sufficient to renew the War with which they threaten'd him in Conjunction with Spain Expedients were propos'd in Council to prevent all this and it was de Louvois's advice to make an Alliance with the Turk the Truce between whom and the Emperor was ready to expire and who would be able to make a Powerful Diversion with never so little Assistance With all that it was necessary to engage the K. of Poland in the same League who had been beholding to France for his Crown to which purpose he should be tempted with the Conquest of Silesu that lay so convenient for him M. de Boncherat and M. Montausier were of a Contrary Opinion and laid before his Majesty that besides the stain it would be to his Honour it would be to call in an Enemy that would not be so easie to be driven out again whereas it was easie to dissipate this appearance of a League by raising the Blockade of Luxemburgh and letting his pretentions to the County of Alost sleep a while Which would suffice without doubt to oblige those Princes patiently to suffer the taking of Strasburgh But the Marquis of Louvois still insisted that an Alliance with the Turk was the only way to keep all the Princes of Germany in in awe who would be glad that his Majesty would grant 'em Peace which he might or might not do as he saw his Advantages But that he had great probability of a much better Progress it being certain that if the Turks got the upper hand and that the King of Poland acted his part the Princes of the Empire would of their own accord be forc'd to call his Majesty to their assistance and perhaps would be easily persuaded to declare him Emperor or at least the Crown of the King of the Romans could not fail the Dauphin Upon this there was at that time nothing concluded the King delaying the matter till he had consulted his Council of Conscience or rather his Confessor with whom he is infatuated for he hearkens to him as an Oracle The Father assur'd him that he might not only do it with a safe Conscience b●● promis'd to set so many Engins at work that the thing should be successfully brought about And indeed it was by his instigation that the Jesuits of Vienna perswaded the Emperor to torment the Protestants of Hungary more then ever that so they might be provok'd to revolt and furnish'd Court Tekeli with means to support himself who unless that Persecution had been redoubl'd would have run the hazard of being abandon'd by his own Party He was also suppli'd from France with what money he wanted And Father la Chaise it was that recommended to the K. the person who was most of all employ'd by him in that Negotiation one Rouvrai of Normandy a new Catholick and allur●d with a good Pension He was a Man of Wit and bold even to daringness And as he had occasion several times to pass to and fro through Vienna he perform'd the Office of a Spie to observe what past in that Court not at all terrifi'd with the accident at that time newly befallen the Secretary of M. Seppeville the French Agent That Secretary was another Spie who convey'd many a French Letter to Count Tekeli and gave an account to both Parties of what past in Vienna by the assistance of one Bohan a French Officer in the Service of the Count and who for a long time drove the same trade with Rouvrai But the Secretary was surpiz'd in this dangerous Calling and put in Prison from whence he had never got out again safe and sound had not the King so soon as he heard of it seiz'd upon Count Mansfield the Emperors Ambassador at Paris by way of Reprisal When this Secretary was taken there was found in his Pocket a Letter which la Chaise had written to Rouvrai and which was seen by all that were then at the Court of Vienna of which that which follows is a Copy SIR I Have spoken to the King very earnestly about what you wrote in your last that Count Tekeli wants Money for the payment of his Men and moreover that he desires to be well supported from Turky without which he cannot long subsist As to the first you may assure his Excellency that the difficulty of finding a way to return the Money has been the only reason that the King's Promises have been hitherto delay'd But I spoke to an Armenian about two days since who has promis'd to pay him a hundred thousand Livres in two Months and M. Colbert has orders the said sum to be paid him within a Week As to the other point the Kings Ambassador at the Port makes us believe 't will not be long now before he comes to a conclusion He has wrote to his Majesty that there only are wanting two Millions of ready Money three thousand Muskets and a duty of five per Cent. upon all Merchandise that shall be Exported or Imported under French Colours Which are obstruction which will not be insisted upon As to what remains his Excellency may be sure of all the Service that M. de Nointel can do him who has the Kings order for so doing and besides that was an intimate friend of Count Tekeli's Father deceas'd and Count Serini this he told me positively in one of his Letters I have also thus much more good Ne●● to tell you that the King of Poland he requir'd time to give an Answer to wh●● the Marquis of Vitry propos'd to hi● in his Majesties Name but that the Queen told him in

