myself the honour to write to the King last week; but as the Duke of
Mantua has made known to me, that they may serve to make you still
more aware how important it is to that Prince to take his measures
secretly, and to use all possible diligence for the conclusion of
the affair, which I have given an account of to his Majesty, I have
thought it necessary, Sir, that you should be informed of them.
Three days ago, the Duke of Mantua informed me that he had found
means to procure a copy of the written orders that the Empress
Eleanor and the Emperor, conjointly with the Spaniards, had given
to the Count Viltaliano Borromei, a Milanese, and the Imperial
Commissary. They are to this effect, that if the French should come
into Italy, and that it should appear to him that the Duke of Mantua
had any intention to be on their side, he should make use of this
pretext to render himself master of Casale without delay, by means
of their partizans, who are there in considerable numbers, and among
others, the Governor of the town, and the Governor of the citadel;
in order to preserve this fortress and all the Montferrat for the
Empress Eleanor. The Marquis Carrossa has received a similar order
with regard to Mantua. He is also an Imperial Commissary, and it
will be easy for him to execute what is ordered him, because the
Governor of the citadel is his brother-in-law, and the Major of the
town his intimate friend. On these accounts, the Duke of Mantua has
sent me word that in his present situation, in which he is besides
watched by his mother, by the Monk Bulgarini, who governs her, and
by the greater part of his Ministers, who are devoted to the House
of Austria, he is obliged to show no ambition, to appear to have no
knowledge of his own affairs, and to excite no suspicions by his
conduct; and also that he cannot declare himself openly in favour of
the King’s interests, as he would wish to do, nor deliver up Casale
to his Majesty, unless he will send a sufficient army into Italy to
secure that fortress, and to defend him (the Duke) from the evils
that menace him, and from the designs which the House of Austria
has against him; and that this obliges him to supplicate and exhort
his Majesty to make an effort to that effect, even if he has not
actually resolved to carry the war into the Milanese, since Casale
is an acquisition sufficiently important to determine him to it.
But Matthioli, to whom the Duke of Mantua has given up the entire
conduct of this affair, goes still farther, and is confident, that
even in this case means could be easily found to place a Governor
in the citadel of Mantua, and a Major in the town, who should be as
much attached to the service of the King, as those who at present
occupy these two posts are to the House of Austria.
We must, besides, Sir, consider that the Duke of Guastalla, being
the nearest relation of the Duke of Mantua, as well as his heir,
there would be danger that, if the Duchess his daughter, who is
very ill, and has no children, should die, some misfortune might
happen to the Duke of Mantua, which would assure his territories
to the Spanish nobleman, who has married the second daughter of
the Duke of Guastalla, and whose marriage the Spaniards, doubtless
with this view, made up at Vienna, by means of Don Vincent, who
returned from thence some time back. You know much better than I do,
Sir, of what consequence it would be to the king, not only to take
away the Mantuan and the Montferrat from the House of Austria, who
will never lose an opportunity of making use of them when they have
once obtained them, but besides to have in his own hands these two
states, by means of which his Majesty can easily bridle the Princes
of Italy. Therefore, I do not take the liberty of entering farther
upon this matter, or of mingling my reflections with those you may
choose to make upon it.
* * * * * *
I am, &c.
THE ABBÉ D’ESTRADES.[163]
[163] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 4.
ESTRADES TO POMPONNE.
Intrigues of the Spaniards to form a league in Italy against
France.
Venice, January 1st, 1678.
SIR,
I have so little news to send you from hence to-day, that I shall
very soon have told you all I know, and may hope not to fatigue you
with the length of this letter.
I know that a Senator, who is one of the Pregadi, has said, that
the Emperor and the Spaniards are ardently soliciting the Nuncios
and the Ambassadors from Venice, residing at Madrid and Vienna,
to persuade their masters to unite with them against France, and
to represent to them that they have a common interest to preserve
Italy, and to keep out of it the armies of the King, with which
it is menaced. I do not believe that the Pope[164] will be much
disposed to do them this pleasure; and, Sir, I could almost venture
to assure you, that, if the republic should renounce the advantages
of that neutrality, which she has thus far so exactly observed,
it will not be for the purpose of partaking in the disgraces of
the house of Austria; and indeed it is in this sense that the
before-mentioned Senator talked upon the subject. * * *
THE ABBÉ D’ESTRADES.[165]
[164] Benedict Odescalchi, son of a Milanese banker, elected
Pope, September 21st, 1676, and took the name of Innocent XI.
