Cardinal Mazarin's LETTERS TO LEWIS XIV. The present King of FRANCE, On his Love To the Cardinal's Niece.  
Together With his Secret Negotiation with Don LEWIS D' HARO, Chief Minister to the King of Spain.  
LONDON, Printed for R. Bentley, in Russel-Street in Covent-Garden. 1691.   

THE PUBLISHER To The READER.  
THE Design of this Preface is not to Commend these Letters, being sufficiently recommended by his Name who wrote them; and Cardinal Mazarine is so well known, that 'twould be needless to undertake the giving any account of him; so that we have only to say what they Contain, and how they are Published.  
A Man need only to cast his Eyes on them, to see they are not Supposititious; the Tour, the Style, the Matter itself, all is Natural, and savour of the Original. Had they indeed been Printed as we found them, they would have been unintelligible to most Readers; whether the fault comes from the Copyest or the Cardinal, who has more than once acknowledged he was but a bad Writer of French, and there is reason to believe he never spoke truer.  
It is easily seen we have altered nothing, but only endeavoured to make every thing intelligible; and to this end, inserted in the Margin what was thought needful for the explaining several difficult Passages of the Text.  
As to the Subject of these Letters, we expect the Reader should think himself obliged for the Publishing them. It is only pity there are no more of them: Yet these are important enough to show they are not the least; They fully discover to us he Cardinal's Genius, and his way of managing Intrigues. The circuits he took to bring Don Lewis de Haro to his Ends, are not the least curious places in the Book. But in my Opinion, nothing excels the Letters he wrote to the King, on the Affection his Majesty showed at that time to the Cardinal's Niece, married some time after to the Constable Colonna: Especially the Twenty Third appears to me admirable. I could never have believed the Cardinal so honest a Man, and however Politic he is supposed to be in this Affair, yet we must admire his Generosity; and let People say what they will, I do not doubt but he was able enough to undertake this Affair, and Powerful enough to support himself in it, and remove all Obstacles which might be thrown in his way.   


LETTER I.  
Of the King's passion for the Cardinal's Niece. Of his Family.  
To the Queen at Chateauneuf. July the 10th. 1659.  
Madam,  
I Have sent the Footman who brought me your Letter of the 7th Instant, to deliver to the Person whom you know that which the Confident 
* The King.  directed to me; believing that she was still with me; and I answer you by Hers whom I dispatch to you, that I cannot sufficiently express my displeasure, observing the earnestness of the Confident, and that instead of practising the Remedies, which may moderate his passion, he omits nothing which may augment it. And if you connive at what he does, as you send me word, after the example of the Person which belongs to him, he will be always glad to do as he does, seeing he has in a manner your approbation, and will hereby be exposed to greater inconveniencies than you imagine. As for my part I will never give over the doing my duty, and if I see that this avails nothing, I know whereunto my Fidelity and Zeal and Tenderness, which I have for the service and reputation of the Confident will oblige me; which is to say, that I shall die with the despair of having been so wretched, that any thing which relates to me could be the cause of soiling his glory, which I have endeavoured to raise up to the highest point, employing for this end all my study and care, and I may say, without vanity, not without success.  
Seeing you desire to come forward, you will not be displeased to see what I writ hereupon to the Confident, and you will do me the justice to be persuaded, that though the state of Affairs permits me to deal thus, I lessen in nothing the desire I have to see myself near the Persons I most esteem. And seeing you testify that you are well pleased, when I declared to you the satisfaction which I have from Angels, I will tell you it is above what I can express, seeing the manner after which they writ to me, and remembering what you have had the goodness to tell me on a certain point, which has always given a great deal of trouble to the Mother. I protest to you that nothing has touched me equally to what you have been pleased to tell me hereupon, and with so obliging a tenderness, that nothing is capable to efface it ever out of my mind, which has for you all the sentiments which the Angels themselves can desire.  
I wrote to Madam de Venelle, to let Mariana know the honour you do her, and I doubt not, but she will write to you in Verse with as much vigour as she has done in Prose.  
I render my humble thanks to Monsieur for his remembrance of his humble Servant. And I am sorry, you were not pleased to denote to me the things he said, and his demands, seeing I take a great pleasure in executing his orders, being persuaded he has more Friendship for me than I deserve.  
I believe that you and the Confident aught to adjust the affair of the Palatine before parting, making her know that by the News you have received from Spain, you are obliged to withdraw the charge o● Superintendant of the future Queen, for which it seems to me she should be given 150000 Livers, and to be assured that she shall effectually receive them. The Abbot ‛ Montaign ' may be employed in this Negotiation, but he should be instructed to speak in such a manner, that she should acknowledge that the business ought to be indispensibly thus executed, and that moreover the Confident and you have for her all the esteem she can desire.   

LETTER II.  
To the King. He entreats him to break off all Commerce with his Niece, and alleges the Reasons.  
To the King at Montlieu. July the 12th. 1659.  
Sir,  
YOu will find hereunto joined a Packet, which was directed to me from a place near Rochel, and you will permit me to tell you, with the respect and submission I own you, that tho' my Complaisance for the things which you have desired, has been ever to the utmost bounds, when I believed I could render it you without prejudicing your Service and Honour, and that I would willingly do the same in this rencontre: Yet the matter concerning my Reputation, and that of a Person whom you honour with your good will, I conjure you to break off the commerce you hold with such great deal of notice from abroad, inasmuch as you cannot continue it without doing me an irreparable injury. Tho' you be the most just and most reasonable of all men, and that I need not doubt, but by this only motive you will grant me this favour; yet I will receive it as the greatest recompense you can bestow on me for my small services; and I dare to say you own it yourself in the present conjuncture, when you are on the point of setting forth, to execute a thing which does not at all agree with this commerce, which does you more injury, than if the Person in question was at Court.  
Did you know how 'tis talked of at Fontainbleau, and among Persons who accompany me, you would not need my entreaties.  
I keep by me likewise several intelligences from Flanders, and divers other places, which speak with great freedom of all this, which has surprised me; and as I desire your honour more than any thing that concerns me, I cannot therefore forbear hinting to you these particulars, to the end that reflecting thereon, you may take up the Resolution of doing what I humbly propose to you. I beg your pardon, if I urge you to a thing which perhaps you cannot well relish; however, I entreat you to believe, that I would willingly part with my life, to have the happiness of never proposing any thing to you, but what you like, and what is suitable to your glory and interest. I humbly beseech you to confer on this matter with the Confident, 
* The Queen Mother.  and to believe me the most devoted of all your Servants.   

LETTER III. To the Queen. July the 12th. 1659.  
On the occasion of his Journey; and the deputation of Bourdeaux.  
Madam,  
I have entreated the Confident to communicate to you the Letter which I wrote to him on a subject which touches me very nearly, seeing it concerns any reputation, and that of Persons who are related to me, and especially his own in the present conjuncture, as I have signified to him. I conjure you to assist me in this, that he may take the resolution to which I humbly exhort him. I have not as yet had your answer to the Letter which I wrote to you from Poitiers on the return of the Currier from Spain, and I continue my Voyage in good health, and with a great desire that Don Lewis may answer the sincerity with which I go to confer with him, conformably to the orders which the Confident and you have given me. I am greatly apprehensive of the Engagements with the Prince for the future, and you may believe I will omit nothing to discover that matter. As to what remains, I think only of the time, in which I shall have the honour to see you, and the Confident, and I protest I have never more passionately desired it. You will easily believe it, knowing all the reasons obliging me hereto. It's already past Midnight, and I must part at two a Clock. I will end then in telling you, that the Members of the Parliament of Bourdeaux, being informed that I did not intent to pass through their Town, have sent me a Deputation, which I shall meet with to morrow at Libourn, although they have never done this before. I could have well dispensed with this Compliment: Do not believe that this extraordinary civility does much elevate me, seeing that the rude manner they used towards me heretofore at Bourdeaux, in not visiting me, did not much depress me. These are men of Conscience, seeing they will now restore to me with interest, what they then thought not fit to pay me. I am entirely yours, and more the Confidents, and I entreat you to permit me, that I may assure Monsieur of my most humble respects.   

LETTER. iv  
To the King. On his affection for his Niece. Queen's discontent. Arrival of Don Lewis de Haro. Order to pay Money.  
To the King. At Libourn the 14th of July, 1659.  
Sir,  
MAgalotti has delivered me your Letter of the first of this Month; and I have not been surprised at what you writ me touching the Person, of whom I wrote to the Confident; for I am sensible that you know her, and that you are not capable of giving your affection to persons who do not deserve it. Neither have I so much as once imagined this could be; but I believed this would be bragged of, which is most true; and it concerned your reputation that this report should not have been, and that every one should be undeceived. Yet I am much obliged to you for the manner after which you writ to me in this occasion, assuring you that I am affected as I ought to be with all your favours towards me.  
The Confident has signified to me by her Letter of the 1st Instant, that she had not reason to be satisfied with you, in a certain occasion, and refers me to what she wrote at large the day before. Yet I have not received this Letter, and I am in the greatest pain in the world on this account, and greatly troubled at the displeasure which the Confident believes she has received; though I cannot imagine the thing is of that importance. For if this were, when I should even die in the way, I would take Post to come where you are; but I cannot comprehend what this is, you having not done me the honour to inform me. I shall pass my time ill, till I am satisfied in this point.  
As to what concerns the Gold and Silver, I have explained myself sufficiently thereon; but it has happened that you have not understood my Letter; for it is another thing to permit the working on Gold and Silver, and the suffering all the world to wear it, one having nothing common with the other. Here every body would be agreed, that the King and Monsieur should wear it, and not others; yet you may do as you think fitting, and declare your will when you judge most proper.  
Pimentel parted this morning to meet Don Lewis. I would have delivered to him your Presents, which were very fine and rich, but he entreated me to keep them, till he has received Don Lewis. I have given him a Coach and Horses, together with a Chariot and Horses for his Servants; and have ordered the Governor of Gault to attend him, and defray his Charges till he comes to the Frontiers, having thought this requisite for your honour and service. I entreat you to let the Confident know this.  
I send you a Bill to order Colbert to pay at Moüin a thousand Pistols, or eleven thousand Livres. He will find this Sum, and greater, if your occasions require; and be pleased to believe that having nothing but what is yours, you may dispose of my poor Credit and Estate, and you cannot do me a greater pleasure; all my happiness consisting in giving you content, and gaining your good will.   

LETTER V.  
To the King. Queen's discontent. Assiduity of the King in writing to the Cardinal's Niece. Duty of Kings. Reasons to destroy the King's Passion. Cardinal's resolution.  
To the King. From Cadillac. July 16. 1659.  
I Have received your Letter of the second, and that of the Confident of the same date, touching which in my last I signified to you that I was in trouble; but they being come by the Ordinary, it was impossible I should receive them sooner.  
Should you not have commanded me so strictly as you have done, to speak to you with the greatest liberty, when the Matter concerns your service, yet I must have done it in this occasion, lest I should have endangered the loss of your favour.  
I have read what the Confident wrote me touching your Chagrin, and the manner how you have dealt with her; but knowing, as I do, that the love which she has for you is beyond all bounds, and that your good nature, as well as your duty, make you restless, as soon as you know you have displeased her; and that you immediately return to the testifying to her the greatest tenderness; on this account I am not greatly disquieted; but I must tell you, that I am not a little afflicted to hear from all hands, how the world talks of you; in a time, when you were pleased to declare to me, that you were resolved to apply yourself with all possible earnestness to business, and to leave nothing undone whereby you might become the greatest Prince on Earth.  
The Letters of Paris, Flanders, and other parts say, that you cannot be known to be the same Person since my departure, and not because of me, but on occasion of some one that belongs to me; that you are in engagements which will hinder you from giving Peace to Christendom, and to make your State and Subjects happy by your marriage; and that if to avoid so great a prejudice, you pass on to make it, the Person whom you espouse will be very miserable, without being culpable.  
It's said, and it is confirmed by Letters from the Court, writ to persons of my Attendance, which you may one day know, as well as other Advices, when I shall have the happiness to be near your Person.  
It's said then, that you are always shut up to write to the Person you love, and that you spend therein more time, than you did in conversing with her whilst she was at Court. 'Tis farther added, that I agree with you herein, and connive at this, to satisfy my Ambition, and hinder the Peace.  
It's said, that you are at odds with the Queen, and those who writ in softest terms say, that you eat seeing her as much as you can. I find moreover, that the complaisance I have had for you, when you were urgent with me to send sometimes News of you to this Person, and receive hers, ends in a continual commerce of long Letters; which is to say, to write to her every day, and to receive an answer; so that the Currier is always charged with as many Letters as there are days; which cannot be without scandal, nor even without blemishing the reputation of the Person and mine.  
And that which is worse, is, that I am informed by the answers which the same Person has sent me, when I would have advised her for her good, and by the advices which I have continually from Rochel, that you omit nothing to engage her more and more, by assuring her that your intentions are to do for her such things, which you know ought not to be, and which for several reasons are impossible. Would to God that without wounding your reputation, you could discover your thoughts to others, and hear their answers, which from the highest to the lowest in your Kingdom would so condemn them, as to cover you with great shame; and then I should not find myself in that sad condition wherein I have lain, being not able to sleep a wink, and knowing not what I do, my mind being so oppressed with sorrow, that I cannot give you so good an account of your affairs, as I have done heretofore.  
God has established Kings (after what respects Religion, for the maintenance of which they ought to do all things) for to watch for the good ease and preservation of their Subjects, and not to sacrifice them to their particular Passions; and when such unhappy Princes have appeared, they have been commonly abandoned by the Divine Providence, and Histories are full of the Revolutions and Miseries which they have drawn down on their Persons and States.  
And therefore I boldly admonish you not to hesitate any longer; and tho' you be the Master in a certain sense to do what you please, yet you must give an account to God of your actions for saving your soul; and to the World for the saving your credit and reputation. For whatever you do they will judge of it as you give ●●em occasion.  
And though you have the goodness to write to me that you are 〈…〉 to do whatever is requisite for your good and reputation; yet you must permit me to tell you, that writing in other terms to Rochel, I know not what your intentions are: and in this doubtfulness I must represent to you, that the matter here concerns not only your honour and glory; 〈◊〉 raising States often one has means to raise up both one and the other, when by misfortune it has happened that they have received an till stork. But in this case, should your Subjects be so unhappy by your not taking the resolution you ought; nothing in the World can hinder them from falling into greater miseries than ever, and all Christendom with them.  
And I can assure you, of my own knowledge, that the Prince of Conde, and many others, are on the Watch, waiting for the event of this, hoping, if things fall out according to their minds, to make good advantage of the plausible pretence which you may give them; in which case this dangerous Prince will not fail to have the Parliament, the Grandees, and the Nobility of the Kingdom, and all the People favourable to him. Besides that it would not be forgotten loudly to be proclaimed, that I have been the adviser and upholder of the Conduct you have hitherto held.  
I am farther obliged to tell you wi●● the same freedom, that if you do not speedily surmount the passion which blinds you, although your Marriage be perfected with the Infanta, it is impossible but that in Spain they will have knowledge of the aversion you have thereto, and the ill treatment the Infanta must expect, if at the point of conclusion you continue to show that all your thoughts and affections are elsewhere. Besides I hold it for certain, that they will take at Madrid the resolutions which we would take here in like case. And therefore I entreat you to consider what blessings you may expect from God and Men, if for this we must begin again the bloodiest War was ever known, and with the more prejudice, that we have carried away the advantages of late; that God has favoured your cause and the holy intentions which you and the Queen have ever had.  
I the more willingly declare this to you, in that Pimentel in his journey has intimated to me twice or thrice, that all the World says you are too amorous to marry so soon; and that the same thing was writ to him from Flanders in terms which gave him some disquiet.  
I conclude all this discourse, by declaring to you, that if I find not by the answer which I conjure you to make me with all speed, that there is reason to hope you will return to a right mind, for your own good, for your honour, and the preservation of this Kingdom, I have no other course to take, to give you the last token of my fidelity, and zeal for your service, than to remit into your hands all the benefits which it has pleased the deceased King, and you, and the Queen to heap upon me, and to embark myself with my Family, to go and pass the rest of my days in some corner of Italy, and pray to God that this last Remedy may produce the cure which I wish more than all the things in the world; being able to say, without exageration, and without using the terms of submission and respect I own, that there is no tenderness comparable to that which I have for you; and that it will be impossible for me not to die with regret, should I see you do any thing which may blacken your reputation, and expose your Person and State.  
I believe you know me well enough, to believe that whatever I writ comes from the bottom of my heart, and that there is nothing which shall change my resolution which I now denoted, but the answer which you will make me, that you will henceforward begin a new course, and become Master of the passion to which at present you are enslaved. You must do this, or make the two Persons, whom you testify to so greatly honour with your affection, to be separated from you for ever, and to become the most unfortunate Wretches on Earth.  
The answer which you will make me, will serve me likewise for instruction in what manner I ought to observe in the congress between Don Lewis and me in reference to the Marriage; for after all, your Honour and Conscience will not suffer you to choose the most faithful of all your Servants, to assure the King of Spain of any thing which you will not inviolably observe.  
I signify nothing of this to the Confident, it depends on you to communicate to her what I have writ to you, protesting in the sight of God, that you cannot do better than to follow her counsel, in the condition you are in, and to take up the resolutions which God and all Christendom expects from you. For it's certain, that if her life would procure your content, she would willingly part with it, and therefore you are greatly to blame, if you imagine she does not love you, because she does not flatter you in certain things, which being at present according to your sense, yet are far remote from reason; and to speak plainly, by the same consequence you must believe, that no body in the world loves you, seeing no body will approve of your inclinations and conduct.   

LETTER VI.  
To the King against his passion.  
At St. John de Luz July 22.  
Sir,  
MY pain being somewhat abated, I take my Pen to tell you, that I have received your Letters of the 16th. 20th. and 22th. Instant, among which is the answer which you are pleased to make me to the dispatch I sent from Cadillac. You do me indeed the honour to tell me you are persuaded that I seek nothing but your glory and the good of your State; and therefore you are resolved to follow more than ever my advice; but at the same time you do the contrary. I had entreated you to write no more to Rochel, and you have answered me that would be too hard, and that the Confident had approved your reasons; so that one may conclude, that I have some credit with you, and that you will follow my advices, provided they be according to your sentiments. You speak only at present of following those of the Confident, because they agree in some sort with yours; and without explaining yourself more on my Letter from Cadillac, you give me excessive assurances of your good will and intentions, of following my counsels, yet without denoting precisely your will in respect of what I ought to treat with Don Lewis. You conclude that you shall never more fail of following the counsels of the Confident, and that you do not doubt but I approve this resolution; this is in plain English but a shifting of the question, and a mere put off. You are the Master of your conduct, but not of obliging me to approve it, when I certainly know, that it is prejudicial to your Honour, to the good of your State, and the happiness of your Subjects. In fine, as I cannot commit a greater crime in your respect, than to disguise things from you which concern your service, so I declare to you that I cannot be at rest, nor satisfied, if I see not by the effects, that you make yourself Master of yourself; for without this, all is lost, and the only remedy I am to practise, is to retire and to carry along with me the cause of the miseries which are ready to happen.  
I have the ambition which an honest man ought to have, and perhaps in certain particulars I pass the bounds. I love my Niece very well; but without exageration, I love you yet more; and I more interest myself in your Glory, and the preservation of your State, than in all the things in the World. And therefore I cannot but repeat the things which I wrote to you from Cadillac; and though they be not agreeable to you at present, yet I am sure you will love me for 'em another day, and have the goodness to acknowledge, that I never rendered you a more important service than this.  
The Confident loves you with the greatest tenderness, and it is impossible for her not to gratify your desires, although she knows they many times are disagreeable to Reason; she lets you proceed, because she is not able to see you out of humour. As to my part, I believe I have the same tenderness as the Confident, but this tenderness makes me harder, and more firm to oppose what is absolutely against your reputation and service; for should I do otherwise, I should be accessary to your ruin.  
You are pleased to give yourself the trouble to tell me that you believe what I sent you word was said of you, and the commerce you had at Rochel, but that neither you, nor the Confident, have heard any mention of it.  
This is not strange that no body should speak to you about it; and for the Confident, she cannot know what I know, but assuredly she knows a great many things which she does not tell you, that she may not displease you.  
I wish would Monsieur Turenne could dare to tell you the discourse held on your occasion, and then you would see I advance nothing of my own head. In fine, I reply to you, that all Europe talks of the passion you have, and that every body speaks of it with that liberty as is prejudicial to us. Even at Madrid the business is known, for they have not failed to write it from Flanders and Paris, with intention to break the project of the Alliance which is in hand, to hinder the execution of the Peace.  
When I shall have the honour to see you, I will show you Papers which will discover to you far more than what I have wrote. If you remedy not this without delay, the affair will every day grow worse, and become incurable.  
I ought moreover to complain that you take great care to send to Rochel what I writ to you. Judge I pray you, if this be obliging to me, and advantageous for you, and if this be a means to contribute to the cure of the Person to whom you writ.  
As to the News I have to give you, I remit myself to Mr. Tellier; and moreover you will do me right, if you believe I shall omit nothing here which may tend to your service, notwithstanding the troubles I am in, and the great difficulties I see must be surmounted.   