Paris to put in an Appeal to a future Council in reference to what the Pope had acted and this was done Jan. 22. 1688. But this Appeal how injurious soever it were to the Holy See was nothing in comparison of the Decree that was given ou● the next day and the famous Plea that accompani●d it to which I refer the Reader being too long to be here inserted tho it were a piece that was hammerd in la Chaises Shop to whom the King gave order to consult the drawing it up with M. Talon under whose name it appear'd T is true that Talon drew up the first draught of it and shew'd it to the King but Father la Chase who was present and read it to his Majesty told him that the Writing was excellently well penn'd but that it was not smart enough neither did it sufficiently set forth his Majesties causes of complaint against the Pope and that it was of great Importance to shew to all the World and to Posterity the Partialy and Passion of the Holy Father upon that occasion Thereupon the King bid 'em meet both together in the afternoon and to add or alter what they thought proper This order very much displeas'd M. Talon who could not digest it that a Priest should be put upon him to teach him his Trade and two days after he testifi'd his resentment to Villeroy to whom he said in express terms that tho every body should meddle with his Trade the Cows would be never a whit the better kept for all that However he obey'd without saying a word and all that day they labour'd about that famous declamation which has made such a noise and which is only stuft with threats of a National Council which would impower the Bishops to Consecrate one another if the Pope refus'd to do it and to Excommunicate his Holiness himself if he went about to thunder out his Excommunications Si Excommunicatus veniret Excommuicatus abiret There was nothing discours'd of but Passion desire of Domineering Vsurpations of the Court of Rome The Holy Father was contemn'd and slighted as a man of a weak and shallow Pate not able to bear the burthen of Affairs and sometimes they call'd him declar'd favorour and Protector of the Quietists and Jansenists In short they Curst and Anathamatiz'd him in express terms A Curse and Anathema says the Writing on all those who either through Interest or Capricio trouble the correspondency that is to be between the Priesthood and the Royalty who seem to have no other Prospect but to raise Schism in the Church and with fatal Divisions to disturb the Peace of all Europe which has been procur'd by the Wisdom of our Invincible Monarch That which was more to be wonder'd at was that Lavardin caus'd both the Plea and the Decree to be fix'd upon the Doors of the Vatican The Pope surpriz'd at such an act of daring presumption as that forbid all the Churches to admit the Priests who had officiated in the Parish of St. Lewis And one poor Almoner belonging to the Ambassador having taken a walk imprudently toward the Vatican was seiz'd upon and clapt into the Inquisition for having audaciously adventur'd to say Mass in the Ambassadors Chapel In the mean time in France the King order'd the Bishops to send for the Superiors of the Convents in their Dio●●sses and to forbid em under rigorous Penalties to suffer any one of their Monks to write or teach any thing contrary to the Rights of his Majesty or the differences between him and the Pope The Archbishop of Paris among the Rest zealous as he always uses to be for the Kings Interest put this Order exactly in execution He chose to that purpose for his Official one Cheron a man learned and fit for business whom he sent to all the Conventual Houses to let 'em know the Kings intentions And indeed the Generality of the Ecclesiasticks as well Monks as others surrender'd themselves to that blind obedience that was expected Only some three or four Doctors of the Sorbonne and some Capuchins and Dominicans took the Popes part but they were reduc'd to reason by a Privy Signet Letter that sent 'em to make a noise above a hunder●d Leagues off upon which all the rest lay'd their Fingers upon their Mouths The Pope inform'd of all this would not make use of his Ecclesiastical Thunders for fear of exposing 'em to the derision of a Prince that little regarded 'em but rather desiring to find out some expedient for an accommodation he order'd Cardinal de Estree to be acquainted that he would willingly hearken to him in reference to the Differences which he had with the Most Christian King The Cardinal answer'd the Pope that he was infinitely oblig'd to his Holiness for his particular goodness toward him and that he was at his wits end to see that he could not correspon'd with it the King his Master having ty'd up his hands in this Affair and forbid him to meddle with it so long as his Ambassador was at Rome An answer so dry and sapless did not however extinguish his Holinesse's desire to contribute all that lay in his power