He was a good Pope, and a virtuous man, and a decided enemy to
_Nepotism_, against which he published a bull. He died August
12th, 1689, and his memory was venerated as that of a saint by
his subjects.
[165] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 5.
POMPONNE TO ESTRADES.
Saint Germain, January 5th, 1678.
SIR,
Not having yet had time to render an account to the King of
your despatch of the 18th of last month, I cannot inform you of
the sentiments of his Majesty as to what you acquaint him with
respecting the dispositions of the Duke of Mantua. I will, however,
do so by the next post.
* * * * * *
POMPONNE.[166]
[166] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 6.
POMPONNE TO ESTRADES.
The King’s approval of the negociation.
Saint Germain, January 12th, 1678.
SIR,
You will see by the letter of the King which goes herewith, how much
his Majesty approves of the negociation, which you have entered into
with the Duke of Mantua, for an affair undoubtedly very important
at all times, but especially so at this conjuncture: you could not
also have conducted yourself in it with greater prudence, or greater
secrecy than you have done.
I am very happy to see that you have taken advantage of this
occasion, to testify your zeal for the service of his Majesty; and I
hope that the success of the affair may assist you in procuring the
sooner from his Majesty, the favour that you have asked of him.
We have not, at present, any news to send you from these parts; the
King’s heavy baggage set off Monday morning, for St. Quentin, as I
sent you word; but his Majesty has not, as yet, made any preparation
to follow it.
I am, &c.
POMPONNE.[167]
[167] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 7.
LEWIS THE FOURTEENTH TO ESTRADES.
Approval of the negociation.--Answer to the demands of the
Duke of Mantua.
St. Germain, January 12th, 1678.
ABBÉ D’ESTRADES,
I have seen with pleasure, by your letter of the 18th of last month,
the pains you have taken, as well to draw the Duke of Mantua from
the lethargy of debauchery in which he is sunk, as to excite him to
throw off the yoke of the Archduchess, his mother, and of the Monk
Bulgarini; who, without leaving him any part in the government of
his territories, add every day to the shackles and the dependance,
by means of which they have subjected him to the House of Austria.
I take so much a greater interest in the more noble resolutions he
seems disposed to take, on account of his belonging to a family,
which was so long settled in France, and to which the King, my
father, gave such great proofs of his friendship and protection. I
should, therefore, wish you to let him know, by the same channels
as those you made use of to commence this negociation, that I have
learned with much satisfaction, the favourable dispositions he
has manifested for my interests, and for taking himself a part
more worthy of his fame and his birth; that on these accounts, I
receive with pleasure the propositions he has made you of attaching
himself to me by a union of measures, and by admitting my troops
into Casale, upon the same terms as those by which they formerly,
for so long a time, held possession of the place. Experience ought
to have taught him, that the authority of his father was never more
firmly established in the Montferrat, than when that fortress and
those territories were supported by my protection; and the affection
for the French name, which has still remained among the people, is
a sufficient testimony of the advantage and kindness they received
from them.
In rendering an answer to the articles that he has communicated to
you, I shall commence by replying to the first; that, with regard
to the offer of delivering up to me the citadel and fortress of
Casale, I shall willingly content myself with holding them in the
same manner in which I held them formerly; that is to say, under
the condition of preserving them for the Duke of Mantua, and of
paying the garrisons I shall keep there. I would also, in order to
favour the warlike inclinations of this Prince, take measures with
him respecting the command of the armies I shall send across the
Alps. But he must be aware, that I cannot at all enter into any
consideration of the article, in which he demands, that I should get
restored to him the parts of the Montferrat, which have been ceded
to the Duke of Savoy. These cessions have been recognized by so many
treaties, in which I have been a principal party, that I cannot do
any thing that would invalidate them; all that I could possibly
do, would be to employ myself, as I have several times done, to
accommodate the differences which still exist between them, with
regard to the valuation of those same portions of territory, and the
sums that ought to be paid for them by the Duke of Savoy.
It is a different case with regard to the losses which the Duke
of Mantua might sustain in the war he may possibly be engaged in
together with me. I would willingly bind myself not to make peace,
unless compensation was made to him; and I would equally enter, with
pleasure, into an agreement to share with him any conquests my arms
might make in the Milanese.