LETTER VII.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. Civility of Don Lewis. Manner of the Cardinal's receiving him.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. From St. John de Luz, July the 30th.  
I Have retained this Currier in expectation of the answer of Mr. de Lionne, and Mr. de Pimentel, to the end I may inform you of what they bring from Don Lewis de Haro relating to our interview.  
Be pleased then to let the King and Queen know, that nothing could be added to the Civility which Don Lewis shown me. He has moreover writ me a very obliging Letter, and signified to me, that if my Distemper continued, he would come and see me as far as Bayonne; and farther, that he was content to visit me, first in France, passing cross the River which separates the two Kingdoms; but this being a thing which was not thought proper at Madrid; he desired me not to take it amiss if he tarried for the King his Master's answer to the Letter she wrote him, assuring me beforehand, that this answer, which he should not fail to receive to Morrow Night, would not be contrary to that he gave me concerning his coming first to see me, being content I should receive his visit in bed, seeing my indisposition would not let me do otherwise. I believe I shall receive him at a Castle not far hence called Vrtebia 
* Where was the interview in 1463. of Lewis XI. King of France, & Hen. IU. King of Castille. , and which I may return him at Hiron, or at Fontarabia. The Marshal de Gramont will go to meet him with a great Train at his entrance into the Kingdom. Orders will be given at the same time to make two Bridges on the River of Andaye, which shall lead to a little Island which is in the midst, distant about 500 Paces from the place, where the exchange of the two Queens 
* Ann of Spain, Wife of Lewis XIII. and Elizabeth of France, Wife of Philip Prince of Spain. The exchange was made Nou. 9 1615.  was made; and though this Island be a neutral Place, and in a manner nothing, yet it's agreed, that without prejudice to the King's rights, he will raise some Buildings there, and receive me there with all possible honour, contesting about no advantages which I may pretend.  
I could not well approve openly of his sending into Spain for this, but Don Antonio Pimentel silenced me, in saying, that if this gave me any disturbance, Don Lewis would come this very day to see me, without waiting the answer from Madrid.  
But seeing these Gentlemen do not hasten, and experience showing me they do nothing by hazard, I therefore believe it my duty to entreat the King and Queen that I may make an halt three or four days at Poitiers, under pretence of resting my Train, to the end I may inform them of what passes in our first Conference, in which I believe it will be no hard matter to discover the intentions of Don Lewis, before their Majesties continue their journey to Bourdeaux. I beseech you therefore to acquaint them with it; though I wholly refer myself to what they shall judge fitting.   

LETTER VIII.  
To Monsieur le Tellier: Preparatives for the Conferences. Buildings of Bridges, and Chambers.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. From St. John de Luz, the 5th of August, 1659.  
I Have already informed you, that we have in a manner agreed, that Don Lewis should give me the first visit, and that afterwards I would return his at Hiron, or Fontarabia, and that he will build a great House in an Isle, which separates the two Kingdoms, where the Conferences will be held; but having seen, that this Affair would hold long, he pretending not to enter on business in the two first visits, which I have Collected from some words which Don Antonio Pimentel has uttered; That Don Lewis might be sick when I gave him a visit; and that moreover the world might find fault, that the Conserences should be held in a place, which might be respected as Don Lewis' House, because 'twas he that built it, though in a neutral place.  
All these Reasons, I say, and especially that of abridging the Negotiation as much as may be, made me advise yesterday morning with all our Gentlemen, and resolve to tell Don Antonio Pimentel, that I thank Don Lewis for his civility in offering to make me the first visit; and that being responsible, as we are, to all Christendom, for the moments we tarried to enjoy the effects of the peace, I therefore judged it expedient to retrench the first visits and without any more delay we cause Bridges to be made, to pass each of us on his side into the Isle, where might be equal Lodgings built, and a Chamber at the head of the Isle, in an equal distance from the two Lodgings, in which there may be two doors, one on his side, and the other on mine, by which we may enter, taking both of us our places in the seats which shall be prepared from each party in the midst of the Chamber, which we shall take care to build, and furnish each of us half; whereby we shall avoid the inconveniencies which Don Lewis apprehends, if my Train and his could commodiously land, because there might be Orders given to transport only a certain number of the most qualified persons into the Island, and of whose behaviour there would be no danger. There being no difficulty in the execution of what's above mentioned, Pimentel having on his part spoke conformably thereunto, and being set out yesterday in all haste to carry the whole matter to Don Lewis; so I have set forth this morning at break of day the Sieurs de Chouppes, and de Sevigny, with five or six able Persons, and about forty Carpenters, to work incessantly at the Bridge and Building, which must be made in concert with the Officers of Don Lewis; and I have moreover sent for this effect twenty Wagons laden with Timber, and if they work day and night as I have given Order, I believe our first Conference may be held on Thursday next, or the next day at farthest.  
Monsieur the Marechal de Villeroy, who went this Morning to view the place, has related to me, that whatever has been Projected, may be easily executed.  
I forgot to tell you, that all these Gentlemen have been very earnest with me, to put off visiting Don Lewis at Fontarabia, should be come to see me here, because this is to expose ourselves without necessity to things, which although there's no likely hood they will fall into Don Lewis' mind, yet are practicable, there being persons about him, who being not over tender in either Honour or Conscience, might suggest to him, this as a lucky occasion to make advantage.  
For my part, I acknowledge to you that I am not able to believe that any person whatever can be so base; and I dare affirm Don Lewis is not capable of having such a thought, and that if any one should dare to propose such a treacherous project, he would very ill resent it; but there's no need of saying any more of this. I entreat you to impart all this to the King and Queen, and to believe that you have not a more faithful Friend.   

LETTER IX.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. Cardinal's impatience for the Conference. Praeliminaries of the interview.  
From St. John de Luz, August the 10th. 1659.  
I Continually torment myself, using all diligence to hasten the happy day, in which Don Lewis and I shall see one another; but yet I cannot vanquish the slowness with which these Gentlemen proceed.  
I was in hopes we might have seen one another this day, and I sent Monsieur de Lionne yesterday morning for this effect, but you will see what he said to me yesterday night by the Copy of the Letter which I send you.  
This morning Chouppes came here to confirm me the same thing, we must have patience whether we will or not.  
Yet I receive mighty obliging compliments every day from Don Lewis, who signifies to me that he will yield to me in every thing, so earnest is he to begin the conference.  
Pimentel came as from him the other day, and I have agreed with him about the smallest circumstances which are to be done on one side and the other, when we shall see one another; which is to say, of the number of the Guards which we are to bring, the Persons which shall accompany us in the Isle, to remain there during the time of the Conference, and even to the sort of Tapestries which are to be in the common Room.  
I have no difficulty to agree about these trifles, I tell him that Don Lewis or my reputation will receive no harm, when the Hang and Carpets of one, should not be so rich as those of the other, seeing it's well known we have Masters, who have given us means enough to have the best.  
I said likewise that if I believed I could make Christendom enjoy the happiness of the Peace a quarter of an hour sooner, by leaving naked all the Walls of my Apartment, that there is nothing in the World I would more gladly do.  
In fine, we must sometimes accommodate ourselves to the infirmities of others, but I can tell you, that if I loved ostentation, I have wherewith to satisfy myself, seeing I have certainly better Tapestry, and in greater quantity than Don Lewis; I have far more people than he of all kinds, which is to say, more Domestics, more Guards, and more persons who accompany me, and I believe there will be at least thirty Coaches with six Horses which will follow me the day I go to the Conference.  
They have desired there might be boards put up all along to the point of the Isle, to the end there may be no communication between those who accompany me, and those who shall come with Don Lewis; which I have liked well; for there's danger, lest by the indiscretion of some Person there might arise some inconveence; and whatever care might have been otherwise taken, it is impossible but our French would have scofft at the close Breeches, of which the Spaniards have already doubted. But methinks there's as much reason to laugh at the largeness of ours, and we might easily reckon ourselves even hereupon; but the Spaniards remember they have been greatly derided in the interview of Lewis XI. and Don Henry iv of Castille 
* Comines 2: Book Memoirs. Chap. 8. , the French wore their  then as short and close, as they wear 'em now large and magnificent. They would approve now of the mode of our Breeches, which is quite contrary to that of those times; but I never expect, considering the contrariety of these two Nations, that whatever Peace is made, we shall ever meet clothed alike.  
You may read all this to their Majesties, but not in public, because there would be Railleries' made hereupon, which being related, here would produce very ill effects.  
There ran a report the King of Spain was very ill, and a Florentin Gentleman, who came from Madrid had confirmed this News, but Pimentel has assured me of the contrary; That it was true that the Prince had not suckle in two days, but that the last Currier which came to Don Lewis, had brought News that the little Prince is perfectly well.   

LETTER X.  
To Monsieur de Lionne. Complaint of the Spaniards delays.  
From St. John de Luz, August the 12th. 1659.  
I Cannot tell what to say of these linger, and it's a trouble to me to see how the World murmurs at it. Had the Chamber of the Conference been undertaken as I would have had it, I might have seen Don Lewis two days after; for all the rest is needless, I having for my part offered to meet him with one only Valet. There's no body in Europe but has his eyes turned that way, and I am certain by what's written from several parts, that these reasons are ill interpreted. You know on what resolution I parted from Paris, and it being agreed that the interview should be in a Church at Paris; every one therefore believed it would not have been deferred a Moment. Yet this has not been executed, having not been liked of by Don Lewis; and had he been pleased to tell me by Monsieur Pimentel at Bayonne, that honouring me with a visit first, he would receive me in bed when I returned his visit, I would have gladly complied, without sticking at these trifles, tho' I might have pretence sufficient to stand out, on the account of Cardinalship, whose Prerogatives are well understood in Germany, France, and Italy. I had consented to the buildof a common Room in the Isle, and thus the conferences might have been already ended, and Christendom begun to enjoy the effects of the Peace, after which it has so long breathed.  
It's needless to urge you to hasten them to put an end to this affair, for the thing itself speaks sufficiently, and it seems to me, that Don Lewis and I should merit more from the hands of God and Men, if we appeared each of us only with one Gentleman without any state, seeing that all our Pomp contributes nothing to the business in hand. As for the rest I remit myself to the Sieur de Chouppes who is returning; and you may well come back here to night.   

LETTER XI.  
To the same. Of the Secretary Don P. Coloma. Of the renunciation of the Infanta. Of Don Lewis' linger.  
To Monsieur de Lionne. August 1st, 1659.  
I Have received your Letter wherein I have been glad to find whatever has passed with the Secretary of State Coloma, and that I am not mistaken in the thoughts I have had, that we may draw great advantages from treating with him; seeing that besides the good dispositions which he had for all things which may contribute to a perfect correspondence, between the King and the King of Spain, and between Don Lewis and I, (which is not only necessary for the completing the Peace, but moreover to secure the continuance of it, and to do a thousand great things for the glory and advantage of the two Crowns) he is greatly interress'd to show us that we may expect more facility in the points which are to be discussed by his mediation, than by that of Pimentel, with whom he has reason to believe, I wish to continue to treat in the same manner as I have done at Paris. We must then make our advantage of this conjuncture, and make the best of the points which are still to be adjusted, seeing its likely the said Coloma will be the instrument to procure us the satisfactions which we may desire.  
You have done well to remind them of certain things, which might in some sort overturn, or at least bring into question, what has been determined and signed at Paris, and ratified since at Madrid; and you must carefully remember to hold still the same course for the future, in all the occasions of this nature which shall happen.  
I wish you had replied to the Sieur Coloma, when he spoke to you of the Marriage, and told you that we were only to regulate ourselves on the contract which had been made for that of the Queen, that he had reason, excepting the Article concerning the renunciation, for he seems to have affected to have spoken twice to you of it, to see what you would answer; and having made none, he believes without doubt he has gained his cause, and that we pretend nothing herein, although the reasons we have to deal otherwise be evident, and such as cannot be contested, not only because of what has passed at Lions with Monsieur Pimentel, who made the overture of Marriage by the order of Don Lewis; but this Marriage being the foundation of the Treaty, and the motive which we have had to declare that we would reassume the bottom of the Negotiation of Madrid, notwithstanding the changes which have happened since that time, by so many progresses which the Arms of the King had made on all sides; and that we would even sacrifice some of our conquests; yet we cannot be induced to lose so many advantages which we may justly pretend, without the conclusion of the Marriage of the King, with a Princess who might become Heiress of as great a Monarchy as that of Spain.  
For without this, the King would not have yielded so many points, and ospecially in a time, wherein the posture of Affairs, and the strength of his Arms, might make him expect fresh and greater advantages in the continuation of the War.  
And you well know, that I have convinced you several times, that Don Lewis' intention could be no other, when he sent Monsieur Pimentel to Lions, than to make the overture of the Marriage without renunciation, in the time when there was but one Prince in Spain.  
Seeing that Don Lewis and all the Spaniards believe, as it is true, that there is not a greater Match in Europe than that of the Infanta; so it is to be supposed, that they will grant that there is not a more considerable than that of the King.  
Let me entreat you then to take occasion to speak to the said Monsieur Coloma on this matter, under pretence of having made reflection on what he has several times told you, that the contract of the Queen ought to regulate this; for this will better make known to us the intentions they have on this particular; and give occasion to Don Lewis to speak to me of it, after which I shall be better able to penetrate into other things.  
I am obliged to tell you, that it is the temper of Don Lewis, not to resolve so soon in Affairs, but to spin 'em out as long as possible. And therefore we must be careful to press him incessantly, and make known to him by means of the Sieur Coloma, that it is not for his reputation nor mine, to lose time fruitlessly in adjusting things, which might be easily ended with equity and a reciprocal satisfaction.  
I shall be to morrow at Noon, without fail, at the Conference, as I have appointed with Don Lewis, and knowing not whether you are determined to come to night, I entreat you to do it, if you can without any great inconvenience.   