toward an Amicable conclusion of this Contest and touch'd with the misfortunes which his Excommunication would bring upon Christendom through the King of Frances obstinacy which he had made appear by so many publick Acts he resolv'd to take it off By this means St. Lewis's Church became f●ee to all the world and as well Italians as French resorted to it This manner of procedure was lookt upon as a great Weakness in the Holy Father and a most inexcusable want of Courage after such a Stiffness as the Pope had shew'd but if we rightly consider things we shall find that the Pope never did a more prudent Act nor more charitable or more becoming the Vicar of Christ He knew those spiritual Weapons so terrible to all the truly faithful were not put into his hands but only to reduce under obedience such as obstinately stray'd from the Truth and to prevent others through a holy fear from following their Example For these reasons therefore he thought it behov'd him to make use of 'em upon this occasion piously perswaded that Corruption and Error were not got up to that high degree in France as to be in sensible of such Celestial Chastisements But when he saw they had not that success which he expected rather quite the Contrary that his proceeding in that manner how just so ever it were had exasperated the minds of men against him that all the Clergy was ready to revolt and that he had all the reason in the world to be afraid of a Schism in the Church he relented on a sudden to stop the Torrent of Perdition He never consulted Flesh or Blood but without any regard to what all the World could say of him upon such a Relaxation he thought it his duty to sacrifice a vain point of Honour to the Glory of

near Kinswoman of the Popes of whom he won considerable sums of Money he found the Lady had three Aces in her hand and that he had three Kings besides a fourth that came in to him upon which both ventur'd roundly till it run up to a very considerable sum which the Lady lost upon Honour and not being able to pay him without great inconvenience to her self she perswaded the Collonel to lay aside his Sword and put on a Cassock and that she would pay him the Money she ow'd him in Benefices They farther add that it 't was by this means that he obtain●d the Cardinalship and that he had not been elected Pope in 1676. but only because 't was thought he would not live long by reason of certain wounds he had receiv'd in his Youth I cannot say whither this be true or no he was chosen Clerk of the Chamber under Vrban VIII which was 20 years before the Pontificate of Innocent XI and he could not be a Collonel at that time He was born at Cosmo in Milanois and was call●d Benedict Odescalchi The Jesuits rejoyc'd very much at his death for they accounted him their mortal Adversary and loudly accus'd him of Jansenism But that was not a thing to be wonder'd at since that in those days as now it was not requir'd to make a man a Jansenist that he should only profess the five propositions but if he were no friend of the Holy Society that was sufficient Now as for the Holy Father he had held correspondence with M. Arnauld and had refus●d his approbation of Father la Chaise for the Generalship and that was a thousand times much more then needed to make him a Jansenist When the Father first receiv'd the news he was then with the King and as Politick as he was he could not moderate the excess of his joy Yet fearing to display it too apparently before the King he withdrew a little to recover himself and at the same instant met the Archbishop of Paris But then it was impossible for him to contain himself any longer A thousand Pistoles said he accoasting him and your Benediction for the news which I have to tell you As for my Benediction reply'd the Archbishop there it is and as for the thousand Pistoles they are always ready at your service but then keep me no longer in suspence let me know what your news is News reply'd the overjoy'd Father that will make you a Cardinal or I le turn Jansenist the old Lubber of the Vatican is dead and has left ten Caps unbestow'd one of 'em will never let you catch cold of your Head Do you tell me true quoth the Prelate interrupting him I tell you nothing but truth reply'd the Father They held on this conversation the same tone above a quarter of an hour in the Guard Chamber and congratulated each other a thousand times over upon their approaching promotion to the Cardinalship never minding all this while the Guards of the Body and about fifty other Persons that heard every word they said such were the transports of their exultation At length perceiving their error they retir'd into the Kings Chamber Presently the King appointed another Ambassador for Rome who was the Duke of Chaulnes and who departed forthwith together with the Cardinals of Furstenburgh Bonzi and Bouillon to be in time at the Conclave As for Cardinal Cainus he had orders to stay at Grenoble He was fallen again into new disgrace For Father la Chaise had given advice to the King that he held correspondence