As for his demand, that I should now make him a present of a hundred
thousand Pistoles, simply as a gift, you must make him understand
that this sum is too large, but that I should be ready to agree to
a more moderate one, according to the engagements he is willing to
enter into with me; and without explaining yourself as to what the
sum should be, you will make him first state what he expects, and
oblige him to keep within reasonable bounds.
You will still continue to entertain the opinion that I intend
sending a considerable army this year into Italy, and you will keep
principally in view in your negociation, the having it in such
a state as to be able to prolong it without the danger of being
obliged to break it off; since it is for the good of my service
to continue it always in such a manner, that I may be the master
to conduct it as I please, either by enlarging or narrowing the
conditions. It is on this account, that as the Count Matthioli has
thus far been the principal confidant of this affair, and that he
must be the most powerful instrument of it, it is necessary that
you should keep him always in good humour, by the assurance of the
especial good-will I bear him for his conduct, and by the hope of
the marks of it I shall be inclined to give him. This is what I wish
you to say in addition to the letter which I send you for him, in
answer to the one he wrote to me.
I am, &c.
LEWIS.[168]
[168] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 8.
LEWIS THE FOURTEENTH TO MATTHIOLI.
January 12th, 1678.
COUNT MATTHIOLI,
I have seen by the letter you wrote me, as well as by what my
Ambassador, the Abbé d’Estrades, communicated to me, the affection
that you show for my interests. You cannot doubt but that I am much
obliged to you for it, and that I shall have much pleasure in giving
you proofs of my satisfaction upon every occasion. Referring you,
therefore, for further particulars, to what will be said to you from
me by the Abbé d’Estrades, I shall not lengthen this letter more
than to add, that I pray God to have you, Count Matthioli, in his
holy keeping.
LEWIS.[169]
[169] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 9.
ESTRADES TO POMPONNE.
Venice, January 29th, 1678.
SIR,
I have nothing to add to what I did myself the honour to write
to the King, upon the present state of the affair, which I am
treating of with the Duke of Mantua. It goes on so rapidly, that
I am reduced to be sorry that I cannot find any difficulties,
which, without rendering the eventual success of it doubtful, might
prolong the negociations as long as the King seems to wish; but I
have the greatest difficulty to encourage the Duke of Mantua, under
the fear he is in of the Spaniards, which, to say the truth, is
pretty well founded; nor can he think himself in security, unless
he sees himself supported by all the protection the King can give.
Nevertheless, I will take care that this Prince does not escape
us, even if the affair should not be as quickly concluded as he
desires. I return you a thousand most humble thanks, Sir, for all
the kindness you show me on this occasion; and I can assure you,
that I shall be much more anxious for the success of this affair,
from my pleasure at having made known to the King by it the zeal
I have for his service, and having rendered myself worthy of the
favour you have done me, in procuring for me the situation I at
present hold, than from any hope of thereby bettering my fortune.
* * * * * *
THE ABBÉ D’ESTRADES.[170]
[170] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 10.
ESTRADES TO LEWIS THE FOURTEENTH.
Conference with Matthioli.--Discussion of the demands of the
Duke of Mantua.
Venice, January 29th, 1678.
SIRE,
At the time that I received the letter which your Majesty did me the
honour to write to me on the 12th of this month, having learned that
the Count Matthioli was arrived at Venice, I sent to him to say that
I desired to have a conference with him, in consequence of which he
came to my house with the usual precautions. I first delivered into
his hands the letter with which your Majesty had charged me for him,
which he received with all possible marks of respect and gratitude;
and I told him, as your Majesty had commanded me, that you would not
content yourself with testifying with your own hand the satisfaction
you feel at the zeal he has shown for your interests, but that you
also ordered me expressly to assure him, that you were anxious to
give him other marks of it. I added to this, that he ought to think
himself happy to have found an occasion of meriting the kindness and
favours of your Majesty, which he could easily do through the means
of the implicit confidence placed in him by the Duke of Mantua,
to whom he would also have the satisfaction, at the same time, of
rendering the greatest service in his power. He answered me in a
manner that does not permit me to doubt his being as grateful as
it is possible to be for your Majesty’s goodness, and his having a
very strong wish to serve you. Afterwards I read to him the obliging
expressions your Majesty makes use of to mark your affection for the
Duke of Mantua, and those other parts of your Majesty’s despatch,
which I thought myself authorized to communicate, that he might know
that you had learned with pleasure the proposals of that Prince, and
that he might be aware of the considerable advantages, which would
be derived from the strict alliance he (the Duke) would enter into
with your Majesty by means of Casale, which you were willing to hold
possession of on the same terms as formerly; that is to say, paying
the garrison you should keep up in the place, and preserving it for
the Duke of Mantua. We afterwards came to talk upon his differences
with the Duke of Savoy, for the restitution claimed by him of the
parts of the Montferrat, which have been ceded to the latter; and
it was not till after some slight disputing, that I made the Count
Matthioli agree, by means of the same reasons you did me the honour
to detail to me, that _you_ could not enter into this affair in any
other way, than by employing yourself to accommodate it; but that
the intercession of your Majesty was sufficiently powerful to obtain
a satisfactory result for the Duke of Mantua.