LETTER. XII.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. Conference with Don Lewis. Pimentel excluded from the Negotiation. The Cardinal demands the reason of it, which Don Lewis tells him. Preamble of the Treaty. The King is to send into Spain, to ask for the Infanta. Whether the King of Spain should conduct the Infanta to the Frontiers. On the Advantages which Spain pretended to gain for the Prince of Conde. Bold Proposition of the Cardinal. Mutual Civility between the French and Spaniards.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. From St. John de Luz, Aug. 19 1659.  
TO begin this Letter, I must tell you that the Conference I had on Saturday last with Don Lewis de Haro, which has been the econd, lasted near four hours and a half. Several of those points were examined, which are remitted to be adjusted here, and we agreed in the greatest part, of which a Memorandum was made, to be kept by us in writing. Don Lewis having named to do this with Monsieur de Lionne, the Sieur Pedro Coloma Secretary of State, whom he brought with him, Monsieur Pimentel has much resented it, and with reason, seeing that after he had the happiness to conclude and sign the Peace at Paris, he should be excluded from the Negotiation, and another put in his place. On which I will make a small digression to their Majesties, in that Lainet having vaunted on the mortification given to the Sieur Pimentel, would have it believed that his sacrifice had no other end, than the satisfaction of Monsieur the Prince, by reason he was too quick in promising what I had required of him to his prejudice. I thought I ought not to refrain saying a word hereupon to Don Lewis, but in such a manner, as might do no wrong to Pimentel, and which might neither occasion Don Lewis to believe that I took it ill he should make use of one Minister rather than another.  
I told him then, that I had a great curiosity to know whether he was satisfied with the Conduct of Monsieur Pimentel, he having reason to question it, seeing this Gentleman received not the public marks of his esteem and affection: That as I should be ridiculous, if I concerned myself about the Ministers he employed, or if I examined why he mortified those with whom I thought he should be content, the King of Spain being Master of his own Subjects, and Ministers; yet I was interessed in the ill treatment of Monsieur Pimentel, by reason that the Prince of Conde's Agents published, that this was done, not only because that he had proceeded beyond the Orders at Paris, touching the Interest of this Prince, but moreover by reason that the Signior Don Lewis believed he could not give to the said Prince a greater mark of his cordial friendship, than in sacrificing Pimentel, who had so successfully served in an an Affair of so great importance, and because I had an esteem for him, and considered him as my friend.  
I passed further on to tell him, that the principal Motive which had obliged me to talk by word of mouth with him on this frontier, having been not only to commence a sincere and perfect friendship between our Masters and the two Crowns; but moreover to establish a strict Correspondence between him and me, as I had been informed he had desired on his side; but I lost the hope this could ever be, if it were true he preferred the friendship of Monsieur the Prince to mine, as it appeared in what past in relation to the Sieur Pimentel, and which Lainet published with such care and ostentation. For this being so, I need not take on myself the trouble for the time to come, to confirm this friendship, seeing there is no likelihood of attaining it. So that I had great reason to regret my journey and that of his Excellency; seeing all the principal points of the peace having been Signed, and Concluded at Paris, and all the rest being easily terminated, our interview (which in my regard had no other object than this union between us, on which depended the quiet of Christendom) would remain fruitless, the consideration of Monsieur the Prince bringing an invincible obstacle to the end I proposed.  
He seemed much concerned at what I told him on the subject of this amity, and declared to me with great heat, that by all sorts of reasons he preferred mine before that of the Prince, praying me to hear a recital of the manner he had used with Monsieur Pimentel, having earnestly applied himself to give him, before all the world, all possible marks of affection and esteem, not only because he loved him, but because he considered in him, more than all his other qualities, the happiness he had of being in my favour; that he would not have showed such a great oversight as to mortify Monsieur Pimentel, because I esteemed him, and by this means to please Monsieur the Prince; that he was not obliged to answer for the discourses of Lainet, who spoke without grounds, and according to his own fancy; that he wished he could serve Monsieur the Prince; but by just means, and especially by the entreaties he made me, to use my utmost endeavours with the King, to procure him something more advantageous in this occasion, than what had been offered at Paris; that he never thought of excluding Monsieur Pimentel from this Negotiation; his intention having been on the contrary, to employ him more than ever; but that being likewise obliged to make use of the Secretary of State, whom the King his Master had expressly sent with him as an old experienced Minister; and who had all the Papers from whence might be drawn the necessary notices to give the last stroke, as well to the making of the Peace as the Marriage, he could not therefore but make use of him, yet in the intention he should labour jointly with Pimentel.  
But it not having been possible to oblige Mr. Pimentel to yield to him the first place, he could not see how they could act together, seeing that the Sieur Coloma by his Age, by the Office of Secretary of Sat, and by the King of Spain's sending him here, to labour at what there is to do, aught to pass first.  
And after having said a thousand obliging things, and testified that he wished for nothing more in the world than my Friendship; because he was persuaded of the same things I had told him, and by the great esteem he had for my person, he concluded, That if I would have him deal otherwise in relation to Pimentel, he would do it, and did not doubt but to make it be approved by his Master.  
I answered all his offers with the civility I ought, and declared to him, that being assured of his Friendship, I was not so ill advised as to pretend he should make use of other Ministers, than those he should judge fitting, because as to my regard they were all equal, seeing that I was assured of his good intentions, and that executing the orders he should give them, all would pass well.  
I the rather made you a particular relation of what passed on this point, because it was very nice, and that I believed I might draw a great advantage in all Negotiations for the time to come, by the discourses I have had hereupon with Don Lewis, in whose mind I think I have imprinted, that my complaint was chief grounded on the fear I had, lest his Friendship for the Prince, should hinder that which he should have for me, and which I judged necessary for the good of our Masters, their Subjects, and the quiet of all Christendom.  
And I begin already to see the effects I hoped for; seeing Monsieur de Lionne, whom I have sent to Andaye to labour with the Sieur Coloma, to reduce into writing the points agreed between Don Lewis and I, sends me word, that he meets with all the facility I told him of, in labouring with the said Sieur Coloma, not only because he believed him well intentioned, but because he studies to convince us that we shall have no less occasion to be satisfied with his conduct than that of Monsieur Pimentel.  
We accorded in this Conference about the preamble of the Treaty, which was one of the things which I had agreed upon with Mr. Pimentel at Paris, to remit here at my interview with Don Lewis. And having found by his discourse that he was not over fond in giving to the Pope any share in the conclusion of the Peace, seeing that in effect the Officers of his Holiness had no ways cooperated therein, and that he had gone so far as to say, that we must not deprive our Masters of the glory which was due to them, in having taken the necessary steps to conclude speedily the Peace which God had inspired into them: I was very glad to let him fall into the matter, to the end the proposition of making only mention in the preamble, of the King, and King of Spain, might come wholly from him. Having thus afterwards urged me to tell him what I thought on the manner after which we should draw up this preamble, I told him, that I was wholly of his opinion, not to take from our Kings the merit of having, by a Divine inspiration, given quiet to Christendom; and added, that as nothing ought to have contributed more to this, than the prayers of the Pope, so were his name inserted, all the World would have attributed the greatest part of the work to his endeavours. And so this point was adjusted to both our contents.  
We spoke likewise of several other things of small consequence, and of which for the most part the Plenipotentiaries of the two Kings were agreed at Munster, and I entreated to hasten business, that Mr. Lionne and the Secretary Coloma might reduce into writing these kind of things in which there could be no essential difficulty; besides that we might afterwards examine them together, to see whether there was any thing to be added or diminished.  
He liked also, that we should begin to work on the Articles of the Marriage, having made him sensible, that if we dispatched not this point, there were so many things which were to precede it, that we should find ourselves straitened for time, the Season advancing apace, and it being likely to be incommodious to every body, if we deferred beyond the beginning of October, the execution of what had been determined hereupon.  
Taking occasion from the mention of the hastening the time for the accomplishment of this Marriage, I told him that the King was resolved to send, as is customary, a person of Quality to Madrid, to demand the Serenissima Infanta, but seeing he that should be designed for this Office would spend a great deal of time in making his Equipage, and that what diligence soever he used, every thing could not be ready till the Month of September, I therefore took the boldness to propose to him whether the Catholic King could agree, that I should make this demand, declaring I had orders to go as far as Madrid, and if I did not do it, 'twas the goodness of his Catholic Majesty, who had spared me the trouble of so long a journey.  
He immediately answered me, that he wished this were done in the manner I mentioned, and that he would write about it the most favourably he could to the King his Master, but that to speak sincerely to me, he did not believe the Council would approve of this design, knowing the Duke of Maine was sent there heretofore, and that the appearances were in some sort necessary in affairs of this nature.  
He only added, that to abridge the time, in case the proposition I made him, was not approved at Madrid, there would be no inconveniency in the King's sending as it were in Post, him that he should choose for this Employ, who should be thus dispensed with, for making the preparations of an Ambassador; against which no body could say any thing, because every one might see that it was for expedition that this course was taken, for otherwise it would be impossible to do it within the time; these Circumstantials and Ceremonies not at all regarding the Essence of the thing.  
I endeavoured, after the discourse I had with him, to penetrate, whether the King of Spain designed to come as far as the Frontiers, telling him how greatly the Queen would rejoice to see and embrace him, as she had several times testified to Monsieur Pimentel, when at Paris. To which he answered me, That if the Queen desired it, the King his Master would willingly undertake the journey, having no less tenderness for her, than she had for him; and having demanded of him, if I might assure her Majesty of it, he told me I might. But though he spoke to me in these terms, the advices which I have, and which have been confirmed to me by the most considerable Persons about Don Lewis, say, that although the King of Spain is not really sick, yet he has a kind of Palsy in his arm, which will not suffer him to expose himself to the fatigue of so long a journey, whence he cannot return, but in the winter, so that there cannot be any probability of this, whatever is said by Don Lewis.  
But it signifies not much that he will in this disguise what he knows, and when the King of Spain shall find out some pretence to excuse himself from the journey, in the time when he has made himself expected, this will alter nothing, nor retard one moment the execution of what has been agreed. And I send you this notice only, that their Majesties may know to the full what Don Lewis has said to me touching this matter, and the different advices I have elsewhere. But their Majesties will be surprised, when they know, that notwithstanding whatever has passed in reference to Monsieur the Prince, in the first Conference, wherein I had so well answered the reasons that Don Lewis had alleged to me, to oblige me to obtain for the Prince something more than what had been agreed on at Paris, that I believed he would never have spoke more of it. Yet Don Lewis has returned again to the charge at the solicitation of Lainet, who had suggested to him new reasons.  
It will not be amiss to tell you whatever has past; but their Majesties are to know that I have replied on this subject with greater earnestness than I did at the first time, and that I have put Don Lewis out of a condition of contesting any more hereupon.  
And telling me in the heat of the discourse, that it was very hard, that we would not consent the Catholic King should give Monsieur the Prince a Recompense proportionable to the services which he had rendered him, and the losses he had suffered in France, wherein the reputation of his Majesty was the more concerned, that he had promised by a Treaty with this Prince, not to make a Peace till he was entirely re-establisht in whatever he had then when he entered into the Party of Spain; which was followed with other reasons of this nature: I replied, without being moved, That if he took the pains to set down in writing the reasons he had alleged to me with such great earnestness, I would sign them on my side as the only ones which should hinder me from consenting to what was proposed in favour of Monsieur the Prince.  
And because that he had mightily enlarged to persuade me, that the King might the rather acquiesce in the satisfying Monsieur the Prince, in that he had no other intention than to serve faithfully his Majesty all the rest of his days, and to deserve by this means the honour of his good will; I told him therefore, that supposing this were as true, as it was dubious, considering how this Prince had dealt with his Majesty, who had heaped on him so many favours; yet his Majesty, and all those who had the honour to be of his Council, would be accused of imprudence, should they confide again in the promises of this Prince. And for conclusion, I told Don Lewis, that seeing he shown such passion for the Prince's interests, I resolved on my side to contribute thereto, in humbly entreating his Majesty to approve of a proposition which I would offer to Don Lewis, by means of which the said Prince would obtain far greater advantages than those he pretends to.  
He heard this with great joy, showing great impatience to know what I would mention to him in this matter; I told him then, I would beseech the King to re-establish Monsieur the Prince and his Son, in all the Offices and Governments, which they had before the said Prince engaged himself in the service of the King of Spain, and that in exchange of the places which were raised, they should have others given them, provided his Catholic Majesty would leave Portugal as it was, which would end the War on all sides.  
I never faw him so moved as he appeared in this occasion, wherein all the heat of his body appeared in his face. He told me there was a great deal of difference between the Duke of Braganza and Monsieur the Prince; to which I replied, that he said true, for one was in possession of two Kingdoms, and that the other had nothing. In fine, he far rejected this proposition, alleging to me several other things, which, as you may believe, were not heard without reply. After which I told him, that I would not let Lainet have any knowledge of this overture, which, though it was rejected by his Excellency as impracticable, yet would give occasion to this man to importune him in the name of the Prince of Conde his Master.  
I knew I might boldly make this proposition without apprehending to be taken at my word, seeing that moreover this would be a means to demonstrate to Don Lewis, what a ready disposition the King shown for Peace, and of what consequence the point of Potugal was, which his Majesty had yielded at my humble supplication, and to re-establish Monsieur the Prince in so many places, Offices, and Governments, provided the King of Portugal might remain a peaceable Possessor of what is at present in his Obedience.  
And Don Lewis speaking to me continually of the great advantages which the King would draw from this Peace, reckoning up all the Places and Provinces which would remain in his Majesty's hands; I always helped myself out, by telling him, that this was not to be put in the balance with the release which we made on the Article of Portugal, although by other reasons, which I would not let the Spaniards know the thing is not in effect such, as I endeavoured to make it appear.  
Here is all I judged fit to write to you to make known to their Majesties, to whom it's fit to declare likewise, that God designs not only to have a peace between these two great Potentates, but moreover to take away the aversion which has always had such firm root between these two Nations.  
For whereas Don Lewis and I were equally afraid there should happen some quarrel between the Persons of our Train, during the course of the Conferences, they live together as if they had for many years contracted a firm Friendship between one another, which does not appear strange between Persons of rank; but to see on both sides, from the most considerable, even to the Grooms and Lackeys, that there should be an emulation who should be most civil, and treat one another most friendly; this is a thing so extraordinary, that it is no marvel if we be greatly surprised with it.  
Every day of the Conference I take care to provide Collations; and this produces a good effect, for during the Conference, all the great Ones of Spain, and the most considerable Persons of Don Lewis' Train, come and drink in my Apartment; and those which belong to me go into that of Don Lewis', where they are likewise very well entertained. To morrow Monsieur the Marshal of Gramont makes a great Feast at Andaye to the principal Lords who accompany Don Lews. So that you see that the great Affairs in hand hinder not these Gentlemen from making good cheer.   

LETTER XIII.  
To Monsieur de Lionne. On occasion of the following Conference.  
From St. John de Luz, August the 21th. 1659.  
I Come from receiving your Letter of Yesterday night six of the Clock; I am very glad you have adjusted the Conference for to morrow, and I will be there without fail at the usual hour.  
I am the more pleased, that I see you have no great hopes of adjusting any thing essential with Don Pedro Coloma, seeing you could no more do it with Signior Don Lewis. I wish he executes the resolution which he told you he had taken, to use on his side all kind of diligence, to the end this work may be the sooner perfected, and if he keep his word, I promise you that the most essential points shall be soon adjusted, at leastwise it shall be no fault of mine if they be not.  
But you will see (and I wish I were a false Prophet) that we shall confer four or five hours, and departed as we are wont, which is to say, without coming to any positive conclusion.  
I should be very glad if you would come here to night, if it be possible, to the end we might confer about the answers I have received from the King on the particular you know; for we must concert the manner to execute well the orders I have received from their Majesties.   

LETTER. XIV.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. Of the Bishopric of Apt. Conference with Don Lewis. His earnestness for the satisfaction of the Prince of Conde. Reasons of the Conduct of Don Lewis. His Proposals on this Subject. Cardinal's Answers. Complaint of the slowness of Don Pedro Coloma. Cardinal's judgement on the Conduct of Don Lewis.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. From St. John de Luz, August the 21th 1659.  
I Wrote to you Yesterday by a Currier whom the Chevalier de Caderousse sent me; and I defer the writing to their Majesties what passed in the last Conference till the return of the King's Footman.  
Before I enter on any other matter, let me entreat you to keep secret what I wrote to you touching the Bishopric of Apt; for the King will be perhaps obliged to have more consideration for the first Precedent of the Parliament of Aix, who requests it for his Brother, than for what I am to represent thereupon to his Majesty. However, if he thinks fit, the determination of this Affair may be deferred till my return to Bourdeaux; tho' I very much apprehend this will not be so soon as I wish for, and judge fitting. You will know the reasons of this fear, and what I do likewise to hasten the conclusion of this Affair.  
This last Conference held above Five hours, and, in a word, there has been nothing at all determined in it; for Don Lewis spent the greatest part of the time in making me entreaties, and used all imaginable means to oblige me to consent, that the King of Spain should give to Monsieur the Prince a Recompense proportionable to the great losses he had fustained in his service.  
Their Majesty's will easy believe that I was not much moved with Don Lewis' earnest entreaties; but being on the contrary weary with hearing so much said on one Affair, on which I had before declared to him what I could do, and it seeming to me that he was much to blame to lose fruitlessly a time so precious, which should be employed in giving the last stroke to the Treaty of Peace which had been already Concluded, Signed, and Ratified; I made him therefore plainly understand that I came persuaded that we should not spend Three Hours time in agreeing about all points which had been remitted to be adjusted here; but yet I saw that we had lost Fifteen in Three Conferences, and that when he should speak to me an Hundred times on the business of Monsieur the Prince, I could never return him any new Answer.  
Don Lewis being a Spaniard, besides the Phlegmatic Humour of his Nation, is naturally slow and irresolute, and as far as I can see, it's no difficult matter to divert him from concluding an Affair, when he is shown any difficulty in it.  
It's no hard matter to discern what is purely his own, and what is suggested to him by others; for I know very well, that in the Two first Conferences, and even in this last, he was partly persuaded by my Reasons, and that he had nothing to expect in behalf of Monsieur the Prince: Yet he always returned fortified with what Lainet and the other Adherents of this Prince have told him. I know likewise that he has received Letters from Brussels to press him hereupon, and perhaps these Persons have persuaded him that I would yield at last to his Instances.  
I see him then furiously harassed by what Lainet and others tell him, by the Letters which Monsieur the Prince writes him, and by the good Offices which Caracene and the other Spanish Officers, whose Interest is to hinder the Peace, do for him with Don Lewis.  
Neither do I doubt but it has been suggested to him, That holding out, he will compass all; and that rather than I should return with the rapture of the Peace, I will consent to what ever he would have me.  
It's moreover certain that whatever the French, partakers with Monsieur the Prince, or engaged in his service, writ here to Lainet, and to the Prince in Flanders, is lively represented to Don Lewis; and especially what Croisy has sent several times to Brussels, which is to say, That Don Lewis holding out will obtain for the Prince more than he desires, not only because a greater Misfortune cannot happen to me than not to finish the Treaty of Peace, by the ill effect which this would produce in the minds of all People, who would be able to procure my Ruin, seeing it would be no hard matter to persuade the World, that I had been the cause of this rapture, and all the evils with which it would be apparently followed; but because he farther knows, it being confirmed to him by the Advices of Persons well informed of the present State of the Kingdom, of the impossibility of raising Money, of which I am as sensible as any one, on which account I cannot imagine to continue the War; and so much the rather, that I also know the Cabals are ready, in case of a rapture, to break out upon me.  
I know, as having seen them, that there have been several Memoirs sent from Paris to Monsieur to Prince, who has sent them by an express Messenger to Lainet, tending all of 'em to oblige Don Lewis to stand firm in what respects Monsieur the Prince of Conde, and to insinuate, that should he be obliged to continue the War, every thing would change for the advantage of Spain.  
And the Prince being interressed that Don Lewis should thus believe, it's not to be doubted but he sends him word that England will be for them, That he has great Parties in France who will act strenuously for him, if the Peace be not made. But if he can oblige Don Lewis to continue the War, I hope he will find things in a different posture than that wherein they have been represented to him; and that the Crown of Spain will thereby receive the prejudice.  
I observe to you, whatever may make Don Lewis hold the Conduct he does, to the end their Majesties may see that I have not only his Humour to combat with, but in general, the Spirit of all ill Frenchmen, who from several Reasons hinder the finishing of a Work which destroys all their hopes of troubling the Kingdom, and puts them out of a condition to show themselves.  
I will now pass to the informing you, the most succinctly as I can, of the most essential matters which Don Lewis proposed to me in this last Conference in relation to Monsieur the Prince.  
He took great care to exaggerate the Passion which Monsieur the Prince had to acquire my good will, which he as much valued as the greatest Place which could be given him; That he knew this Prince spoke herein sincerely; That he could show it me by a private Advice he had received hereupon since Twenty Four Hours; and that if I would he would make him come Post here with only Two Gentlemen, as he himself desired, being assured that if we came to the Speech of one another, we should not departed without mutual satisfaction, and thus all would be ended.  
I rejected this Proposition, making use for this of reasons which may easily come into any Man's mind; and I declared to him in very obliging terms, that I found no difficulty in myself of giving my Friendship to Monsieur the Prince with the greatest sincerity; promising that if this Prince did what he ought, in reference to the King, there would be no Relations nor Friends in France from whom he might expect more marks of Service and Kindness than from me: And I likewise told him, That I would willingly give him a Blank on this condition for Monsieur the Prince to write his own terms hereupon; but that with all the Protestations and un-interressedness which the Prince showed, I entreated his Excellency to permit me to tell him, That having treated for Ten or Twelve Years with him, I must better know his Humour than his Excellency, who knew him only by the Letters he received from him, by the relations of the Agents and Adherents of this Prince, and by the Conduct he had held for a certain time; That having all his hope in the Protection which his Excellency promised him from the King of Spain, he must be very imprudent if he had not held a very submissive 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 solicits; and that I was sure his Excellency knew this as well as I.  
It was than 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 answered 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 Sovereignty, can I not at least obtain from the King to give him some State, as the Two Calabria's, or the Kingdom of Sardaignia?  
I told him, I scarce believed him in earnest, and that he dexterously made me these Offers, to show the Prince's Followers the desire the King his Master had to do great things for him, knowing well 'twould 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 advantageous than Places which he must lose when he died.  
But he likes not this, saying, That if they gave him Money, 'twould be a Gratification, and not a Recompense 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 stripped of whatever might render him, and had heretofore rendered him considerable to France.  
I answered him Three things. The First, That Subjects who revolt against their King, and put themselves under the protection of another, should never be termed Allies, because this term is only applicable to Sovereign 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 easy 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 called a Recompense, 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 passed 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 inferior to that of her Body.  
We resolved afresh, that, to abridge the time, Mr. the 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 informed by a Letter which Monsieur the 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 wished 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 solicitation 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 himself on this Subject, and tho' he be never so well persuaded 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 obliged 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.  
Yesterday Conference was a little sharp; I got from it with an entire satisfaction; in as much as the Strokes which I gave, some of which being bold enough, have shown me the bottom of Don Lewis his Heart, and confirmed me in the Judgement 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 failed 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 Emperor, 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 answered me, That what I said was true; but were I informed of the Offers which the Emperor had made to obtain the Infanta, and the great Advantages the King his Master might reap from this Alliance, whereas having preferred 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 spoke of the Offers the Emperor made the King of Spain, he means the Emperor would have broke with France, and carried himself in all things as the Catholic King would have had him, had he granted him the Infanta as she had been promised 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 rendered 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 itself, 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 persuaded 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 returned 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 reproached 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 wandered from their Duty, as Monsieur the Prince had done; and he insisted chief 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 one's Fortune. But I replied to him. That the Prince of Conty, and the Marshal of Turenne had implored the King's Clemency, and were returned to their Duty with the greatest Submission, without pretending any thing, and without any other condition, than that of being re-established in the honour of his Favour; that as to Hoquincourt and Foucaut, the King had done what the exigency of his Service requires, and that I well saw that Spain could have wished any thing else, to the end the first delivering them Peronne, Monsieur the Prince might have the liberty of ranging as far as the Gates of Paris; and that the other 
* Besides the Marshal's Staff, he had Fifty Thousand Lovis Dor's given him in ready Money.  holding firm in Brovage, and the Isle of Oleron, it should be impossible for us to end the Civil War, to recover all the places of the Kingdom which she had made us to lose, and to reduce Guienne and other Provinces as had been done: That as to the rest, it was true, the French were more prone than the Spaniards to fail in their Duty, but that the Kings, far from encouraging them by too much Mildness to hold always this ill Conduct, had always used them with the greatest Rigour, when the welfare of their Service had not obliged them to do otherwise; that herein they varied not in France from the manner was used in Spain, seeing when they could not remedy Rebellions and Insurrections which happened, they had Patience, as is apparent in relation to the Portuguese and Catalonians, who have been always sought to, and offered not only a Pardon, but moreover new Privileges, and great Recompenses to those of the Country who had most Credit: In fine, I hereunto added the Example of the Hollanders, who having maintained their Rebellion to the end, had at length been acknowledged by the King of Spain for Free and Independent States, and their Ambassadors treated as those of Sovereigns. And I concluded, That if more Rebellions and Revolting were seen in France than in Spain, this mishap was somewhat lessened by the facility wherewith the French returned to their Duty; which could not be said of the Subjects of the King of Spain, who having once thrown off the Yoke, never returned to their obedience again, but by force, as appeared sufficiently by the Example of the Hollanders, who are peaceable Possessors of several Provinces which were the Patrimony of the King of Spain not an Age past: That all the Revolts which had happened in France had not yet caused the King to lose a Thumbs breadth of Land; who on the contrary, by the apparent Blessing of God, had extended on all hands the limits of his Kingdom, maugre the Union of so many Princes and Parliaments who had conspired the Ruin of the State: So that the proneness of the French in failing in their Duty was corrected by the facility of their Return; whereas if the Subjects of Spain do more rarely forget themselves; yet when they do it, they as seldom return.  
I well perceived this Discourse racked Don Lewis, and I told him, I was troubled he had obliged me to it, but the Honour of France and that of the King required it.  
In fine, showing some emotion, he spoke to me again in more earnest terms of the satisfaction of Monsieur the Prince, telling me, his Master's Honour was therein engaged, so that he could not excuse himself from doing something considerable for him, without exposing himself to a perpetual blemish; and therefore he prayed me once for all to tell him clearly what he might expect in this point; seeing this being adjusted, all the rest would be easily accorded in one single Conference.  
It was here that I judged it conducing to the good success of this Negotiation, for the Service and Dignity of the King, and to know the bottom of Don Lewis' Heart, to transport myself by Address, in raising a little my Voice. I told him then, Sir, you speak with a great deal of liberty and freedom on the subject of Monsieur the Prince, which you regard as the principal decision of this whole Affair. For my part, I must declare to you, that having suffered more patiently than I ought Four Conferences to be taken up in contesting a thing already adjusted in the Treaty of Peace Signed at Paris, and ratified without therein changing a word, That the King will do nothing beyond what I have declared to you; and that even when his Majesty would permit me to make a longer stay on this Frontier, and we should have an Hundred more Conserences, you will obtain nothing more of me, because his Majesty will never consent, that the King of Spain should give the Prince a Recompense, which may serve as a Monument to Posterity of his Rebellion, and of pernicious Example to Persons of his Rank, to engage themselves in the service of Spain against the King and their Country, to gain like Recompenses.  
He would have interrupted me here, but entreating him to let me to go on, I continued to say to him, That Monsieur the Prince must resolve, as I have several times affirmed, to become wholly a Frenchman, or wholly a Spaniard; That the King would never suffer he should receive from his Catholick-Majesty other gratification than that I already mentioned; That it not being reasonable Christendom should longer remain plunged in the Abyss of Miseries, wherein a long War had thrown it for the Interests more or less of a particular Person, to whom for the sake of the Peace, the King had parted with a thousand times more Favours than he ought, and the success of the Affairs of this Kingdom permitted. Besides, Justice required the King should use towards the Prince the same manner as the King of Spain would use in relation to Portugal; otherwise I well saw, with a sensible displeasure, that the consideration of Monsieur the Prince, which had already hindered Three Years before the conclusion of the Peace at Madrid, to the prejudice of all Christendom (of which they must give an account to God, who had been the cause) might moreover occasion the rapture of a Peace Concluded, Signed, and Ratified; and that if the Emissaries of Monsieur the Prince and some other Persons were able to persuade Don Lewis, that holding out on this point, I would yield myself in the end, it being impossible for me to resolve to return without the work of the Peace receiving its perfection, lest I incur the hatred of the People: I therefore declared to him, that tho' it were true I should be greatly grieved in not succeeding in an Affair so much desired of all the World; yet I should return with this consolation, That no body could with the least show of Reason impute to me the fault of the rapture of the Peace, for the conclusion of which I had so happily laboured at Paris; That I believed the King might expect from the Divine Goodness, in the continuation of the War, the same Advantages, and it may be greater than those had been given him after the return of Monsieur de Lionne from Madrid, wherein the only consideration of Monsieur the Prince had hindered the conclusion of the Peace.  
It's not possible for you to tell me how smooth Don Lewis was after this bold Declaration, for there is no Civility nor obliging terms which he made not use of to satisfy me; saying positively, That nothing in the World should be capable of separating us without the entire establishment of the Peace, and the tye of a sincere and perfect Amity between us; and that, in fine, he conjured me to give him this day to see what he has to do on what regards the Interests of Monsieur the Prince; and that, if I thought fit, we might see one another again to Morrow, to terminate entirely this point, so that the King his Master might be content.  
Hence I took occasion to be more certain that nothing was capable to make Don Lewis to break this Negotiation; seeing having spoken so earnestly to him, and with such liberty bidding him choose his Bargain, he had from that very Instant changed his Style, speaking to me in the terms I now related; to which my silence, and the indifferency I affected for half an hour, engaged him more and more. And this is what has occasioned me to begin this Dispatch in the manner I have done, which is to say, by the judgement of what may be expected from the Intentions and Conduct of Don Lewis in this Negotiation.  
After we had paused a while, and I had began on my side to use more softness, I thought it fitting to make a trial by a wile, and which should, without engaging me to any thing, discover whether at bottom Don Lewis had so great a Passion to procure in effect the satisfaction of Monsieur the Prince, or whether it was only from ostentation, and to make a matter of Merit with the Prince, that he insisted with so great firmness that Establishments should be given him, offering still more considerable ones, as he found more repugnance in us to consent, seeing as I have already denoted to you, he had proceeded so far as the giving him either the two Calabria's or Sardaignia.  
And I judged I ought no longer to defer the knowing the bottom of his thoughts in this point, to the end I might see whether we might make our profit of the permission which the King hd given me on the subject of Monsieur the Prince.  
I took then occasion to exaggerate the small reason he had to advise the King his Master to offer Monsieur the Prince not only considerable Sums of Money, as a mark of the good will he had for him, but likewise the Government of the Low Countries, with the same Authority and the same Emoluments as the Cardinal Infant had, besides the Gift of several considerable Places of that Country situated on the Frontiers of France; seeing Monsieur the Prince himself (who is Interessed in the thing, and who should himself forge Reasons to make it be believed he should receive these Advantages without this depriving him of the Favours which the King had already offered to grant him) had declared, he would not accept of this Government; the Oath of Fidelity which he should be obliged to make to the King of Spain being inconsistent with his re-establishment in the King's Favour; which was so true, that Don Lewis had confirmed to me whatever Caillet had told me conformably hereunto.  
And as to Places, tho' Monsieur the Prince should not refuse the offer which Don Lewis had made him from the part of the King his Master, but on the contrary, declare he would accept this offer; yet it is not to be doubted but he was persuaded the King would in no wise consent to it; the same Caillet having told me, when going into Flanders, that the intention of the Prince was to receive them to remit them to the King, to the end his Majesty might know he would hold no correspondence with Spain, and to endeavour by my meditation to obtain some recompense in France, which might render him unsuspected.  
And I had the more reason to believe that it was the intention of Monsieur the Prince to deal thus, in that Caillet returning from Flanders, entreated me earnestly at Bayonne not to withstand the Advantages which the King of Spain would offer his Master, in giving him considerable Posts in Flanders, seeing he could assure me afresh, that Monsieur the Prince would use them, in the manner he should be prescribed by his Majesty, who would thus draw all the Advantage of the Places which the King of Spain should present him with. And continuing my discourse, I told Don Lewis, I believed that not only Monsieur the Prince had given order to Caillet to speak to me thus, but that likewise his Excellency must approve of it, seeing he testified to desire only the satisfaction of Monsieur the Prince in whatever manner he desired.  
I concluded, I had no other end in representing to him all this, but to make him see that Monsieur the Prince himself had judged he could not accept the Government of Flanders, nor receive Places, but only to put them into the King's hands, and to receive of his Majesty some recompense.  
Had it been true that Don Lewis had no other intention but that of satisfying Monsieur the Prince, he would not have failed of entering on the matter, and pressing me to obtain for him some establishment in France, in recompense of the Places which the King his Master would give him: But I saw plainly the contrary, for having been long perplexed to answer me, he told me the intention of his Master was not to give Places to Monsieur the Prince, without taking sureties that they should not go out of his hands; that his Catholic Majesty pretended to give him them only for a time, till he was entirely restored in France, and several other ordinary Reasons which concluded nothing, but which yet clearly confirmed me in what I suspected, as I have several times signified to you.  
After this were read all the points remitted here to be adjusted in the Conferences we were to have together, and he seemed to be very ready to end them speedily, whereto I hope will not a little contribute the manner I spoke to him. In effect, he gave orders to the Secretary in my presence, to set immediately with Mr. de Lionne to the drawing up most of these points in such terms as they two should judge most agreeable. Here is what I thought fit you should inform their Majesty's touching what has particularly passed in this last Conference.   