with the Pope and particularly with the Bishop of Vaison hated by the King because he had offer'd his Holiness to go to Versailles and Excommunicate him Upon which the Cardinal wrote to la Chaise complaining that he had violated the Laws of Nations and the Church in the person of that Prelate whose Bishoprick was not in France The Father shew'd the Letter to the King who was highly insens'd at it and that was the reason that he had not the Order of the Holy Ghost bestow'd upon him at the Promotion which the King made fifteen days after tho he had design'd him Commander of the Order as indeed he well deserves to be So soon as the Conclave began to sit the Cardinals enter●d their Protests for that their Intelligence assur'd 'em that the Clergy of France had not recanted the five Propositions which they maintain'd and that the Most Christian King had not made restitution of the County of Avignon nor renounc'd his Pretentions to the Franchises Eight days after that the Duke of Chaulnes arriv'd at Rome with the French Cardinals and upon his giving the Cardinals advice of his arrival he was visited admitted to Audience and acknowledg'd Ambassador in despite of their Protestations The three French Cradinals so bestirr'd themselves in the Conclave especially Bouillon who to regain the Kings favours did impossibilities that at last Cardinal Ottoboni was chosen the sixth of Octob. 1689. This Election was not made by way of Scrutiny but by a tumultuous Adoration the like to which was never seen For the Cardinal de Bouillon having made his Party as numerous as he could tho it was hardly sufficient to have voted the Exclusion of any other sally'd out of his Chamber and ran about the Conclave crying ou● Ottoboni is Pope upon which signal the rest of the Faction coming out of their Cells flew about crying out in like manner Ottoboni is Pope Upon that they all hasten'd to his Cell took him upon their Shoulders and set him upon the Altar All the rest of the Cardinals surpriz'd at so suddain and unexpected an Election and not having leisure either to consider nor to count the Number of those of their Party follow'd the rest every body believing the thing done and no body being willing to draw upon himself singly the ill will and future Revenge of the Holy Father by a fruitless and rashly undertaken Exclusion In the first Congregation which this new Pope held he releas'd to the Cardinal of Bouillon in acknowledgement of the service he had done him the sum of 30000 Livres which he ow'd the Apostolik Chamber and gave him the Bishoprick of Alb●no by that means advancing him from the rank of Cardinal Priest to the degree of Cardinal Bishop The Prince of Turune his Nephew soon after arriv'd at Rome and the Pope order'd him to sit down and put on his Hat an Honour allow'd to none but soveraign Princes 1690. And upon his importanate Sollicitations it was that he granted a Cardinals Cap to the Bishop of Beauvais T is true he had a great deal of trouble to obtain it and that he despair'd of it above four times For I my self have seen several Letters which he wrote to the Bishop of Marseilles upon that subject wherein he had still these Expressions I do what I can but know not whither I shall succeed or no However I promise ye not to give over till his Holiness

time that the King put forth his Declarations for the Regale That M. Boucherat Counsellor of State had given his Advice in Council That the Churches should be left free in the Possession of their Immunities and Privileges without any farther Disturbance Arnault gave Intelligence of this to the Pope who could not forbear to insert this Circumstance in a Brief which he wrote some Years after to the King The King was much surpriz'd at it and endeavour'd to sift out through what Channel this Secret was convey'd But Father La Chaise soon unfolded the Riddle assuring him that it was his Secretary Pompone's Discovery who was confin'd to his own House and Arnault his Uncle was order'd to quit St. James's Street where he liv'd with a Prohibition to have any Assemblies in his Ho●● Upon which misdoubting the Consequence of such a harsh beginning and fearing to be put into the Bastille he retir'd into Holland for good and all where he compos'd his Apology for the Politicks of the Clergy which the very well done and to the King's Advantage was however condemn'd and a poor Prie●● committed to the Bastille at the prosecution of La Chaise for endeavouring to publish some few Copies in France And the Reason that oblig'd him to it was not only because the Book justify'd the Proceedings of the Antiregalists and particularly of the Bishops of Aleth and Pamiers but because M. Arnault was the Author of it This is 〈◊〉 Quality peculiar to Father La Chaise that he would condemn any Book i' th' World tho' written never so much to the Advantage of Him and his Party if he had an Antipathy against the Author And this was visibly to be seen at the same time For the famous Minister M. de la Rocque compos'd an excellent Treatise of the Right of the Regale