The Count Matthioli at length contented himself upon this point, but
he had more difficulty to give way upon the demand of the present
of one hundred thousand pistoles. He was the more obstinate in not
taking off any thing from this sum, because he said that it was to
be made use of for the interests of your Majesty; and that the Duke
of Mantua having taken possession of Guastalla,[171] without giving
notice to the Spaniards, he had judged it necessary to be upon his
guard against the umbrage they might take at this measure; that for
this purpose he had placed in Guastalla and in Casale the troops
he had raised, and whom he was obliged to pay; that he had sent
into the latter town great stores of corn and forage, and that he
could not support this expense in the state to which he was reduced
by his mother, who disposed entirely of his revenues. I answered
him, that the sum of money, which the Duke of Mantua requested your
Majesty to give him at present, was not necessary to him for the
expenses which he alleged; that the augmentation of the garrison
of Casale, and the provisions sent into it, were regarded by the
Spaniards themselves as precautions that he wisely took against
the enterprises of France, at a time when it was no longer doubted
that the latter power intended to carry the war into Italy; and
that therefore neither the partizans of the Spanish faction who are
about him, nor his mother, could refuse him the money he wanted
for that purpose; that I knew that his subjects would contribute
with pleasure, and that they had shown the greatest joy at their
Sovereign’s applying himself to his own affairs; that till the
conclusion of the treaty, which was to unite him so firmly with
your Majesty, he would have no occasion for any new expenses, and
that he would then receive all the assistance and succour which
he could expect from your Majesty; that your Majesty, by engaging
yourself to pay and keep up the garrisons in Casale, ceded to the
Duke the entire enjoyment of the property and revenues without any
deduction, and that your Majesty would have no farther advantage
in this affair, than that of delivering him from the yoke which
the House of Austria had imposed upon him; and of facilitating the
conquests in the Milanese, of which you were to give him a share; so
that the present which he asked for, being to be considered purely
in the light of a gratification, a hundred thousand pistoles was a
demand so excessive, that your Majesty had not judged it right to
make any offer in consequence, and that you had only ordered me to
tell him, that you would have no objection to make a present to the
Duke of a more moderate sum; that therefore it was necessary for him
to explain himself clearly upon the subject.
The Count Matthioli for some time refused to say any thing, taking
a line which was in appearance very civil, which was, that he threw
himself upon the generosity of your Majesty. But seeing that I
continued to desire him to speak, he reduced the sum by little
and little to five hundred thousand livres. I told him, that I
guessed pretty well what the Duke of Mantua might hope for from your
Majesty, and that I could not charge myself to lay _this proposal_
before you, and that I also could not help telling him, that for a
man who professed to be so well-intentioned, he appeared to me very
unyielding upon a point of small moment, in a negociation from which
he would allow, without doubt, that the Duke of Mantua would derive
great and solid advantages. Finally, Sire, I brought him to content
himself with one hundred thousand crowns, and that on condition
that your Majesty was not to pay them till after the signature of
the treaty, and the exchange of the ratifications; and then, if you
chose not to give the whole sum at once, that the Duke of Mantua
should receive fifty thousand crowns first, and then the other fifty
thousand three months afterwards. Besides this, I declared to the
Count Matthioli that I could not answer for your Majesty’s approving
of my having fixed upon so large a sum, but that I promised him to
do all that depended on me, to prevent my being disavowed.