LETTER XVI.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. Cardinal's want of time to write what had passed in the Fifth Conference.  
From St. John de Luz, the 25th of August, 1659.  
I Came just now from the Fifth Conference, but being unwilling to defer any longer to send you the relation of what has passed in the last, which seems important enough to be known by their Majesties: I 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 passed to day.  
Yet I will tell you in short, to satisfy in some sort the curiosity their Majesties may have, that Affairs become every day more easy, 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 entreat 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 Hyperbolising, 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 obliged to write to you as I do, that their Majesties may be informed 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 writ 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 entreat you to give yourself the trouble to excuse me hereupon to their Majesties.   

LETTER XVII.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. Fifth Conference. Compliment of Don Lewis. Portrait 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 Union of the two Kings. Cardinal's Titles.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. From St. John de Luz, the 25th of August, 1659.  
I Thought that Yesterday Conference, which was the Fifth, would have begun by the point of Monsieur the Prince, because Don Lewis had entertained 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 encourage, by the greatness of such a Recompense, the Persons of his condition, and others, to engage readily on the side of Spain.  
But he began by ask 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 entreat me to bring him to the Feet of their Majesties, (these are his own terms) and to assure them he wished 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 entered into my Apartment, he had admired the King's Picture done by Mignard, had observed in it a Prince well shaped, of good Mien, 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 confirmed what Don Lewis told me in reference to the Catholic King, which is, That Don Pedro Coloma has showed 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 surprised by Sickness, which obliged 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 answered muy cara y alegra nueva, mi padre me lo ha' dicho todo, which is to say, This news rejoices me, my Father told me as much.  
I returned to Don Lewis, who largely discoursed 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 entered in discourse on what regarded the restitution of Juliers to the Duke of Newbourg, on which point Monsieur de Lionne had largely discoursed the day before with Don Pedro Coloma, in examining with him the points which remain to be adjusted. He told me, 'twas surprising he should have such a pretention, 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 Catholic King, making a Treaty with France, and engaging himself to embrace its Interests as he had done, with so little respect to his Catholic Majesty, and so great prejudice to his Affairs, that he would make me judge whether his proceeding deserved a Recompense, and he to be put into a better condition than he was in when he was allied 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 Catholic 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 persuaded there was nothing so just as to restore Juiliers to the Duke of Newbourg, to whom this place belonged 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 Duchy 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 Piedmont, (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 returned to the said Duke as fast as he re-established himself, and was in condition to keep these said Places; and that so generous an Example should persuade his Catholic 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, alleging for his greatest Reason, that the Catholic King had promised by a Treaty to procure it him, and so much the rather, in that there was a great difference between a Sovereign Prince, who required the restitution of a Place which he had parted with in trust, and a Subject, who would have a Recompense 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 Heartburning; in as much as the Allies being to be comprehended in the Treaty, the Catholic King could not exempt himself from using the Duke of Newbourg as the other Allies of France, this Duke being no less a Sovereign 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 Catholic 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 believed I ought to sustain this point with the firmness I have done, not only that it may serve to show the Duke of Newbourg we have endeavoured 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 Recompense, provided justice be done this Duke; but likewise that this release which I'll 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 spoke to me afterwards of the Duke of Modena, saying, The King his Master judged it not fitting to send the Ratification of the Treaty which the Count de Fuensaldaigne had made with this Prince, because he had discovered 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 joining himself to France against the Catholic 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 Governor 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 judgement 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 Ambassador to do this Office, and I even believed 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 stopped 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 which it was said, that in respect of the interests of the Duke of Modena, what he had treated and concluded with the Count de Fuensaldaigne, should be confirmed; so that the King of Spain having sent the Ratification of the Treaty of Paris, this Article by consequence was no less ratified than the rest.  
Don Lewis seeing he had nothing to answer me, saved himself by telling me, That in consideration the Duke of Modena was my Nephew, the King his Master would pass over this point as I desired.  
I told him I was far from receiving as an obligation, what his Catholic Majesty could not excuse himself from doing, without violating his Justice and Honour; that the Duke of Modena would have great reason to complain of me, should I pretend he were indebted to me for a thing, which is due to him by a Treaty, by which he had likewise consented and executed other points in the manner as the Count de Fuensaldaigne had desired. The Conclusion was, an Article should be inserted in the Treaty, which should be couched in the terms I desired.  
I took afterwards a Paper, in which are marked in Abridgement, all the points which remain to be adjusted, to the number of twenty, and we agreed in all, excepting five or six, the first of which is a pretention which I dexterously proposed to join Constans to the County of Roussillon, which is a contiguous Country, and of considerable extent, seeing it consists of more than two hundred and fifty Villages.  
The second concerns the Recompense of Bergue and la Bassee, the first of which I may say, without bragging, I have gained to the King by pure address.  
The third regards the pretensions which I likewise advanced, to have not only the Bailywick of Artois, but moreover the places of this Province, which depends on no Bailywick, as Merville and the Provostship of Chavancy, to which in truth we have no right.  
The fourth is touching what remains to be adjusted for a Road, which we pretend in Lorraine, and the Salt Pits of that Country, for which Don Lewis has entreated me to tarry till an Officer of the Duke of Lorraine arrives, who will soon be here, and have power to treat and conclude whatever may regard the interests of this Prince.  
The fifth concerns the Affairs of England; and for very strong reasons I placed it then last, as having judged 'twas not for the King's service to insist thereon, before we agreed to the preamble of all the other points.  
Yet we spoke of it several times, agreeing that this was too wicked an Example, to be left unpunished to Posterity, that Subjects should arraign their King, and put him to death; and that the Republic of England establishing itself, 'twas a power to be redoubted by all its Neighbours, seeing, without exageration, it would be an hundred times more formidable than that of their Kings.  
I forgot to tell you, that the restitution of Hesdin is agreed to be made on the day appointed, he taking on him the execution in some sort or other of what he has promised hereupon.  
I do not set down for the sixth the affair of Monsieur the Prince, tho' this has been the subject of the greatest part of our Conferences, because that though Don Lewis has not uttered a word thereupon, yet it seems to me he is resolved, and will herein pretend nothing which may retard or break the Peace.  
I was in some kind of astonishment, in that three hours had passed, without his so much as mentioning Monsieur the Prince; when he began to say to me: Will you be always resolute? We shall separate without giving some satisfaction to Monsieur the Prince, as I have so many times told you the King my Master is obliged in Honour to do.  
I told him, I thought this affair was ended, and no more talk should be of it, and so much the rather, in that I thought that the satisfaction of this Prince did not so much affect him, as to put him into a condition more considerable than before; nor to give him signal marks, by which might be always seen in France, how the Catholic Kings recompense the French, who range themselves on their side; seeing on what I had said to him of the Propositions which Caillet had made me, he had sufficiently declared himself, that in giving Places to this Prince, they would take the necessary Precautions, that they might not fall into the hands of the King; which had the more surprised me, that I had imagined, his Excellency would be greatly pleased, if by means of the gratification which his Catholic Majesty would give to Monsieur the Prince, he might attain to that of changing it into other things, which were more likely to contribute to his re-establishment in the King's favour, his Sovereign, without the least inclination to Spain remaining behind; there being nothing in my opinion, and that of all his Relations and Friends, more necessary than this for his quiet, and the welfare of his affairs.  
I added, that I had ever observed the greatest pleasure he could have, who imparted a benefit, was, when this benefit might produce to him who receives it, something more considerable, and more honourable; but that seeing his Excellency was far from having this aim in respect of Monsieur the Prince, I was forced against my will to believe he could have no other end, than that which I denoted heretofore; insisting boldly on the giving great advantages to Monsieur the Prince, in assurance the King would not grant them, and thus he might oblige Monsieur the Prince at small cost.  
I must acknowledge to you, I believe never man was so put to it as Don Lewis appeared to me in this occasion, for assuredly it is fallen into his head, that if Lainet and the other Adherents of Monsieur the Prince should come to know the discourse I held to him, he will be troubled to get off from granting him what he has so many times offered, and which might wholly meliorate his conditition. He studied a long time, and though he told me afterwards reasons which would not permit him to give Places to Monsieur the Prince, without a caution they should not go out of his Hands, he added he would consider afresh what might be done for this Prince; to see if it were possible whether he could be so happy, to find out some means whereby to give a satisfaction which I could approve.  
But I replied to him with the same firmness, that there is no other than the giving him some Sum of Money to make some considerable purchase of Land; and that for the discourses which I had held him, which perhaps he might take for an overture capable of meliorating the condition of Monsieur the Prince, I conjured him to believe, that the only desire of pleasing him in a thing, which he had made known to me in such earnest terms, had induced me to this. For to be plain, I much doubted whether the King would consent to this, tho' I was determined to go and cast myself at his Feet to supplicate him; and that however, I protested to him he could not do me a greater pleasure than not to take me at my word, and to end this affair as is mentioned in the Treaty of Paris, in converting into Silver the Prince's Gratification, as I have already above denoted.  
I forgot to tell you, that I had made him before this Proposition, That if he would give to the King of Portugal the Kingdom of Sardaignia, which he had offered to Monsieur the Prince, I would signify as much to his Majesty, and use my utmost endeavours to make him relish this Proposition, with which the King of Portugal might be satisfied; and I pleasantly enlarged myself hereupon, to put him from insisting any more in hopes of succeeding in the behalf of Monsieur the Prince.  
I told him; Sir, here's the best Expedient in the World to satisfy this King, and to give an opportunity to the King my Master, to show to the World that he obtains for his Ally a handsome Retreat, as likewise to end the War on all hands; seeing the King of Portugal embracing this Expedient, the Catholic King, without drawing his Sword, may put himself in possession of several Kingdoms, the least of which is more considerable than that of Sardaignia.  
But this Proposition served only the more to perplex him, without his being able to offer any solid reason to oppose it.  
Neither indeed can there be any; for it would be far more advantageous to his Catholic Majesty, to recover Portugal, without striking a stroke, in yielding Sardaignia to this King, than to give as a pure gift this Province to Monsieur the Prince.  
And forasmuch as the principal end of the Relation I here make you, is to inform the King, and, if I may express myself so, to instruct his Majesty in whatever there is most important for his Service, and most conducing to the interests of his Crown; so I will not omit, as far as my little leisure will give me leave, to make known to the King all the accidents which happen in several occasions in our Conferences.  
And therefore I will tell you, that Don Lewis having taken again this last time occasion to exaggerate the extraordinary advantages received from this Peace, by the means of which his Majesty assured his Conquests, and extended their limits on all sides: I told him, that the King would willingly renounce all this, if his Catholic Majesty would only deliver him Navarre in exchange, which all the World knows belongs to him by so good a Title, that there's not a Frenchman, who, from the first use of his Reason, is not persuaded the King has no less right to this Kingdom than to the City of Paris.  
He asked me, if I knew what Navarre was, seeing 'twas not greater than Rousillon? Accept then the Proposal I made you (said I to him) assureing you, that if you take me at my word, the King will make it good; but I suppose you will do nothing herein, but had rather keep this little Country, wherein there is not above Two or Three Places; for you well know; that the King my Master had once Pampelune, his Catholic Majesty would be forced to dislodge from Madrid.  
He told me in another Rencounter, that the effects of War are uncertain; that the Affairs of the Allies of France proceeded not so well in Germany as we could wish; that they were near seeing in England such changes, as would give Spain as many advantages as France had during the time of Cromwell; that there was nothing to be expected from the Commotions in Naples; and supposing the Peace was not made, there might a great many things happen in Portugal, which would give the King his Master an opportunity to draw this Thorn out of his Foot, and to employ elsewhere the Forces he had hitherto been constrained to use on that side.  
I answered him in two Words. Do you know why? It is because all is asleep; and that you do not see several things break forth on all sides, which will give you just reason to apprehend the progress of France for the future, more than you have done hitherto; it is because the King, expecting whether the Peace will be made, has ordered me to supersede all Negotiations, which may make him enter into new engagements with Swedeland, England, and Portugal, although we be continually solicited from all sides, with such offers as would affect any other Prince, who can be less sensible than him of the Miseries which so long a War has brought on Christendom.  
And I concluded, That perhaps we had shut our Ears to more plausible Propositions, and which might better succeed in the Kingdom of Naples, than all those which had been made to us heretofore; and that I prayed to God with all my Heart, that the execution of the Peace might oblige me to lie still, otherwise I could easily show France to be in a more likely condition than ever to make herself seared.  
We passed afterwards to entertaining ourselves very friendly on the conveniencies which the two Crowns would find from the Peace; and I told him, that I could not comprehend how those who had heretofore held our Places, and ourselves too, had not always laboured with all our powers to unite our Masters; seeing this Union raised equally the power of both, without giving them the least jealousy; that I could assure him, the greatest part of the Princes of Europe would not have a Peace; and that those whose Interest it was to see it concluded, seared nothing more than to behold a strict friendship made between the two Kings, because both one and the other grounded their advantage in the continuation of the War, or at least, in the fomentation of Jealousies and Mistrusts between the two Crowns; that the Conduct and Intentions of these Princes seemed to me to learn us what we should do; and that it was strange, we being able to give Laws to all of 'em, we should put ourselves into a condition to receive it from them; and that in stead of obliging them to make their court to our Masters, by jealousies one of another, they should court 'em themselves to the great prejudice of their dignity. But after all, said I to him again, what reason can the two Kings have to make War so obstinately against one another, and with so great damage to their States and Subjects, seeing it is certain, that neither the Revolutions which can happen thence, nor the progress which the Arms of the one can make over the other in divers times, will ever be capable of ruining so well one, that the two Powers become entirely one single Body.  
He testified he liked very well my discourse, and having repeated it, he told me there was no replying to what I said; but I will tell you in your Ear, to the end only their Majesties may know it, that it troubles me to see him so indifferent for the executing of any great Enterprise.  
Let me entreat you to take care, that this particular be only known of their Majesties, it being of the greatest importance, that no one else hears it.  
It is fit to write to the Chancellor, to impart to him in general that the Business advances, and that there's reason to hope all will end well, to the satisfaction of all honest People.  
You do me a pleasure in drawing up the Titles I must take on me in the Treaty: I could be well enough satisfied with that of Cardinal, but Don Lewis inserting his, I must perhaps think myself in Honour bound to do the like. Besides I am not displeased Posterity should see the Favours I have received from their Majesties: I think I have that of first Counsellor to the King, and that I may likewise assume that of Duke of Mayenne, altho' my Letters are not Registered in Parliament.   