and which is one of the most strenuous Pieces that have been seen upon that Subject nevertheless the Confessor forbid him to publish it that it might not be said of him That he made use of a Heretick Pen to support the King's Prerogatives against the Church and perhaps i● that he did not do so much amiss The same could not be said of M. Chastai● who was a good Catholick He had compos'd a very excellent Piece entitl'd The true Erplication of the Concordat Wherein he made out a very specious Right of Nomination to several Benefices The King had also appointed Commissioners to examine it but what avail'd all this to a Person whom La Chaise hated He was forbid to print his Book and that was all the Reward he had for his Pains to have labour'd a long time to no purpose and perhaps against his Conscience Nor were they the Churches only endow'd with Benefices which La Chaise resolv'd to Subjugate under the Yoak of the Regale but the Monasteries of the Urbanist Monks of the Order of St. Francis who ever since their Institution had been Priories Elective only from Three Years to Three Years The whole Congregation of St. Maur among the Benedictines under-went the same Fate The Abbot of Clugni who had been Canonically elected was expell'd and the Monks enforc'd to receive the Cardinal of Bouillon who took possession of it By virtue of the same Prerogative the Abbies of Chezal-Benoist which had been united to that Congregation by the Authority of the Holy See and the Grants of several Kings had every one a secular Abbot impos'd upon 'em as had also a Thousand others too tedious here to be inserted All these Intrusions were enforc'd where Residence was absolutely necessary for Example upon Nunneries and all this by Force of Arms and the Ministry of a 100 Dragoons who after they had broke open the Gates of the Nunneries committed a 1000 Disorders and many times most horrid Violences and Sacrileges These Exorbitances at length reach'd the Holy Father's Ears by the Complaints of the Monks and Nuns at the same time that the Bishops of Pamiers and Aleth made the same Lamentations And it griev'd him beyond Expression to see That a most Christian King pre-possess'd by an impious Varlet of the Society of Jesus as he stiles himself should yet the Church with Persecutions so cruel and till then unheard of under the Reign of a Catholick Prince He wrote therefore to the King several Briefs and laid before him with an Affection altogether cordial and paternal the Injustice wherein he had unwarily engag'd himself by the Counsells of his Ministers and particularly of Father La Chaise who had giv'n him an Idea of Things contrary to Reason and Equity Beseeching him for God's sake to surcease a Proceeding so unbecoming those great Actions which had otherwise extoll'd his Fame and no longer to permit the Sighs and Groans of so many pious People consecrated to God to ascend to Heaven and implore Assistance against the Violences and Profanations which they suffer'd under his Authority He also wrote to the Cardinals Bonzi and D'Estrees to the Arch-bishop of Paris and Father La Chaise which wrought no other Effect but only that it procur'd the sending of D'Estrees to Rome Who to perswade his Holiness to swallow patiently this bitter Cup set forward in August 1680. The Clergy who were then assembl'd had receiv'd a large Brief from his Holiness upon the same Subject to which all the answer they gave was this that they wrote a Letter to the King wherein they told him that the Pope took upon him to concern himself in a business which they could by no means approve in regard that instead of submitting to the common good of the Church he only gave people an opportunity to cabal together to encrease Confusion and Schism and to encourage and embolden seditious spirits the consequences of which would be very pernitious The next year the Assembly had several debates upon the Regale The Archbishops of Reimes Ambrun and Albe the Bishops of Rochelle Autun and T●oye being Commissioners it was pronounc'd that the Regale was a Right annex'd to the Crown not to be alicnated without the compass of prescription and against which no opposition could be made directly or indirectly without palpable injustice The poor Bishop of Pamiers well understanding the unworthiness of these Prelates who had sold themselves to Court Favour and had so perfidiously betray'd the Rights of the Church entrusted in their Hands and finding himself alone poor feeble dispossess'd and no way able to support 'em was seiz'd with such a lively sorrow that he soon follow'd his Brother the Bishop of Aleth who dy'd some months before During his sickness he wrote three Letters one to the Pope desiring his Prayers and his Protection of the Church which most assuredly after his death would be subjected to the Regale another to the King to ascertain him that he had never taken the liberty to oppose his Ordinances and Decrees but to satisfie the duty of his Function and the Character he wore which oblig'd him indispensibly to defend the interests