Not only have the other articles of your Majesty’s despatch been
agreed to without difficulty, but they have even served powerfully
to confirm the Count Matthioli in his opinion, that the Duke of
Mantua cannot take a better course than that of abandoning himself
entirely to the protection of your Majesty. He has so firm a belief
in the resolution he is convinced you have taken of sending a
considerable army this year into Italy, that I should have no
difficulty in persuading him still more strongly of it; but I am
a little embarrassed with the anxiety of the Duke of Mantua to
conclude this affair, which is caused to him by his continual
terror of the design, which he understands the Spaniards continue
to have, of seizing upon his fortresses on the least pretext, and
on the first favourable occasion. Nevertheless, I will endeavour to
lengthen the negociation as much as your Majesty shall find useful
to your interests, as you have commanded me, and at the same time I
will take care not to put it in any danger of being broken off. I
implore your Majesty to be persuaded that I shall never be forgetful
of any thing which may be for the good of your service, or which may
testify the zeal and the profound respect, with which I am, Sire,
Your Majesty’s
most humble, most obedient, and
most faithful subject and servant,
THE ABBÉ D’ESTRADES.[172]
[171] On the occasion of the death of Ferdinand III. Duke of
Guastalla, which occurred January 11th, 1678. The Duke of
Mantua had married his eldest daughter.
[172] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 11.
ESTRADES TO POMPONNE.
The Duke of Mantua watched by the Spaniards.
Venice, February 12th, 1678.
SIR,
Though the Duke of Mantua has been for the last fortnight at
Venice, I have not yet been able to see him; but he has sent me
word several times, by the Count Matthioli, that he had still more
impatience than even I have, that we should confer together; that
he only deferred giving himself that satisfaction, in order that he
might first get rid of those of his people whom he has the least
confidence in, and particularly four men, whom his mother has sent
with him here to observe all his actions, which they do with the
greatest care; and that two days before he sets off to return to
his own territories (where he is not afraid of any surprise, when
he shall be once there himself), he will acquaint me with the time
and place at which we may see one another. It is true, that the
step he has taken, of at once seizing upon the territories of the
late Duke of Guastalla, has very much disquieted the Spaniards;
and one sees that they are endeavouring, by all sorts of means, to
ascertain whether the Duke of Mantua has taken any measures to gain
the support of the King. His resident at Venice, who is devoted to
the Duchess his mother, came two days ago to the Sieur de Pinchesne
to ask, on the part of his master, whether I was about to despatch
an extraordinary courier to Paris, because his highness would be
glad to make use of him to convey there a packet of consequence: he
answered him, that affairs were so little of a pressing nature here,
that I always wrote by the usual conveyance, and that I had not at
present any reason for sending a courier; but that, if the Duke
of Mantua wished it, I would send one on his account. I made this
known to the Prince himself, who was surprized that his resident,
in his name, and without his order, should have made a request of
that nature; and as he was of opinion, as well as myself, that the
intention of his resident was by this means to discover whether a
packet, which, it was said, the Duke of Mantua had received from the
Grand Duchess,[173] was of importance, he agreed to the expedient
which I proposed to him, of sending publicly to make him the same
offers as those which had been made to his resident, in order that
he might be able to express before his ministers his disapprobation
of their entering, without his knowledge, into communications with
the French ambassador, being aware of the measures which it was
necessary for him to keep. He charged Matthioli to tell me that he
had had a letter from the Grand Duchess, to which he had sent an
answer, for the purpose of begging her to support his claims to the
King; having heard that the Duke of Modena[174] had complained to
his Majesty of his having taken possession of the succession of the
Duke of Guastalla, to which the Duke of Modena had pretensions. The
Sieur de Pinchesne went to him from me, and the thing was executed
as it had been previously determined upon; but his adventure, as
well as many other things which the Duke of Mantua discovers daily,
convince him that the Spaniards are suspicious of him, on which
account he is so uneasy, that he is more than ever anxious for your
Majesty to secure him quickly against their enterprises.
* * * * * *
THE ABBÉ D’ESTRADES.[175]
[173] Margaret Louisa, daughter of Gaston, Duke of Orleans;
married in 1661, to Cosmo III., Grand Duke of Tuscany, whom she
quarrelled with, and finally left, and returned to France,
where she established herself in the Abbey of Montmartre. She
died at an advanced age in 1721.
[174] Francis of Este, Duke of Modena, succeeded his father,
Alphonso IV. in 1662. During his minority, his territories were
wisely and ably governed by his mother, Laura Martinozzi, niece
of Cardinal Mazarin. His only sister, Mary Beatrix, was the
second wife of James II. of England. He died in 1694.
[175] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 12.
ESTRADES TO POMPONNE.
Impatience of the Duke of Mantua to conclude the
Negociation.
Venice, February 19th, 1678.
SIR,