LETTER XVIII.  
To Monsieur de Lionne. Commotions of Flanders. News from Germany.  
August 25. 1659.  
I Have now received another Letter from the Sieur Talon, informing me that the Body of Men commanded by St. Martin is still lodged above the Castle of Furnes; it being difficult to contain our Troops, who are for reprisals, and being weary of lying still, by reason of the suspension of Arms, they will be very glad to have a lawful pretence of entering into the Country. And it plainly appearing by the Conduct of the said St. Martin, that he has no other intention but to harrass us, to the end we may be forced on some Action which may cause the repture of the Suspension, and produce some alteration in the Negotiation of the Peace. I persuade myself, that the Signior Don Lewis, considering the importance of the thing, will speedily send such punctual orders into Flanders hereupon, as to remedy the inconveniencies which may otherwise happen.  
I fend you the last Dispatch, which I have received from Monsieur de Bourdeaux, to the end you may show the Original to his Excellency, having promised to impart to him the News I had of the state of Affairs in England, which render the King's Journey which he had resolved on doubtful.  
Those which I have received from Germany say, that it is still reported the Emperor will attack the Bishopric of Bremen, and the King being obliged to be Guarante of the Countries which have been furrendred to the King of Swedeland by the Treaty of Munster, if the Emperor attacks them, his Majesty is therefore resolved to send an Army into Germany to assist them, which will certainly kindle again the War. And therefore I would have you to be very earnest with Don Lewis, that he would write to Vienna in the manner he thinks fitting, to prevent so great a Mischief.  
Read this Letter in its place.   

LETTER XIX.  
Letter to the Pope. Of the Dowry of the Infanta. Duchy of Mayenne. Quality of the Cardinal. Of Lorraine.  
To Monsieur de Lionne. From St. John de Luz, August the 26th. 1659.  
I Have received your Letter with the draught of that which you have wrote for the Pope, on which I shall discourse to you by word of mouth.  
I shall only tell you by the way, that the clause which you have inserted in two Brackets, and which you tell me has been likewise so by Don Pedro Coloma in his rough draught for the King his Master, is not consistent with what is agreed on by the Preamble of the Treaty.  
And therefore I have thought of an Expedient which I will communicate to you to night, if you return here, as I judge 'twill be necessary: I profess I am astonished at what Don Lewis told you, touching the Dowry of the Infanta; for methinks he should not so much as use a word in an affair which speaks of itself, and so conclusive for us, that I dare engage when I see him it will be impossible for him to mention a little about it.  
I have written to Colbert touching the Duchy of Mayenne, and as to what concerns the Stewardship of the Bishopric of Bayeux, you may reckon to draw from thence about 20000 Crowns a year, as the King has granted you, till such time his Majesty hath given you for your Children one or two Abbeys, of whose Revenue I have heretofore acquainted you.  
I could have wished I had been given only the Title of Cardinal in the Treaty, but seeing I must do as Don Lewis has done; and that it is fit the World should see the favours I have received from the King and Queen, I therefore think might be inserted, except some small matter changed, if need requires, according to the answers I shall receive from the Court; Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Chief of the King's Council, Superintendant of the Queen's Council, Duke of Mayenne, Governor and Lieutenant General of the Country of Aunis, Rochel, Brovage, Isles and Castles of Oleron, and Re, of Brisac, and la Fere, Captain and Warden of the Castle, Royal House, and Park of Vincennes.  
I shall be to Morrow Morning at the place of the Conference at the usual hour. Let me entreat you to remember, in speaking to Don Pedro Coloma, to insinuate to him, that the King yields the point of Juliers.  
As to what concerns Lorraine, we must plainly declare, there can nothing be changed thereupon, of what has been determined at Paris, and the passage to go into Alsatia is indispensable. You may likewise tell him, that having acquainted me with what Don Lewis said Yesterday, in relation to the Dowry, I signified to you, I found it strange he should have so much as the thought of speaking to you in the terms he did, and am greatly troubled to see that Don Lewis, as well in great things as in small, will always bear the advantage.   

LETTER XX.  
To Monsieur le Tellier: Cardinal presses Don Lewis to make an end. Demand of the Infanta. The Marshal de Gramont proposed to make it.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. From St. John de Luz, the 26th of August, 1659.  
I Writ you again this Letter apart, to inform you, that pressing Don Lewis in this last Conference to make an end, there being many things to do, and the time short, if the Infanta be to come in the beginning of October; he replied to me I had reason, and that he would not be wanting in any thing which lay in his power; and therefore he thought himself obliged to tell me, that though he had written to the King his Master, according to my desire, yet he did not believe the Council of Spain would consent to the Proposal, being unwilling to part with certain Formalities, which in some sort seem necessary, and as was practised heretofore by the Envoy of the Duke of Mayenne. 
* Charles of Lorraine sent in the Year 1612. Ambassador into Spain, to conclude the Marriage of Lewis XIII with the Infanta Ann.   
And therefore he advised me to write to the King, to the end his Majesty may appoint some body for this employ, and that it mattered not, whether the person who should be named were of the quality of the Duke of Mayenne, provided he were a Duke; and to the end he may set forth in 8 or 10 days, as is absolutely necessary, that the Infanta may set out immediately; his Majesty may order him to take Post, omitting the trouble of Liveries, or other things for show, as is usually practised in such occasions; making a pretence, or, to speak better, alleging for a reason, which is sufficiently true, that if we spend time in making Preparations, wherein the main of the thing is not at all concerned, we shall necessarily be obliged to remit the consummating of the Marriage till after Winter, and therefore it were best this Ambassador should go Post.  
And therefore let me entreat you, to tell the King and Queen, they must without any delay resolve hereupon; and that I believe the fittest Person we have here, to acquit himself worthily of this Employ, is the Marshal de Gramont, who is considerable for his Birth, and capable of performing the business, with all the decency which our small time will permit him; being likewise here ready to set out when he shall be ordered. I do not question but their Majesties will approve of this proposal; and let me beg the favour of you, to make known to me their intentions hereupon without delay.   

LETTER XXI.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. Sixth Conference, of which he makes a short relation. King's Marriage. Journey of the Infanta. Diligence of Monsieur the Prince.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. From St. John de Luz, August the 28th 1659.  
I Send you this Footman with the Letters, which I make bold to write to their Majesties; that I may have the Honour, as often as I can, of informing them how Affairs move here.  
And to send to you the relation of what passed in yesterday Conference, which is the sixth, and lasted near half the day; which Account I shall endeavour to get ready between this and to Morrow, to the end the Sieur Bartet, whom I shall send away in the Morning, may carry it. He will likewise inform their Majesties of abundance of little things which may satisfy their Curiosity. However I shall tell you in general, to the end their Majesties may expect with greater patience, the Relation I intent; that we do hasten business, that almost all the Articles are agreed on, excepting that of Flanders, and certain other things of no great importance. As to the Recompense which we should pretend for Bergue and la Bassee, Don Lewis has entreated me to speak of it to the Person whom he daily expects from Brussels.  
As to the point of Monsieur the Prince, he spoke to me again largely about it, but in other terms than heretofore, beginning to declare to me he would contest no more thereupon, and that this should not hinder the completing the Peace, seeing he was resolved to comply with whatever his Majesty should desire on this point.  
And as to the Marriage, we are almost agreed in all the Articles relating to it; in which Monsieur the Lionne and the Secretary of State Coloma, do continually busy themselves, as well as in the Letters, and other Writings necessary for the completing this Affair, to the end Don Lewis on his part, and I on mine, may send to Bourdeaux and Madrid the Memoirs to draw up the necessary dispatches. He declared to me he was mightily concerned at the straitness of the time, if this affair were to be dispatched in the Month of October, seeing the Infanta could not be espoused at Madrid, before the dispensation from Rome, and that whatever diligence should be used for this matter, it being necessary to dispatch the Currier from Madrid for this effect, with the King his Master's Letter, he believed this could not be done till towards the 10th of October at soon. Adding other motives to convince me of the length of time which this Affair would take up, when even the King his Master should use all possible diligence on his part: I plainly saw he would make me understand he believed it impossible this could be performed within the time I had always mentioned; seeing that tho' the Infanta should not defer her departure above Two Days after her Espousals, yet she must be on the Road near Twenty Three or Twenty Four Days.  
Which said, he gave me an hint on his Master's indisposition, which besides his Age, would not let him take this Journey at the beginning of Winter. I answered what I thought fit, and he remitted the rest to the first Conference. You shall know the Answer, which the Sieur Bartet will bring you, the surplus of what has passed hereupon.  
Let me entreat you to inform the King and Queen, that I have made a pertinent use of the Letters which it has pleased their Majesties to write to me, according to the tenor I signified to you was necessary.  
I can assure you, that these Letters and yours have wrought a good effect in the mind of Don Lewis, and given me occasion to quicken him to end this Negotiation, whereby to put an end to all occasions of Jealousy and Suspicion, which every day increased.  
I am just now dispatching a Currier to Monsieur de Lionne at Andaye, where I have sent him to work with Don Pedro Coloma, to let him know what Colbert has now wrote to me, on the continuation of Monsieur the Prince's endeavours, to engage as many People as he can into his Interests, designing, as it appears, to give us more trouble than ever; and I will send word to the Sieur de Lionne, to demand immediately audience of Don Lewis, to impart this to him, as having received this Advice from you, by the King's Order, to the end you may be more urgent with him to finish without delay, and to oblige Monsieur the Prince to declare immediately whether he accepts or not of what the King has granted him by the Treaty of Paris.   

LETTER XXII.  
To Monsieur de Lionne. Concerning Monsieur de Beauvais. Cabals of Monsieur the Prince.  
To Monsieur de Lionne. August 28. 1659.  
I Have received your Note, with the Marquis de Mortara's Letter to Don Antonio Pimentel. I will write very earnestly to Monsieur de Beauvais by an express Messenger, and send him a Copy of the said Letter, to the end he may justify himself on the Complaints made against him; and that he takes care for the future, to act nothing contrary to what has been stipulated by the Suspension, which I do not doubt but he will observe, and you may impart it to Don Pedro Coloma, that he may give an account of it to Don Lewis.  
But in the time your Note was giving me, I took my Pen to inform you that Monsieur le Tellier has dispatched to me a Currier by the King's Order, to acquaint me, that besides the notices which their Majesties had already received of the Cabals of Monsieur the Prince, of which they have thought fit to inform me (and I have even showed Don Lewis what the Queen has been pleased to write to me on this occasion) they have fresh informations, that this Prince and the Marquis de Caracene had assured their Friends, that they should soon have an occasion to put in execution what they had agreed on, but that they expected Monsieur the Count de Harcourt should give 'em a Writing, in which he should engage himself in the Prince's Interests; which Writing their Majesties know the Count has given, which has obliged his Majesty to command him near his Person.  
It will be fit to demand an express Audience of Don Lewis, to entertain him on this point; and that you tell him, you have order to insist immediately on some resolution in relation to the Prince: For his Majesty considering the Conduct he continues to hold, in a time wherein he believes all things adjusted touching his Interests, would speedily know what he might expect, that he may resolve, according to the acceptance or refusal which he shall make of what has been determined at Paris, on what respects him, and I entreat you to let me know the answer to Morrow Morning at farthest, that I may give an account to their Majesties of it, by the return of Monsieur le Tellier's Messenger.   

LETTER XXIII.  
An earnest Letter from Cardinal Mazarin to Lewis XIV. the present King of France, to dissuade him from loving his Niece. Her inclination, her conduct, her designs. Assiduity of the King in writing to her; and of the passion he has for her. Her small affection for the Cardinal. His Complaints. His Remonstrances. The difference there is between the Infanta and his Niece. Of the Marriage of the Duke de Richlieu. Reasons against the Marriage of the King with his Niece. The Cardinal's displeasures.  
To the King. From St. John de Luz, August the 28th. 1659.  
LEt me entreat you to be persuaded once for all, that I cannot render you a greater and more important service, than to speak to you with the liberty you have permitted me hitherto, in matters relating to your welfare, for which none of your Majesty's Servants can be more earnest and solicitous.  
I shall begin with speaking to that part of your Letter of the 13th of August, which relates to the deference the person in question has for me; and the other points you have signified to me in her favour. I am not surprised at what you writ, seeing the passion you have for her, as is ordinary with others, hinders you from discerning the truth; and I must answer you, that were it not for this passion you would agree with me; that this Person is not capable of Friendship, that she has an ambition without bounds, a restless and awkard Spirit, a contempt for all the World, no prudence in her conduct, and an inclination to all Extravagancies, that 
* The Sequel has showed he knew his Niece's humour perfectly.  she is more foolish than ever, since she has had the Honour to see you at St. John d' Angely; and that instead of receiving your Letters twice a Week, she receives them now every day. In fine, you would see as well as I, that she has a thousand defects, and not one quality which may render her worthy your affection. You testify in your Letter to believe, that the opinion I have of her proceeds from the ill Offices done her. Is it possible you can believe I am so penetrant and able in great affairs, and that I cannot see a jot into those of my Family? Can I doubt of the intentions of this Person in my respect, when I see she never forgets to do the contrary in every thing I desire; that she turns into ridicule the advices I give for her conduct; that she glories in that, which in the sight of all the World prejudices her Honour, and mine; that she will needs become the Master, and change all the orders I give in my House; and that, in fine, despising all the diligences I have used with so great love, application and address, to bring her into a good course, and make her wise; she persists in her follies, and will be thus exposed to the laughter of all the World, who make it a continual Subject of Comedies, as will appear from the Papers I keep by me, in which you may see the sentiments of all those who discourse on this matter, which is at present the Enterainment of the best Wits of all Nations.  
Did the ill conduct of this Person prejudice only herself, and even me, I might dissemble it; but this evil every day increasing, and this Commerce doing an irreparable injury to the Glory and Quiet of my Master, it is impossible for me to suffer it; and I shall be at length constrained to take resolutions, by which every one may be fully convinced, that when the matter concerns your service, I sacrifice all. And if I find myself so unhappy to perceive the passion you have for this Creature blinds your reason, I must take up the design I signified to you from Cadillac; for, in short, there is no power which can deprive me of disposing how I please of my Family; and you will be one day the first in commending me for the service I have done you, which will be certainly the greatest of all, seeing by my resolution I have put you into a condition of being happy, and with this the most Glorious and Compleatest King on earth, Besides, mine Honour, which Jesus Christ, who is the Example of Humility, said that he would not give to another (Honorem meum nemini dabo) obliges me to defer no longer the doing what I ought to preserve it.  
I return to the Person who holds herself more certain than ever to dispose entirely of your Affection, after the new promises you have made her at St. John d'Angely: and I know that if you be obliged to marry, she pretends to make the Princess that shall espouse you miserable all her life; which cannot happen without your being so too, and exposing yourself to a thousand vexatious disasters. For you cannot expect the blessing of Heaven, if you do nothing for your part to deserve it. Since the last visit, which I ever believed would be fatal to you, and for which reason I endeavoured to hinder it, you have begun again to write to her every day, not Letters, but entire Volumes, imparting to her the most minute circumstances of Affairs, and placing in her the greatest confidence, to the exclusion of every body else. So that all your time is taken up in reading hers, and writing yours. And that which is most incomprehensible, is, that you practise all imaginable expedients to heat your Passion, whilst you are at the Eve of your Marriage. Thus do you yourself labour to make yourself the most miserable of all Men; there being no condition more intolerable, than a Marriage made against one's Stomach.  
But pray tell me, I beseech you, what personage does this Girl pretend to act after you be married? Has she so far forgot her Duty, to believe that when I should be so dishonest, or, to speak better, sufficiently infamous, to allow it, that she can drive on a trade so long which will ruin her Reputation? Perhaps she thinks she can do this without any bodies murmuring at it, after she has gained every bodies good will; but she is much mistaken; for her Carriage has so moved all against her that know her, that I should be much perplexed to name one only person who has any esteem or good will for her, excepting Hortensia, 
* Late Duchess Mazarine.  who is a Child, she has won by force of Flatteries, and giving her Money, and other things; having found, as I believe, some Treasure, seeing she refused to take Money which I had ordered Madam de Venelle to pay her in what quantity she pleased when she went to Rochel.  
The greatest good fortune which can happen to this Person, is my not deferring any longer to regulate Matters; and if I cannot make her wise, as I believe it's impossible, at least, that her follies appear not any more in the view of the World, for otherwise she will run a risk of being torn in pieces.  
You hear all this with astonishment, because the affection you have for her will not suffer you to see clearly in what relates to her; but as for my part, who am not prejudiced, and who, at what price soever, will serve you in this accident, which is the most important of your whole life, tho' it should cost me mine: I see the truth as it is, and I will not suffer you to be ruined; for otherwise I should be guilty of a kind of Treason. Let the event be what it will, I matter not to die, provided it be doing my duty, and serving you, as I am obliged, especially in this occasion, wherein no body can do it better.  
I had forgot to tell you, that to discover to you the better the affection this person has for me, that she has never writ to me but two words, forced to do it by Madam de Venelle; and after the sight of you at St. John d'Angely, another Letter, which I know to be an effect of what you told her, being well assured, that according to the favour you bear me, you omit nothing to oblige her to render me all kinds of respects and marks of affection. But whatever power you have over her Mind, you will never succeed in this point, and I now declare to you it will be in vain. And moreover, how can you pretend she has any deference and affection to me, whose thoughts are quite contrary to hers; which is to say, she is for being a Libertine and an Extravagant, and I on the contrary would have her to be Wise and Reserved.  
I do not doubt but she knows all that I have the Honour to write to you, but so far am I from being apprehensive of it, that there's nothing I more passionately wish for; and would to God she were capable of answering you pertinently on the matter, which you take care to impart to her, for I earnestly wish to be free from that trouble. But I confess to you that at the Age I am, and among all the Employments with which I am overwhelmed, and in which I seem so fortunate to serve you with Reputation and Advantage to your State; I cannot bear the being tormented by a Person, who should by all Laws sacrifice herself to comfort me; and that which afflicts me to the utmost, is, that in stead of sparing me this trouble, you contribute thereunto, in giving to this Wretch, by the passion you show her, the courage and resolution to live as she does.  
I was wholly at ease by what you took the pains to write me, and by the Conduct you began to hold since my dispatch from Cadillac; and I had believed that you only thought of preparing the ways to be happy in your Marriage, which could not be but in mastering of your Passion, which had made itself Master of your Mind. But I have seen with a sensible displeasure, that after this fatal Visit, which I would have hindered at the price of my Blood, all is fallen into a worse condition than it was before; and you must not explain to me the thing otherwise, for I cannot doubt of it, and I may say, I know all as well as you. Pray consider after this, in what condition I am, and whether there be in the World a Man more wretched than myself, who, after applying himself continually with the greatest zeal to raise your Reputation, and to procure by all ways the glory of your Arms, the ease of your Subjects, and the good of your State, has the displeasure to see a Person who belongs to me, on the very point of overturning all, and causing your Ruin, if you go on to give way to your passion for her. When I call to mind what you were pleased to write me, That if you could explain yourself by word of Mouth, I should have an entire satisfaction touching the disposition of your Mind, being resolved to do, without reserve, whatever. I should see necessary for your Glory, and the good of the Kingdom; it makes me desperate to see this Commerce last, which hinders me from waiting on you, and endeavouring, according to your orders, to calm your Spirit, and put you in a condition of being the happiest and compleatest Monarch in the World; but I know not how to approach you, having reason to believe that neither of us shall say any thing to content one another. For can I without violating the Fidelity I own you, and without betraying my Obligations, abstain from showing you, that you take a course quite contrary to what is decent, and to the Happiness you should aspire after; seeing that at the very point of marrying yourself, you abandon yourself more than ever to your Passion; for whatever power you have over yourself, and whatever progress you may have made through her counsel whom you love, in the art of dissembling, you cannot conceal your aversion to this Marriage, although it be the most profitable and glorious you can make. How can I forbear telling you, that you prejudice the good of your Kingdom, that you draw on you the Reproaches of all the World, and render yourself liable to the wrath of God, if you marry with a Princess whom you do not love, and in the intention of living ill with her, as the other Person threatens. Do you believe that God can bless such devices, and that, if you deal thus, you can avoid the feeling as many effects of his Indignation as he has showed you hitherto of his Bounty? I should deceive you, should I not condemn the Conduct you hold, and the care you take to make yourself miserable, seeing that instead of softly breaking off, as you have begun to do, a Commerce, which is the greatest obstacle to the satisfaction which you will receive from the Marriage which I treat on, you have renewed it with more heat than ever, without considering that you are going to Espouse the Greatest and most Virtuous Princess in the World; that she has had an inclination for you from the Cradle; that there is nothing so advantageous in the present Conjuncture for the Prosperity of your Affairs; that she is well shaped, and that the Beauty of her Mind comes not short of that of her Body.  
It is hereupon, if I were near you, I would conjure you to tell me, if there be not sufficient to satisfy you in the possession of this Princess, who, without doubt, will adore you, for all the excellent Qualities you possess, but that another Passion, which you so carefully cultivate, is to you instead of a great defect. For one may truly say, that the Person you dote on comes not near the Beauty either of Mind or Body of the Princess who is to be your Spouse. Besides that, she is infinitely above her in Quality and Birth.  
Were I with you, I could not forbear remembering you of what you have said yourself in several rencounters on the occasion of the Marriage of the Marquis of Richlieu; that there is nothing more shameful and odious than a disagreeable Marriage.  
I should never be weary in reminding you, with the respect I own you, that the thoughts you have, and which the person in question pretends you will not easily get rid off, are very contrary to those you have had in relation to Richlieu; and that by the decision you have given on this Subject, you yourself shall be judged in the presence of the Queen, when you say, that the thought of Espousing this person had, for a principal motive, the testifying to the World, that being not able sufficiently to recompense my Services, you would do it by this means: for there is no body but would attribute so strange a resolution to an amorous transport, rather than to my Services.  
But when it should be true, that this only motive induced you thereunto, would it be just that I should so far forget myself, as to consent that for my particular Interest, and for the raising of my Reputation, I should suffer you to lose yours. In truth, my Ambition puts me not on doing any Action which may redound to my Glory; and I ought the rather to be thus affected, in that, besides my Duty, your particular Favours oblige me hereunto. In fine, I apprehend my Return, for assuredly I cannot entertain you to your liking, nor forbear telling you with great heat, what I now write to you, and other things more earnest on this Head.  
I find myself then much perplexed about what will become of me; and much more in giving the last stroke in reference to your Marriage; for methinks I promise what is not, and that I contribute to the establishment of a thing which will make an innocent person miserable, who deserves your Affection; and yourself likewise, because you will be so.  
It is time to render yourself, and to declare your will without disguisement; for it is better a thousand times to break all off, and to continue the War, without any concern for the Miseries of Christendom, and the prejudice which your Countries will receive, than to make this Marriage for your misfortune, and consequently that of the whole Kingdom. And though I continue to labour to forward the business, this shall not hinder me from executing what you will please to command me hereupon. Yet I confess, I shall do it with regret and with a sensible displeasure, if I do not see at the same time that you do what is necessary to find contentment in the Marriage in hand. Then will I do what God shall inspire me for your good; that I may not fail in any thing which may depend on me to contribute to the satisfaction which I wish you in this Marriage, which cannot be any thing else but what I wrote you from Cadillac very precisely, after having well examined and resolved on what I signified to you.  
And the better to make you know, that the passion which you have hinders you from relishing the pleasure, which you should feel in Espousing so great, handsome, and complete a Princess, I will add, that you were wholly resolved, or to speak better, wished at Lions to Espouse the Princess Marguerite of Savoy, whose beauty and quality are not comparable to the Infanta's; and you may remember, if you please, that you were angry at what the Queen and others said to disgust you.  
Here is whatever the passion, fidelity, and the zeal which I have for your service and happiness, constrain me to represent with the liberty which I own as an old Servant, who breathes after nothing but your Glory, and who has more interest and obligation than any other; not only to tell you the truth, but likewise to sacrifice his life for so good a Master.  
As to what remains, I protest to you, that nothing is capable to hinder me from dying with sadness, should I see a person, who is so nearly related to me, to cause you more mischief and damage, than I have rendered you services from the first day I began to serve you.  
I will likewise tell you, that I have great affairs in hand, as you know, but that there is certainly none of so great importance as this, and which requires more earnestly an end. And therefore, if need were, I would lay aside all others, and only labour at this.  
I conjure you to read this Letter with attention, and to do me the Honour to denote to me your intentions without any reserve, to the end I may take the resolutions which I shall judge most proper and necessary for your service.   

LETTER XXIV.  
To the Queen. Of Monsieur the Prince. They would in Spain put off the Marriage till March. Reasons for this. Of the King's Passion.  
The same day.  
I Have made a very good and pertinent use of the Letter which I entreated the Confident and you to write to me to show Don Lewis, especially that part where you say you could wish he knew as well the Prince's humour as you and I do; for then the Conferences would be ended, and Christendom enjoy the blessed effects of the so long desired Peace. For he told me, that the Queen retained, he saw still, her ill opinion of this Prince; and I could easily perceive your Letters and those of Monsieur le Tellier made a great impression on his spirit. I writ to you by this Footman, and will do it to Morrow Morning by Bartet, by whom I intent to inform the Confident and you of whatever past in Yesterday Conference. Yet I must profess to you, I am overcharged and greatly fear I shall not be able to go through so much business.  
I am obliged particularly to tell you, that it seems to me, from what I have gathered from Don Lewis' discourses, that they are very willing at Madrid to refer the Conclusion of the Marriage to the Month of March. Every body is agreed that the King of Spain will greatly expose himself, if at his Age, and with all his indispositions, he should undertake so troublesome a Journey in Winter; and that the intention of Don Lewis is to sign and proclaim the Peace, without any more delay, and to do the same in respect of the Articles of Marriage, and then return to come back again with the King his Master in the Month of March.  
I believe the Confident, in humour wherein he is at present (for I well know he has more passion than ever) will be very glad of this delay: and we shall have more time by this means to tend his cure; for I declare to you, if he marries in that disposition of mind he now is in, he will be miserable, and the Infanta yet more, and you and I beyond all hopes. I have written to him a Letter of about sixteen or eighteen Pages, and I wish he would let you read it. I am certain 'twill not please him; however, I could not omit it, without wronging my own Conscience and Reputation. For I protest to you, in the presence of God, I would rather choose a thousand times to retire with my Family, as I have written to him from Cadillac, and thereby contribute to his cure, by sacrificing my Person and all that I have, than to live near him, and see him unhappy, and out of a capacity of being the most Glorious and Compleatest Prince in the World, as I wish he may, and will certainly be, if it be not his own fault. Besides that, I am ashamed to tell Don Lewis, in relation to the Marriage, several things contrary to truth, to the prejudice of a Princess, who without all controversy deserves the Confidents affection.  
I cannot express to you how greatly this afflicts me, the thoughts of it not letting me take a minute's rest; and that which drives me to the greatest despair, is, that all my misfortune comes from a Person from whom I might otherwise expect to receive comfort. It is, Madam, your favour that keeps me alive, and the assurance I have in you, and likewise a little hope, that the Confident will at length come to himself. I shall see it by the answer he makes me, but more by the conduct he holds, for hereupon I shall without any more loss of time take my measures. I humbly entreat you to send me speedily word how you find him affected towards this Marriage, and whether he is for having it in October, November, or March, to the end, that I may take such courses as your Letters shall direct me.   

LETTER XXV.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. Reasons why he cannot write at large.  
From St. John de Luz, August the 29th 1659.  
I Wrote Yesterday to you by the King's Footman, telling you I would send to day the Sieur Bortet, with the relation of what passed in the last Conference; but informing you of what is most essential, though other particulars may satisfy your curiosity but learn you nothing considerable, I have therefore omitted the doing this to day, to spend the time on something more urgent and useful, which is on the Articles to be inserted in the Treaty, and to make known to Monsieur de Lionne, who is at Andaye, the manner he is to proceed in things he has to adjust with the Sieur Don Pedro Coloma.  
So that I shall defer the departure of the Sieur Bartet till to Morrow in the Afternoon, and will send by him not only the Memorandum of the last Conference, but likewise that of to Morrow.  
In the mean time, I direct the Packet hereunto adjoining for the King to you, and take the opportunity of this Messenger who has been sent to me by the Agent of the Clergy, and who returns to Paris, to confirm to you the assurances of my Friendship and Services.   

LETTER XXVI.  
To the King. He entreats him to return an answer to his preceding Letter.  
From St. John de Luz, August the 29th. 1659.  
I Received almost at the same time your two Letters of the 27th and 28th, and return you my most humble thanks for the continual assurances you are pleased to give me of your favour, which I will endeavour to deserve all my life by my services. I pretend I have rendered you a most important one within 24 hours, having writ to you with the liberty and freedom a faithful Servant ought, who interesses himself more for your glory and happiness, than thousands of others. I expect your answer with great impatience, seeing I must thereupon take the resolutions which I can judge will be most conducive for the delivering you from the passion which at present possesses you.  
I shall add nothing to what I have already writ to you, but that you may see what is written from Court to Persons who are here, and what they say who come from thence, whence you may know, that notwithstanding the dissimulation etc.   

LETTER XXVII.  
To the Queen. On the King's Marriage.  
The same day.  
YOur last which I received are of the 27th and 28th; and seeing the satisfaction you have in the things I have wrote, mine is beyond expression. It seems to me by the manner Don Pedro Coloma goes to work, that Don Lewis is for making an end; but I have great reason to apprehend, as I have already given myself the honour to write to you, that the consummation of the Marriage will be deferred; though I well know Don Lewis dispatched Yesterday Morning a Messenger to Madrid, on occasion of what I had told him the day before on that Subject.  
I wait to hear from you what you will judge most fitting, after consideration on what I wrote Yesterday by the Footman, this being of great use to me in reference to the conduct I am to hold; and therefore according to what I shall know to morrow, I will write to Monsieur le Tellier, to the end I may learn from him the intentions of the Confident, whose answer I wait for to my long Letter of Yesterday, which I fear has not pleased him, but I do not question but it will in the end, begging of God in the mean time to deliver him from the passion which at present masters him.  
I shall not let Bartet go till to morrow, for going again to this Conference, there will be more matter to entertain you.   

LETTER XXVIII.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. Don Lewis is to send Pimentel to make some Propositions. Reasons of the boldness of the Cardinal's Offers to Don Lewis.  
To Monsieur le Tellier, From St. John de Luz, August the 30th. 1659.  
BArtet shall bring you the relation of what passed at Yesterday Conference, which shall be short, Don Lewis and I having not been half the time in Conference as we were wont to be; and having prayed me to approve, that on what regards Monsieur the Prince, Bergue, la Bassee, and the other pretensions, which we have as well to Roussillon, as on the side of Luxembourg and Artois, he might send me to day Monsieur Pimentel, to acquaint me freely with his intentions, and to propose to me some expedient which he believed I might like of. And though it seems to me, that if he had any agreeable proposal to make he would have made it himself; yet to judge of his intention we must tarry till the arrival of Pimentel, who has written to Des Meaux that he will be here to night without fail; and I shall not omit to make known immediately to their Majesties the subject of our Conversation by the dispatch which the Sieur Bartet shall carry, who may set out to morrow night.  
However you will find here the relation of what passed in the curious Conference which I wrote you shall receive by the said Bartet. I would not have a bad judgement made of the boldness with which I make Propositions to Don Lewis, and offer him certain things, pretending to be very earnest he should accept of them; for though I know very well, if he should, we should be prejudiced thereby, yet I am sure we run no risk, knowing well by the information I have of their interests, that it is impossible for them to close with them: so that without hazarding any thing I draw by this dealing more advantage than you can well imagine, and I hope 'twill appear so evidently in what remains to be adjusted. I consider sometimes that if there were an Ambassador in my place; he could not give such bold strokes as I do; because fearing he should be taken at his word in offering certain things, he will likewise dread the being disowned and recalled with disgrace. So that I see it a great advantage to Kings when they employ such Persons in great affairs, who, being fully assured of their good will, negotiate boldly, and hesitate not to propose a thousand Expedients to get their ends.   

LETTER XXIX.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. Particulars of the sixth Conference. Of the signing the Treaty of Marriage. The Spaniards cannot be ready so soon for the Ceremonies of Marriage. Of the Train the two Kings will bring along with them. Of the demand of the Infanta by the Marshal de Gramont. Of the Dowry. King's Conquests. Of the valuation of the Dowry. Earnestness of Don Lewis for Monsieur the Prince, and Cardinal's replies. Of the King of England's Ministers visit. Lockart Ambassador from the Commonwealth of England. Pleasant adventure happening to the Abbot Siri with Don Christoval, and their discourse.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. From St. John de Luz, August the 30th 1659.  
TO inform their Majesties of several particulars, which have passed in the last Conference which may serve to discover to them what has been said on the points which have been discussed and contested, I must enter on a particular account of what I could yesterday give you only in general. But the curiosity which they may have, having I think been satisfied in what was essential, by the Letter I wrote to you returning from the said Conference; I will begin by telling you, that being agreed in the Articles which respected the Marriage, which I proposed myself to sign when it should be time, in Don Lewis' Apartment, to the end it might appear as it is reasonable, that this Ceremony had been performed in Spain in the same manner as the Duke of Mayenne did it at Madrid; when he went thither to make the demand of the Queen; Don Lewis thanked me for the thoughts I had, though to speak the truth, 'twas a thing about which the Secretary of State had already made some proposal to Monsieur de Lionne. There may aris● some difficulty on the Signing of the Witnesses, which are ever chosen on both sides of the greatest Quality; but I have considered to remedy this; we may do as is done in the Treaties of Peace, which is to say, make two Writings, the one signed by the Spaniards, which we shall keep, the French signing the other.  
It's certain Don Lewis expects some Currier from Madrid, to be instructed in the impossibilities there are to consummate the Marriage in the time prefixed; for he took a great deal of care to reckon up to me whatever must precede the departure of the Infanta. But I perceive the real reason was, that their Liveries, and other necessary preparations for such an Action, could not be finished so soon, telling me, that what was gotten ready in Fifteen days at Paris could not be so in Two Months at Madrid. That the Treasurer had wrote to him he had orders from his Catholic Majesty to spare no cost to hasten things, and had already paid out Two Hundred Thousand Crowns for the Liveries of his Majesty's Household, and the Livery of his Guards, which consist of Three Companies of an Hundred Gentlemen each, one of Spaniards, another of Burgundians, and the other of Germans. I have learned since that this is the real cause of this delay, Don Antonio Pimentel having freely told me as much, by the order of Don Lewis, who came the other day to visit me here. He told me among other things, that should the King of Spain give a Million of Gold more, he could not thereby hasten the preparations Four Days; that the great Lords who must necessarily accompany him, by reason of their Offices, were forced to send to Naples and Milan to get their  and Liveries made.  
Don Lewis speaking to me of this attendance of Persons of Quality on both sides, gave me to understand the Two Kings would do well to bring along with them only such a number as would be absolutely necessary, whereby they might shorten their Journey, and lessen the expense of their Subjects, who had been at great charge already by the War.  
I upheld his Discourse, saying, That the King had already thanked most of the Persons of the highest Rank in his Kingdom, who had offered themselves to wait on him with all the Splendour usual on the like occasions; so that his Majesty would bring scarcely any one along with him beyond what is necessary for his actual Service.  
He much approved of this Overture, and I believe it will not be his fault if his Master does not do the same; and I suppose I have very well palliated the truth of what passes in your Court, which is empty enough of persons of Quality for this occasion; seeing the Princes, Dukes, and Peers, and other Officers of the Crown excuse themselves from this Journey from the reasons you know.  
I told afterwards Don Lewis, that according to the Overture he had made, neither the Catholic King, nor the Infanta would be much concerned, if in the necessity there was of gaining time in this conjuncture, a Person was not sent of the same Quality as the Duke of Mayenne, nor with the Splendour he showed in this occasion, seeing the Person on whom his Majesty might cast his Eye might ride Post, that I had dispatched a Currier to the King, to propose to him the Marshal de Grammont, who besides his Birth, was Duke and Peer, and an Officer of the Crown, spoke Spanish, and who in my judgement, 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 spoke to me of the Dowry, and drew a Letter out of his Pocket which Don Antonio Pimentel had writ to him from Lions, 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 rapture of the Negotiation of Madrid. Whereupon he enlarged 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 charged Pimentel at Lions 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 conquered since the year 1656; and I not only confirmed to Don Lowis the same thing I had told Pimentel, but I farther informed 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 Catholic 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 replied to me, he thought we had 'em entirely, seeing that instead of Valentia, Mortaria, Oudenarde, and Ipres, which were agreed to be surrendered 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 restored, 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 pretention.  
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 People's 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 possessed. 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 myself out of this affair to the King's advantage, remembering I have heard him say, when 'twas 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 mentioned 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 expense 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 concerned the Marriage, and supputing the precise time, in which the Infanta might be here with the King her Father, Don Lewis, to whom his Catholic Majesty has designed 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 persuaded 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 believed this Conference would have passed without his returning to the charge on the point of Monsieur the Prince; but having repeated to me the Declaration he had made me in the two preceding, he began by professing he was much perplexed in this Affair, not only for the reasons he had with great prolixity deduced to me heretofore, but like wise because this Prince had ordered his Agents who are here to solicit nothing, but to approve entirely whatever Don Lewis would do touching his interests. So that he found himself at present his Plenipotentiary, but at the same time incapacitated to procure him any advantage.  
He agreed with me, that this was a cunning piece of dexterity for the Prince to do thus in a desperate case, to try whether this way of proceeding, might procure him any advantage, which he could not hope for by any other means. And continuing his discourse, he insisted more than ever he had done, That I would like Monsieur the Prince should come here, and that seeing ourselves together we might be good Friends, which is what he most passionately desired; that he Don Lewis greatly wished the same, as likewise to see this Prince the most faithful and zealous Servant the King can have: That he believed as this was for the advantage of Monsieur the Prince, so it was no less conducing to his Majesty's Service and my credit He afterwards much insisted on the sincerity, with which this Prince would faithfully and punctually execute, whatever he had promised in relation to the King, and my Person in particular, and on the just apprehension of being undone if he dealt otherwise; seeing he would not have only the King's power to fear, but moreover the resentment of his Catholic Majesty, the Infanta and of him Don Lewis, who would become his greatest Enemies, should he fail in the least particluar he had promised.  
To which I replied, That being assured of his good intentions, and the freedom with which he spoke to me; I had all the grateful sense which I ought; but that it was fit his Excellency should know something might so happen in France, That not only the Prince of Conde would have a mind to stir, but that he would do it without mattering the complaints, which the King of Spain and his Excellency might make against him, provided he therein found his advantage; seeing it had been seen by experience, as this Prince knew perhaps better than another, that the Cabals, Commotions, and Revolutions of France had never deeper roots, nor produced greater effects to the prejudice of its Kings, than when it did not appear they had any relation to Spain; because the French, generally speaking, were very prone to engage themselves in the Commotions exited by the great ones of the Kingdom for particular interests; but regard with horror whatever tends to the making them enter into a Confederacy with Strangers, and especially Spaniards; from whence his Excellency might easily perceive whether there is reason to believe, that Monsieur the Prince could be withheld by the fear of his Catholic Majesty and his Excellency, in case he had a mind to do mischief, and an opportunity offered.  
He afterwards urged me to tell him whether 'twas not possible for some security to be granted to the Prince, as he knew had been given in France in several occasions to Persons of less quality than he. I answered there was no Example of this usage to any body, except the Protestants, to whom the good of the State and other considerations required the giving some places which have since been drawn out of their hands; that his security had been provided for by what had been inserted in his favour in the Treaty signed at Paris, and that it was his own fault he had not a greater, seeing that returning with a Resolution to live well, and to serve faithfully the King, not only he had nothing to apprehend, but might expect favours from his bounty and generosity; of which he had less reason to doubt than any body, having had more experience of this than any Subject besides.  
Don Lewis pressed me afresh, to obtain of the King that Monsieur the Prince might come hither, saying for this he would owe me the greatest respect, and hereby all would be ended to the Prince's satisfaction.  
I answered it depended on him to give it himself in fifteen days time, and I should have the honour of presenting him myself to the King and Queen; and that he had nothingelse to do but to accept of the favours which the King and Queen offered him by the Treaty: and this answer was the cause he spoke to me no more about it; but it was I who pursued the matter, making him dextrously value the Overture I had made him to use my endeavours with the King to give some recompense in France to Monsieur the Prince, if he gave himself his helping hand thereto, in casting himself at the King's Feet, and remitting to his Majesty the places which the Catholic King should give him; which I did with the address I have already mentioned to you, informing him that my proposing this Expedient had no other motive but the drawing his Excellency out of the perplexity he seemed to be in; though I well knew I should have a great deal of trouble to make the King relish it, because Monsieur the Prince would owe all the obligation of the favours I might procure him from the King to his Catholic Majesty, his most Christian Majesty choosing rather generously to bestow some on him in another time, when he shall deserve them, than to grant him 'em at present, as a Recompense for what he should yield to his Majesty.  
I farther added, That if he liked to s●nd me Caillet, I would make him value the firmness with which his Excellency acted in favour of Monsieur the Prince; and that I might moreover engage him to make me Propositions more positive than those he had made me going and coming from his Master, on the remitting to the King the Places which his Catholic Majesty should give him.  
But he told me, he would have no body meddle in this Affair but himself; and he seemed to me more tortured at my having reduced him to the point of making me necessarily know that he had no intention of giving such like Recompense to the Prince, or that he had done it for an ill end; that is to say, to render him always dependent on the King of Spain, and to put him into a condition to make one day use of such an Establishment, to the great damage and disservice of this Crown.  
And I pressed him in this occasion more than I had done in any before; telling him, That if the Prince and his Agents could discover the Overture I had made him, they would not let him rest a day till they had prevailed with him to take me at my word, for otherwise they would not have stuck to have taken it for granted, that his Excellency never had the thought really to oblige Monsieur the Prince, seeing if he had in truth for him the kindness he pretended, he should be glad of this opportunity of manding his Fortune.  
It's certain, had I let Lainet or Caillet know what passed on this occasion, 'twould have happened either that Don Lewis must have condescended to their importunities, which would have turned to the advantage of the King, or that they would have come to Daggers drawn, after which the Prince must have separated himself ill satisfied with the Spaniards. As Don Lewis had reserved himself to make me some Proposition, as well on what regarded Monsieur the Prince, as on the exchange of Bergue and la Bassee, Pimentel came, and after having entertained me twice long enough on these two points, having among other things laid down, that the Wardenship of Bergue had nothing in common with Bergue, and that thus this place must be reckoned for nothing, seeing 'twas agreed on it should be razed at the instant it should be remitted. I plainly perceived this tended to the offering me nothing in exchange; therefore I spoke to him so decisively on this point, and what regarded Monsieur the Prince, that having said he would inform Don Lewis of it, to the end he might discourse with me about it in this days Conference, he returned without daring to make me the Proposition he was charged with, judging well, that I might be nettled with it, and make some answer which might vex Don Lewis.  
I forgot hitherto to impart to their Majesties, that the Minister of England who resides in Spain, and is at present with Don Lewis, being come into my Lodging to make me a visit, without sending me before hand the least word of it, used so familiarly with me, that he came up to my Chamber without any other Ceremony, as if we had been the best friends in the World, or that the King his Master had been at Paris in the King's Interests, as he is at Brussels in those of the King of Spain. I sent word to him by Besmeaux, that I could not receive him, having had in these beginnings occasion to apprehend that so extraordinary a proceeding must have been concerted with Don Lewis, to give to Mr. Locker some jealousy, which might cause a change in our Affairs with the Commonwealth of England. However, I caused this Resident to be told in his Ear, that I thought I could better serve his Master in behaving myself as I did, than if I dealt otherwise.  
The Ambassador Locker having desired me to know of Don Lewis whether he might see him pursuant to the Orders he had of his Superiors, to inform him their intention was to live in peace with all, and that he was furnished with power to conclude it with his Excellency, in case his Excellency had likewise power from the King of Spain.  
I told all this to Don Lewis, who answered me, he might go to Andaye, and that sending his Gentleman to demand Audience the next day, he would give it him at the hour he appointed; and upon my telling him he should take care no disorder happened, by reason there were Scotch and Irish at Fontarabia, Don Lewis desired me to assure him he might rely on his Word.  
I shall end this Dispatch by the recital of an Adventure which happened during the last Conference to the Abbot Siri in Don Lewis' Apartment, in the presence of most of the Spanish and French Lords.  
This Abbot discoursing with one Don Christoval, Secretary of Languages to Don Lewis, who talks with great freedom, and is wholly devoted to the Prince's Interests, and as such a great Friend of Lainet's: Don Christoval violently fell upon Pimentel, calling him an Ignoramus, for having made the Treaty of Paris, and blaming highly Don Lewis, for having employed in an Affair of this importance a Man that did not understand the World; and moreover for having ratified this Treaty, and undertaken so long a Journey to Sign the most disadvantageous Peace as Spain ever made; adding, 'twould have been better for his Reputation he had shut himself up in the Convent of the Carmelit Friars, which is a place where Don Lewis often goes when he is at Madrid. Not content with this, he enters on retailing the particular Articles of the Peace, setting forth the great advantages the King of France would make of the Peace, and the irreparable prejudices redounding thereby to the King of Spain, whom he saw on the point of abandoning a Prince who had so successfully served him, having been the chief Instrument in all the Glorious Actions which the Arms of Spain had performed since the War began.  
To which the Abbot Siri answering, in the terms he ought, to disabuse him; the other began to attack him on his History, even to the telling him plainly, that when he published it, the Marquis de la Fuente, who was Ambassador at Venice, was much to blame, in not having used weighty Reasons (by which he meant Spanish Pistols) to engage the Author to write in a manner more favourable to the Spaniards, and to suppress the Fictions he uttered in favour of France; and if you had to do with me, said he, and you would not come to Reason, I should not have stuck to have sent you into the other World. And then falling again on Don Lewis, he affirmed, that instead of sending the Marquis de la Fuente on an Embassy to Vienna, he should have sent for him home, and made him be severely punished; and the Abbot not having spoken well of Count de Sirvela, Don Christoval set upon him again for that. But the Abbot answered, that he could not speak otherwise of that Minister, who had behaved himself very ill in several Rencounters, and that having inserted in his History, that the Spaniards had caused Boccalin to be killed at Venice, because he would not be prevailed on to write after their manner; if such a misfortune should happen to him, there would arise some other Historian who would have writ it, so that the Spaniards would be more decried for their violences. And the conclusion was, that he did not marvel to see Don Christoval so angry at the Peace, on there not being given the Prince all the Advantages he pretended to; in as much as the French knew as well as the Spaniards that he received Twelve Thousand Crowns Pension from this Prince.  
But that which was most pleasant was, that Don Christoval, who is a German, born in Carinthia, and whom the Abbot Siri believed to be a natural Spaniard, affirming they had committed a great oversight in giving the Infanta to the King, because if the Emperor had had her with the Low Countries, he could have made War with France, with an Army of Fifty or Threescore Thousand Men, which would have put the King of Spain into a condition to make on all sides such progresses as he could desire. The Abbot Siri replied to him, there were no better way in the World to make the King soon Master of the Low Countries; for these Fifty or Sixty Thousand Drunkards would have only served to enrage the People, and make 'em put themselves under the King's Protection, who would assuredly more apprehended the Crafts and Artifices of the Spaniards, who only hereby maintained themselves in the possession of the Low Countries, than all the great Armies which the Emperor could have employed on that side.  
Then Don Christoval, in parting from the Abbot Siri, gave him a Lozenge, which he immediately put into the hands of a Spaniard who was near him, saying, he was not such a Fool to put it into his mouth, coming from a Man who so lately told him, that if he had been at Venice, he would have sent him into the other World.  
I have been willing to end this Relation by a facetious Story to divert their Majesties.   

LETTER XXX.  
To Monsieur de Lionne. Proposition of Pimentel touching Monsieur the Prince. Complaints of the Cardinal on this occasion.  
The 1st of Septemb. 1659.  
I Just now received your Letter, with the Copies of those which the King and King of Spain are to write to Rome; and having nothing to reply thereupon, I shall content myself in telling you, that I have been in no ways satisfied with the visit of Monsieur Pimentel; for instead of coming here laden with Expedients and Propositions to agree in an instant in what remains to be adjusted, his Discourse had no other aim but to press me vigorously to concur in satisfying Monsieur the Prince; protesting to me, that the King of Spain and Don Lewis would think themselves hereby excessively obliged to me; and repeating to me all the Reason's Don Lewis had laid before me in our several Conferences, and to which I think I have sufficiently answered.  
I acknowledge I was obliged to answer him with some smartness, and I hope he will relate whatever I said to him to Don Lewis, without forgetting any thing. We must absolutely make an end one way or other, for this great delay brings an irreparable prejudice to the King's Affairs; and whatever Don Lewis can allege to the contrary, I am assured, that his Reputation and mine suffer very much by it; for we shall find it an hard matter to show what we have done considerable in all our Conferences.  
It's true, that as to my own particular, my Heart is at rest, in as much as it has not been my fault that we have not ended all things in one Conference. Not only I have omitted nothing to hasten Don Lewis, but the last time we saw one another, I told him again with great freedom, that the more or less satisfaction of Monsieur the Prince deserved not the deferring for one quarter of an hour the putting an end to the Sufferings of Christendom.  
Neither could I forbear telling the Sieur Pimentel, that I came in the belief I should not see the Signior Don Lewis thrice, not only without ending together whatever remained to do for the Peace, but likewise without dispatching the greatest Affairs relating to the good of Christendom, the Glory of the Kings our Masters, and the Advantage of their Subjects. After an attentive hearing of this, he told me, he would make a relation of it to Don Lewis; and would afterwards send you word whether there would be a Conference to Morrow.  
I send you here a Memorial of the Assembly of Franckfort in favour of the House of Nassau, to the end you may use it in your Conferences with Don Pedro Coloma.   

LETTER XXXI.  
To Monsieur de Lionne. Cardinal's trouble at his sending his Letter to Fontarabia.  
The same day.  
I Have received your Letter, with the Papers which were sent you from Paris, and that which Don Pedro Coloma wrote me. I am greatly troubled at your sending a Secretary to Fontarabia to show mine to Don Antonio Pimentel; for I had no other design in writing to you this Morning, than barely to tell you of the displeasure I had of seeing every day how the end of this Negotiation is put off; seeing that after whatever Don Lewis had told me in our last Conference, I saw the said Sieur Pimentel come to me without proposing any thing material to me. Had I intended you should have showed my Letter, I should not have failed signifying as much; and besides that this was a manifest affectation to send it expressly to Fontarabia, it seems to me, that it is not conceived in terms which may produce a good effect. This is a thing which cannot be remedied. You may make answer, That I shall be to Morrow at the usual hour at the Conference, and only bring with me Forty or Fifty of my Guards.   

LETTER XXXII.  
To the King. Cardinal's modest Remonstrance to the King, on the little satisfaction he had given him in his answer; and on his Passion.  
AT the Instant I received your Letter, I take my Pen to give myself the Honour of telling you, That though the answer be succinct enough, yet I know easily thereby your intentions, and disposition of mind. Your goodness has not permitted you till now, to write to me, nor speak to me as you do in this occasion: yet I am not surprised at it, for since Lions, I have ever doubted, that if I were not sacrificed to the Person you know, I should be to another. If you have taken the pains to examine my Letter, you will see therein sufficient occasion to thank me for what I have wrote to you from an indispensable and pure motive of your Service, Glory, and Honour; and you would not treat me like an extravagant Person, as you do, in telling me I have an ill opinion of you, and that I believe you to be a Lyar. I should not deserve to live, should I have such like thoughts of my Master; but I speak the truth, without being wanting in the respect I own you, when I affirm that the passion you have for the Person you love, hinders you from seeing her defects, and that I know she hates me, notwithstanding what you have been pleased to signify to me to the contrary. For without doing you any wrong, I believe I know her better than any body alive. If you are angry with me, as you express in the beginning of your Letter, you need only order me the place where I should come to feel the marks of your indignation, and I will not fail therein. At least be sure, I shall without reluctancy, loudly publish that you have reason for what you do, and that I only am to blame. Yet I hope you are too just to take from me my Honour in requital for my Services; and methinks it should be sufficient, that you take from me my life, and whatever I have in the World; without depriving me of the liberty which the Laws both Divine and Humane give me of disposing of my Family. I humbly entreat your pardon, if I have been too importunate with you, assuring you I will not be so for the time to come. As to the rest, to abridge the time of your Marriage, I shall sign the Articles of it, and those of the Peace, according to your orders, after which I will go and end my days at the place you shall enjoin me; content with the happiness of having served for 30 Years the King your Father and yourself, your Arms nor affairs having lost any of their reputation. I beg only the favour of you to be persuaded, 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 Confidents answer is expressed 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 advantageous 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 forbidden 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 passed in the last Conference, which lasted not above half so long as the others.  
The first thing Don Lewis asked 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 concerned 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 persuaded 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 Duchess 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 Catholic King's Clemency, to shelter her Person and all her Family from the inevitable misfortune which threatened 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 herself, in returning herself 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 recompense 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 Castille, 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 advantageous 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 Ambassador 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 Catholic 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, that the King of Spain can obtain no advantage of 'em, but by the Treachery of some of the Portuguises themselves; which they have published to be the cause of the raising the Siege of Bajador, and not the fear of the Army which came to attack their Lines. And it must be acknowledged that herein he has good reason, and speaks as one that has a perfect knowledge of their humour, which may cast 'em into some wretched disaster, for I do not perceive they seem to be concerned to defend themselves, or to make an accommodation. So that for want of foresight, the King and Queen of Portugal run a great risk of falling into great perplexities, and losing their Crown and Persons, without bringing any Remedy.  
We afterwards discoursed of England, and agreed on what could be wished on both sides, which is to say, if the War continued between his Catholic Majesty and England, we should observe a perfect neutrality, without giving any assistance, either during the present Reign, or under another, which might continue the War with Spain; and that on their side, if England should come to have a War with us, they should do the same in relation to us.  
I thought of getting clear out of this Conference, without a word of Monsieur the Prince, but I found myself much mistaken; for Don Lewis having made me the usual declaration, that this point should in no sort retard the execution of the Peace; and I having answered him, it would delay it, seeing he spoke to me continually about it, to the great prejudice of Christendom, whose quiet ought not to be deferred one moment for the more or less satisfaction of a particular Person, who deserved punishment, for having been guilty of the most horrid Rebellion was ever seen: he began by repeating to me the things he so often had mentioned to me, to wit the great advantages which the King drew from this Peace. He insisted mightily on the renunciation of Alsatia, which the King his Master made without any recompense, tho' it be certain, that this Province and Brisac cannot be lawfully acquired by France, but by the King of Spain's renunciation, to whom this should return in case of failure of the Line of the Arch Duke of Inspruck; wherein it is certain he has reason, and that he looks with astonishment on all the great advantages which France gains; there being no instance of any Peace she has made, in which she has so greatly profited, whether in reputation, or number of Places, and extent of Country, which on all sides enlarges her Frontiers.  
In fine, the conclusion of his discourse was, That though on account of all these Reasons, the King his Master might expect some relaxations in favour of Monsieur the Prince, yet he had order to declare to me that his Catholic Majesty would think himself obliged to the King, regarding it as an effect of his generosity: and that himself in particular would be so too, and do all things to show me his acknowledgements, if I would use my endeavours for this.  
I told him, That as I could not always repeat the same things every time he held me the same discourses, I would only add, That these kind of generosities are commonly exercised between private Persons; but that great Kings, what Friendship soever they might have, never steered by these motives, in things which regarded their reputation, and the good of their Kingdoms: and that as I would never pretend to the liberty of ask of the King of Spain any thing which should be against his interest and honour; so I could not but find it strange, that his Excellency, far from dealing thus, should insist still on the same arguments, though I had (without vanity be it spoken) entirely overthrown 'em.  
He afterwards desired me not to take it ill, if he proposed to me an Expedient he had thought on, which was that his Catholic Majesty, to oblige the King to give a place of surety to Monsieur the Prince, as Haure de Grace might be; should give Olivenza to the Duke of Braganza, besides his re-establishment in his Lands and Honours, and the Office of Constable of Castille.  
I told him I belived he jeered me, and that we should make no great progress, if we spent our time in such kind of projects; that Monsieur the Prince would be more considerable with Haure de Grace, than he was heretofore with all the Places and Governments he had; and that the King of Portugal would receive for a recompense of two Kingdoms he was now possessed of, his Estate and a place which was in the heart of Spain forty Leagues off of Lisbon and Portugal; which is to say, that instead of surety, this which was offered him was a Trap for him; and that did I not believe he offered me these Proposals to move laughter, I should have great reason to be scandalised at his thinking me a man fit to put such discourses on.  
He fell to laughing in effect, and replied to me, he saw well I was informed what kind of place Olivenza was, and that I had reason to say, that if his Master recovered Portugal, this place and that of Elvas should be raised, as having been fortified by the Duke of Braganza, only to make head against the Countries under his Catholic Majesty's Obedience. However he omitted not for all this, to use other discourses touching Monsieur the Prince; and perceiving I grew a little hot in my answers; Well then, said he, we will conclude the Peace, we will do it sincerely; Monsieur the Prince shall cast himself at his most Christian Majesty's feet, and present him his Son, whom he shall leave with his Majesty; and he will go to Venice, or Holland, where he may live on the Money my Master will give him in payment of what he owes him: and this will not be over well.  
I answered him, that Monsieur the Prince accepting the favours the King offered him by the Peace, neither he, nor his Family would want the Spanish Money for subsistence; and that as to the rest, he need not be at the pains to cast himself at the King's feet, nor bring his Son thither, unless he determined before hand to submit to what he was obliged by the Treaty of Paris, seeing without the King could not receive him, nor let him enjoy the Privileges granted him by this Treaty. So that the Trial he made to see whether the Prince might not do thus, served only to disabuse him, and put him out of hopes of it.  
After this, I thought 'twas fit to conclude, although the Conference lasted not so long as half the time of the others, and I made the bad weather and rotten ways a pretence for this. But as I arose, he prayed me to give him the liberty of sending Monsieur Pimentel to me, by whom he hoped to propose to me some Expedient, as well in relation to Monsieur the Prince, as what remained to be adjusted, which would be to my satisfaction. I told him I should be very glad 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 Majesty's feet the Places should be given him by his Catholic 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 ruin of my Reputation. After this, I pretended to be in a passion at Don Lewis' Proceed, and to apprehend he had concealed Ends in these delays he brought in settling 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 Suspense, 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 passed with Pimentel, I shall content myself, with assuring their Majesties, that I sent him away as well satisfied with my reasons as I could be myself, 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 myself 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 rendered 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 own 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 Public, or what might particularly concern me.  
I replied to him with a smiling Countenance, that I found myself greatly obliged to him for his good intentions, and the Friendship he shown 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 myself, 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 observed 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 learned 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 Catholic 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 'tis 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 must likewise be made to the Secretary of State Don Pedro Coloma.   

LETTER XXXV.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. Eighth Conference; Begun in such a manner that the Cardinal thought all would be broke off. Earnest instances of Don Lewis for the Prince, the Cardinal's answers.  
From St. John de Luz, September the 3d. 1659.  
YOu will find hereunto adjoining the Relation I told you should be delivered to you by the Sieur Charlet, and I defer till to Morrow the sending you that of Yesterday Conference, if we do not hold one again to Morrow. For although I employ every moment to dispatch Business; yet I question my strength, and their Majesties must bear with me, if I do not inform them of every thing so succinctly as I would.  
I have put something into the Letters which I gave to Messieurs de Noailles and the Vardes for their Majesties, touching what passed in Yesterday Conference; but seeing the Sieur Bartret will arrive sooner than they, to give an account to their Majesties, that I thought in the beginning of the last Conference, that all would break off, considering how Don Lewis spoke to me of the satisfaction of Monsieur the Prince, in telling me with great concern, 'twas very strange, that after so many Instances made, he might not obtain that the Catholic King should recompense the Services which Monsieur the Prince had done him. In fine, the business proceeded so far, that I expressed myself in terms which left it to his own choice, whether we should break off the Negotiation, but he quickly grew cool, and hindered me from rising up, with great protestations his Intention was always the same in relation to the Peace, the consummation of which was no longer to be doubted; so that having been sometime without appeasing myself, I began again to treat with him as before, and the end of this Conference, which lasted near Six Hours, was well enough, as their Majesties will see by the relation I shall send them. I must not omit the saying by the way, that I well foresaw I should hazard no great matter in resenting so stiffly the dissatisfaction Don Lewis gave me about the Prince; for I immediately read in his Countenance, he came with intention to make this last trial, at the pursuit of Monsieur the Prince's Agents, and some Spaniards his Abettors, who have near access to Don Lewis; so that 'twas no difficult matter for me to make Head against Don Lewis Sally; and I am bold to say, I did it in such a manner, that all the advantage remained on my side; and I hope this action will produce something considerable for the King. He earnestly entreated me not to communicate to any body what ●past Yesterday between us, which is what I promised him, and I have kept my word; and therefore it is fit no body should be acquainted with it.   

LETTER XXXVI.  
To Monsieur le Tellier. Particular relation of the Eighth Conference. Of the Duke of Lorraine. Discourse of the Cardinal with the said Duke's Envoy. Small inclination of the Spaniards to this Duke. His Treaty with France in 1639. The Elector Palatine scarcely recovers half of his Countries, tho' protected by France and Swedeland. Great effort of Don Lewis for Monsieur the Prince; as strongly repulsed. Of the Constable of St. Paul. Rebellions severely punished in France. Replies of Don Lewis furnished him by Monsieur the Prince's Agents. His new Proposition in favour of him. Contrary Proposition of the Cardinal. Of the Duke of Newbourg.  
From St. John de Luz, Sep. 4. 1659.  
I Will now make you a Rehearsal of what passed in Yesterday Conference, which was the Eighth, to the end their Majesties may know the particulars of it. It began with the Interests of Monsieur de Lorraine, on occasion of the Sieur de la Chaussee, who came from him, and brought Letters for Don Lewis and me. Don Lewis told me, this Duke desired leave to come here to solicit in person his own Affairs, but he must see the King his Master first; and he spoke to me in terms whereby I easily found his intention was not to bring him here in haste; and Don Lewis having ever spoken to me about the Duke, as of a Person who enjoyed his full liberty: I thought it therefore not amiss to hint to him by the way, that this Gentleman knew otherwise, seeing he told me, that the Duke of Lorraine thought himself under a greater constraint than ever, in that he was obliged to give it under his hand not to stir from Toledo and the adjacent places, and not to come within Six Leagues of Madrid; so that he was more confined now than when he had his Guards; for than he flattered himself with some hopes of escaping, of which he could have no thoughts now.  
I told him moreover something of the Conversation which I had with this Gentleman, to confirm him by the answers I had made, that the King intended to alter nothing which had been determined at Paris in relation to Lorraine. But it's fit their Majesties should know the discourse I had with the Sieur de Chaussee.  
He began by telling me, his Master would see the best Friend, and most affectionate Servant I had in the World; that he desired nothing with greater passion than my Alliance; that his intention was not to marry, nor to return into Lorraine, if 'twere not desired; but to remit all to Prince Charles his Nephew, and to go into Germany, into England, or any other place his Majesty should prescribe; that he would resolve on all this with Madam, and with his Brother, and other Princes of his House; and that, in fine, he had still some interest in the World, and Friends to render some signal Service to France, if his Majesty thought fit to employ him the rest of his days.  
Hitherto all went well, but the end spoiled all; for he added, that his Master would choose rather to die a thousand Deaths, than to re-enter into Lorraine, on condition of sacrificing the least part of it; and that I ought to interess myself herein, by reason of the Alliance he proposed to me. In fine, he talked to me of restoring all to Monsieur de Lorraine, just as if it had been no more than a pair of Gloves.  
I told him, I was sorry for the Proposal of the Alliance which his Highness had ordered him to make me, because this stopped my Mouth, and hindered me from speaking so much as one word in favour of his Interests, it being impossible to hinder every one from believing that my own would make me speak, tho' in effect I could never have any other than those of the King and the State, for the least of which I should think myself happy to sacrifice both my Family and my own Person; that after this, his Highness would plainly see I was the unlikeliest Instrument to procure any change in what had been determined at Paris with the King of Spain's Plenipotentiary, and ratifyed afterwards; that I might truly say, the King's Goodness in relation to the Duke, and Lorraine and his Family, had been extraordinary; seeing that if his Majesty had stood out from yielding the point of Portugal, and restoring so many Places as he yields by the Treaty of Peace, on condition of retaining Lorraine, no body doubts but the Catholic King would have consented to it.  
I told him further, That there were several Persons who well knew Don Lewis his mind, and who affirm, that if we would only re-establish Monsieur the Prince in what he had before his Rebellion, he would willingly have yielded all Lorraine to the King. I showed myself afterwards very much surprised at Monsieur de Lorrain's having so much as a thought that others could obtain more for him than he could obtain for himself; seeing by the Treaty he made in 1639, with the deceased King, he authentically yielded the Comte of Clermont, Stenay, and Jamets': Besides that, having promised and ratified several other things, with an express protestation to forfeit all his Countries in case he failed therein, yet he had kept nothing which he had promised since his re-entrance; that the King dealt very favourably with him, in restoring to him all Lorraine, on the conditions mentioned in the Treaty of Paris; seeing since this Treaty his Highness had continued with more obstinacy than ever to serve Spain against France; that all the World must needs be surprised at the King's Generosity, who possessing all Lorraine, and being able easily to keep it, yet restored it almost entire to the Duke, who Fifteen years before had omitted nothing to signalise his aversion against this Crown; and that this Generosity appeared the greater, in that the King of Spain, whom the Duke had so long time and so successfully served, had clapped him up in Prison, instead of rewarding him.  
I ended this Discourse, in praying the Gentleman to tell or write to his Master, that he had reason to think himself happy, for the manner after which France dealt with him; and to have a livelier sense of this, he need only to call to mind the History of Princes who had unfortunately lost their Countries, tho' they had not done the Hundred part of what his Highness had done against France; and that without having recourse to past Ages, there were Examples to be met with in this; as those of the King of England, and so many Princes of Germany, wholly stripped or deprived of the greatest part of what they had; and especially the Elector Palatin, who having been no longer out of his Countries than the Duke of Lorraine, and having had the good fortune to be protected by France, Swedeland, and the Protestants of Germany, who obstinately refused to hearken to any terms of Peace, if the Emperor did not entirely re-establish him; he, I say, thought himself very happy to sacrifice one part of his Country to recover another. And to shut the Duke of Lorrain's Mouth, I added, that supposing the Spaniards had as much affection for him, and as great desire to oblige him, as the contrary has appeared by the rigorous usage they have showed him (it being not very ordinary to detain Sovereign Princes) yet the necessity of their Affairs would hardly permit them to do more for the Duke of Lorraine, than France and Swedeland could do for the Palatin, when their Armies were victorious in Germany. Besides, there could be no likelihood that the Spaniards should obtain more for the Duke of Lorraine than they could obtain for themselves; and so much the less, in that they having lost a great many Places by the War, were constrained to give up a great part of 'em for the procuring a Peace.  
I return to Don Lewis, who being prepared, as I have already told you, to make a fresh sally with all his Forces in behalf of Monsieur the Prince, saying, that the King his Master would not be content with this Peace, if we were resolved to accept of no expedient, by whose means he might in some sort acquit himself of his Engagements, in as much as Monsieur the Prince having no security, and wand'ring where God should direct him, it would be impossible to enjoy the effects of the Peace so perfectly as the King his Master wished. And tho' he showed a great earnestness in saying to me what I now tell you, yet I affected to answer him with great sedateness; saying, that I was very much obliged to him for his freedom of expressions to me, in what he had now uttered, being a kind of declaration, that the Peace should not last long; that I no longer wondered at what Don Christoval told the Abbot Siri; that if he were not obliged to publish so soon what passed in relation to the Peace, he would have occasion to write in another manner in a short time; so that I saw I had nothing else to do but to take my leave of him, with the greatest grief, in having been so good a Prophet, when having seen him return so many times to press me about the Prince, I had said, that the consideration of Monsieur the Prince having hindered the conclusion of the Peace of Christendom at Madrid above Three years since, his Interest would still hinder the conclusion of the Peace, which was so lately Signed and Ratified at Paris; and that I trusted God, who had bestowed so many Blessings on France, for a Recompense of the King's intentions, who in the midst of his Successes had sent even to Madrid for a Peace, without obtaining it, by reason of the firmness with which his Catholic Majesty had insisted on the Prince's satisfactions, that he, I say, would crown his Majesty's Arms with greater Successes, for having brought on his side so great facilities towards the conclusion of the Peace, when his Arms were in a condition to make on all sides a greater progress than ever.  
I cannot sufficiently represent to their Majesties how greatly he appeared astonished at my answer, and I should be obliged to a long Discourse, if I would write all the particulars he uttered to me, and all the entreaties he made me not to take in ill part what he had said to me; protesting again, that the consideration of Monsieur the Prince should never hinder the execution of the Peace; and that if he had told me, the King his Master would not be satisfied, it was not with the Peace he meant, but only for the not having obtained what he desired in favour of Monsieur the Prince. It will be enough to say, that by his way and expressions I had cause quickly to appease myself, but I dexterously kept myself from showing it, to induce him the more to put an end to our satisfaction.  
I told him then, this was a new method of Negotiating, to say that Monsieur the Prince should not hinder the consummation of the Peace, whilst in effect he did hinder it by a continual returning to his Interests; and having before he spoke to me of this ill satisfaction of the King his Master, replied to me all the same Reasons he had alleged to me in favour of the Prince, setting perpetually before me, that Rebellions were common in France, and that those who had been guilty of 'em had been always re-established; and hinting to me again what was done in respect to the Constable of St. Paul, I thought myself obliged to answer him, that I was tired with hearing the same things so many times repeated, and so much the more in that I did not doubt but he was convinced by the answers I made him, to inform him, and give him means to confound Lainet, and the other Adherents of Monsieur the Prince, who continually furnished him with Arms, tho' weak ones, to defend his cause; that we should once for all agree to bring no more into debate such points as had been already decided; it seeming to me I had sufficiently showed him, that if Rebellions were more frequent among the French, they were more dangerous, and of longer durance among the Spaniards; that if he would take the pains to examine after what manner they were chastised in France, when there was an opportunity of doing it, he would soon see by the severity which all its Kings have used, that they were not very encouraging to the French to make revolts; that not to ascend higher than the Reign of Henry IU. he would find the Marshal of Byron with his Head taken off, without having executed any thing of what he had projected against the State; he would see the last Duke of Montmorency, so Illustrious by the Services of his Ancestors, chastised in the same manner as Byron, the Quality of his Relations, and the endeavours used on all hands to obtain his Pardon, being not able to prevail with Lewis XIII. He would see Monsieur de Cinqmars Grand Escuyer and Favourite of this King, and Thuanus punished in the same fashion, the first having executed nothing of the Treaty made with the Count Duke D'Olivarez, nor the second committed any other crime than that of having known the thing, in which he had no part, and not having revealed it; that as to Monsieur the Prince, I could not but remember his Excellency, that Lewis Prince of Conde his great Grandfather would have had his Head taken off at Orleans, had not Francis II. died suddenly on the Eve of the Day he intended this Execution to be done.  
I ended, in desiring him to advertise Monsieur the Prince's People not to have so often in their mouths the Example of the Constable of St. Paul, for if he made often his accommodation, and even with great advantages, because the necessity of Affairs required it, yet he at length lost his Head.  
The Don Lewis cried out, 'twas true, but in the accommodations he was always re-established in his Estate, and even in the Places he had on the Somme. Ah, Sir, said I to him, would you have Monsieur the Prince now re-established, and make such an end as the Constable of St. Paul did? I believe you love him too well to wish him the same Fortune.  
It is fit their Majesties should know, that by the Discourse Don Lewis has held to me in this Rencounter, I have plainly found out, that he repeated to me the substance of the Letters which Croisy wrote to Brussels, and the Memoirs which have been sent to Paris by Monsieur the Prince.  
I have likewise experimented, that it has befallen Don Lewis what usually happens to those who are constrained to fight, by their being showed their Honour is therein engaged; which is to say, to departed the Lists with disadvantage, because they therein entered against their Wills, and only to deliver themselves from the importunity of their Friends.  
He has been most certainly persuaded, he might boldly say what he list, and without any danger threaten the breaking off of the Treaty, without this endangering of me to resolve on a Rupture: And therefore I have omitted nothing to deliver him from this conceit, making known to him, as I have done in this Conference, that tho' the Passion with which their Majesties wish for Peace be apparent to all the World, and that on my side, I should have an extreme regret to return hence without concluding any thing, and in the assurance of seeing the War begin again, yet I must esteem it advantageous, and even glorious this should happen on Monsieur the Prince's account, it being certain, that not only this Action would be blamed by the Spaniards, but that even the very Stones in the Street would rise up against those who had been the cause of this.  
Don Lewis replied to me what is precisely in one of Croisy's Letters, which is, that all France would be in an uproar, if it were known the Peace failed of being concluded because a reasonable Satisfaction was not given Monsieur the Prince: Afterwards using me with great gentleness, he told me, after a Thousand Flatteries, he could swear we should part the best Friends in the World; and began to enter on the Overture I have already denoted I made, to give to the King the Places with which Monsieur the Prince was to be gratified; and that in this case, I would cast myself at the King's Feet, to entreat him to bestow on the Prince and his Son some favours by means of which both one and the other might be better assured of his Majesty's Goodness to 'em.  
He told me then, that if I made this Overture to give him a mark of my Kindness, to the end, to handsomely disengage the King his Master from Monsieur the Prince, and that I had no other motive of supplicating the King to make him a better Treatment, assuring his Majesty, that the Prince should lay at his Feet the Gratification which the King of Spain should make him, we might soon come to an Agreement, seeing he did not believe that in this case I should insist on the more or the less.  
I interrupted him here, entreating him in no sort to speak to me of this, because I could not see any Reason to hope that the King would consent to it, and that it was out of pure Affection I undertook to intercede with his Majesty, to the end, that when the Prince begged Pardon for the fault he had committed, and did remit into his Hands the Places which his Catholic Majesty should give him, he might then give him and his Son some proof of his Reconciliation. And I greatly extended this Discourse, omitting nothing which might warrant him, and engage him to accept of this Expedient, endeavouring to edge him on by the refusal I made.  
And perceiving from the beginning he pretended to acquit himself, in giving something of small consideration, I replied to him, That should he consent to my proposing to the King whatever I knew had been offered to Monsieur the Prince, I had very strong Reasons to be persuaded that his Majesty would be against it, and the Queen would, in the opinion which she had of the Prince, confirm his aversion.  
He entreated me not to doubt of the Offer he had made me hereupon, in proposing to give to the Prince some Places in Sovereignty; but that Lainet well knew these Places were to be given him only with the Securities and necessary Precautions of never disposing of them in favour of the King, nor serving his Majesty with the said Places, and farther on condition, that the Line of Monsieur the Prince failing, they should return to Spain. He asked me, whether I believed 'twas the same thing to give on these conditions Places to Monsieur the Prince, as to give them purely to the King; and whether there was any comparison between adding to so many Conquests, which the King retained in the Low Countries, what was intended to be given to the Prince, or to give 'em to this Prince, who would have nothing else but these, and who might in a Thousand Conjunctures profitably serve Spain; and that by the same reason, I told him the King would never consent to this; I need not doubt but this was advantageous to the King his Master.  
I answered him, I could not but agree with him; there was great difference between giving to the King and to Monsieur the Prince; and that for this effect, giving something less, I would not fail in using my endeavours with his Majesty, as I had already offered, without being responsible in any sort for his accepting this Overture.  
He continued afterwards his Discourse; and I cannot sufficiently represent to their Majesties the pain he had to bring forth the Proposition which assuredly he had premeditated to make me, when he should see the Sally I now spoke of would not succeed.  
In fine, having told me he would make me an offer, in which he should confound what the King his Master would do for the Prince, and what he would give for Bergue, reckoning la Bassee for nothing, because it should be demolished; he spoke to me of Mariembourg and Philippe ville, with their dependences, exaggerating the quality and importance of these two Towns, in telling me, that Caracene had signified to him, they could not be alienated without causing an irreparable prejudice to Spain in all she possessed on the side of the .  
I replied to him, he was in jest, or thought me very ignorant, and easily imposed on, that he must not speak to me but of Air, St. Omers, or Cambraye, and du Cambresis, or of Avenues, Charlemont, Philippe ville, and Mariembourg, as they were offered to Monsieur the Prince. I believed it fit to propose this, tho' their Majesties know only the last Places were offered to him; and as to us, we may truly say, that the first, which is to say Avenues, is worth the three others.  
He replied to me, that not to spend the time fruitlessly, he was obliged to declare to me, taking God to witness, that there had never been any mention made of Avenues to the Prince: And after a Thousand Contortions, and inexpressible Pangs to bring forth the word, he said in fine, to make an end of the business, he would dispatch in all haste to the King his Master, to entreat him to approve of the offering of Avenues, which was in our respect far more important than Cambray; and that this was a thing of so great moment, and which would make so many People murmur against him for the making such a Proposal, that he entreated me not to take him at his word, nor build on what he told me till he had received an answer from Madrid.  
Although I was lively touched with this Proposal, there being nothing in my opinion more profitable to the King than the acquisition of Avenues, which is assuredly one of the strongest Places in the Low Countries, and which renders us more powerful than the King of Spain in Hainault, and wholly covers Tierache and Champain, when we shall have withdrawn Rocroy: yet I showed him great coldness, saying, the offer was not proportionable to what we rendered, and to the effect my endeavours with the King might produce in the Prince's favour, if his Majesty should like it.  
He hereupon seemed mightily concerned, and at the point of despair, and crying out, he was very unfortunate, seeing I made no reckoning of an offer which he trembled for having made, as fearing the Council of Spain would rise up against him when they shall hear the news of it.  
And I continuing in my coldness, entreated him not to expose himself to the reproach would be made him in Spain, for having offered me Avenues, besides Philippe ville and Mariembourg, seeing the Peace concluded at Paris might be executed without a word of all this, there being nothing else to do but to retain, as it is contained in this Treaty, Bergue, and la Bassee, which the King would never suffer to be raised on any account, considering the Contributions established in this Country by the means of this Place, which whether by its Situation, or Fortification, was in time of War far more considerable than any of those he offered me. I said this, tho' I knew well the contrary, and that the King could not retain la Bassee without raising it Three Months after; that as to the Prince, I would ask nothing, but on the contrary, be eternally obliged to him, if he would exempt me from executing a Proposition, which the only Passion of obliging his Excellency had constrained me to make; that there was no more to do but to keep to the Treaty of Paris, and to give Monsieur the Prince a Gratification in Money; to which I declared the King would not oppose, and thus this Negotiation without any more delay would be ended.  
All this served only to heat him the more in the desire of procuring by all sorts of means some satisfaction to the Prince; and he told me, I had given him a good Example of what he ought to do, by the pressing instances I had made him in favour of the Duke of Newbourg, even to the offering that the King should yield to his Catholic Majesty one of the best Places left him, provided Juliers were rendered to this Duke. It was easy for me to silence him hereupon, in answering, that not to take notice of the disparity between a Free Prince and a Subject, and between a place which had been deposited in trust to have it again afterwards when the Duke needed no longer the King of Spain's help to preserve it, and what the King had freely given to the Prince when he was in his Duty; this Prince, by a detestable Perfidiousness, had abused Places and Governments which he held from the King, in favouring the Enterprises of the Spaniards; and that with all this disparity, after having insisted a little in favour of the Duke of Newbourgh, the King gave over this point, being scrupulous, whatever Justice there was in his pretention to retard one moment the quiet of Christendom for the Interest of a particular Person, tho' never so well grounded; but that his Excellency, instead of dealing thus, returned continually to the Charge, esteeming himself never vanquished on the Interest of Monsieur the Prince; that I hoped he would honour me with so good an opinion of me, to believe I wanted neither Understanding nor Resolution to maintain the Duke of Newbourg's Cause, had not the Commiseration of all the People, who groan under the delays of the Peace, touched the King's Heart, and obliged his Majesty to send me order to no longer insist thereupon.  
And I ended, in telling him, I was not surprised at the obstinacy I found in his Excellency, when the Question concerned the restoring to this Duke a Place which the Catholic King held only as a Pledge; it not being the Spanish fashion ever to restore what they once get hold on, unless it be to draw thence a greater advantage; so that I could not but be troubled they had not yet learned the way of parting with what was not their own, whatever Example France has given them of the contrary in the last Treaty, by which she restored above Twenty Places to the Duke of Savoy, tho' they had cost the Crown so much Blood and Treasure. The Conference ended in our mutual promising that no mention should be made to any body of what had been treated, and especially of the offer he had made me; and that we should spend one whole day in examining the things we had discoursed of; that we should see one another to day, and that I should return him an answer on the proposal he had made me from his own part, without power from the King his Master.   
FINIS.