some measure, the orders which I received in the one of the 4th
of this month, which you did me the honour to write me. I had
judged that, in the present conjuncture, it would not be easy
for the King to send a powerful army into Italy, so speedily as
was wished. It appeared to me, nevertheless, that His Majesty
considered the negociation which I had commenced with the Duke of
Mantua, through the means of the Count Matthioli, as an affair
which might eventually be of use to him, and which he would wish
to be in a situation to profit by. Therefore, Sir, I have used all
my endeavours to encourage the opinion already entertained, that
the arms of France will appear in the Milanese, and to confirm the
Duke of Mantua in his good dispositions towards His Majesty, and
in his suspicions of the Spaniards. I had even made use of the
same reasons, which you prescribe to me to urge in your letter,
to moderate his impatience to conclude the treaty, which he is
desirous of making with the King. Before His Majesty left St.
Germain, I represented to the Count Matthioli that the negociations
with England occupied him too much, to permit him, in such very
critical times, to apply himself as much as was necessary to a new
enterprize of the importance of the one that was meditated in Italy;
and since that, I have alleged to him the difficulty of getting
answers during the hurry of the journey, and the occupations of the
campaign, which oblige the King to go frequently from one place to
another. I have added, that I was by no means surprized at this, and
that, in preceding years, I had rarely received any letters from
you at those times. He has contented himself, thus far, with the
excuses I have given him; but the Duke of Mantua is so violently
alarmed at the peril in which he believes himself to be, and at the
length of the negociation, that he has absolutely determined upon
sending the Count Matthioli to the King--and I have not dared to
oppose myself to this, from the fear of giving him suspicions, or
of disgusting him with the negociation altogether. It is true, Sir,
that after having well considered the manner in which this journey
could be accomplished, I have thought that it would turn out to be
the most easy and the most infallible method to confirm still more
the dispositions of the Duke of Mantua, and to prolong this affair
as long as the King shall judge for the good of his service. I have
for this purpose persuaded the Count Matthioli that it was important
he should not go immediately to his Majesty, but that he should
first pay a visit to some of the towns in Italy, under the pretext
of his master’s interests, and his disputes with the Duke of Modena
respecting the Duchy of Guastalla, in order that there may be no
suspicion of his going into France. He is agreed upon this point
with me; and by the reckoning we have made together of his course,
and the halts he will make, I can assure you, Sir, that you will
not see him for these two months. It will be still easier for you,
when he does arrive, to detain him at least as long; and thus the
campaign will be nearly finished without the Duke of Mantua’s being
able to complain of the delay, or to take measures contrary to the
King’s intentions. Since this Prince left Venice, he is travelling
about his territories, without ever stopping more than three or
four days in a place, in order to avoid giving audience to the
Spanish envoys, who are waiting for him at Mantua, and to whom he
has sent word that they may address themselves to his Council; that
for himself, he has no answer to give them to their propositions,
because he is waiting for intelligence from Vienna, by which he
intends to regulate his conduct. The Count Matthioli went to him the
beginning of this week, in order to receive his instructions for
his journey to Paris, and to give him an account of his negociation
with the Republic. He will afterwards return here to explain to the
Senate his Master’s sentiments; and so, Sir, I shall perhaps have a
further opportunity of deferring his departure for a still longer
time. * * *
I am, &c.
THE ABBÉ D’ESTRADES.[191]
[191] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 19.
ESTRADES TO POMPONNE.
Venice, April 2d, 1678.
SIR,
* * * * * *
I have nothing to add to what I have already had the honour of
writing to you, upon the affair which regards the Duke of Mantua. I
have received this morning a note from the Count Matthioli, in which
he gives me intelligence that he shall be here to-morrow; and that
he will come the same day to me, an hour after sunset. I will not
fail to give you an account, in my next letter, of the conversation
I shall have with him. I am glad that he did not return to Venice so
soon as he originally intended; because his journey to Paris will
be, in consequence, deferred some days longer. I will try to obtain
intelligence why the Resident from Mantua has had such frequent
audiences of the College for the last few days.
* * * * * *
THE ABBÉ D’ESTRADES.[192]
[192] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 20.
POMPONNE TO ESTRADES.
Approval of Matthioli’s Mission to France.--Permission to
Estrades to leave Venice.
April 5th, 1678.
SIR,
We are now at the end of our journey, and consequently at the end
of my want of punctuality in writing to you. The being stationary
at St. Germain, will make me more regular. I took an opportunity,
yesterday, to give an account to his Majesty of your letters of
the 5th, 12th, and 19th of last month. He appeared satisfied with
the manner in which you have conducted the business with the
Duke of Mantua; and was made acquainted, by your letter, written
after your interview with that prince, with the resolution he had
taken of sending the Count Matthioli to France. You will have
already seen by my despatches, that there is little probability of
his Majesty’s being able to send a considerable army into Italy
this year. Now it appears, that the expectation of his sending
one, forms the foundation of all the designs which the Duke of
Mantua has communicated to you. You must be aware, that it would
answer no good purpose to undeceive him; because this would be to
break off a negociation, which may otherwise have considerable
results. Therefore one of the advantages of the journey of the
Count Matthioli is, that it gains time; besides, perhaps it may
be possible to remove difficulties, and take measures with him in
person, which might be difficult to be arranged at a distance.
Therefore, Sir, you will see that, as the King cannot grant the
principal conditions which have been required, because they all turn
upon an action in Italy, we cannot flatter ourselves with concluding
any thing with this prince, at present. This is what makes me think,
that if it is so particularly necessary for your interests, as you
say, to return to France, there is nothing that need prevent your
executing your wish. His Majesty appears to me so much satisfied
with your services, that, though he has doubtless the intention of
making use of them in a sphere which will give them a wider scope
than Venice does, he will willingly grant you leave of absence. I
have even already made him acquainted with your wish; and it appears
to me, that you are at liberty to do what you choose; either to stay
at Venice, or to come to Paris. * * *
* * * * * *
POMPONNE.[193]
[193] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 21.
ESTRADES TO POMPONNE.
Conversation with Matthioli.
Venice, April 9th, 1678.
SIR,
The Count Matthioli arrived here six days ago; I had a conversation
with him the same evening, and the day after he set off for
Bologna, where he was to meet the Duke of Mantua, who will send
him from thence to Paris, after having given him his last orders.
He assured me that he was charged to confirm to his Majesty all
that I have had the honour of acquainting him with, and that his
master had only recommended him not to consent to the putting a
French garrison into Casale, as long as he could fight it off. But,
Sir, he told me at the same time, that he saw too well that this
condition was the actual foundation of the proposed treaty, to wish
to raise a negociation respecting it; and that he had made the
Duke of Mantua understand that it was necessary to act with good
faith towards the King, and not to balance about giving him this
security and satisfaction, if he wished to attach himself to the
interests of his Majesty, as he had determined to do. I perceived
notwithstanding, though he did not speak openly of it, that the
example of Messina[194] had made him reflect upon the consequences
of the engagement his master was about to make with the King, which
obliged me to represent to him how much this fear was ill-founded,
and what a difference there was between a solemn treaty of two
Sovereign Princes, as the one we were now concerting would be, and
the assistance which his Majesty had only given to the Messinese
from pure generosity.
The Count Matthioli professed to be of my opinion, and to have great
joy at seeing affairs as well-disposed as he could possibly have
wished.
* * * * * *
THE ABBÉ D’ESTRADES.[195]
[194] In 1674 the people of Messina in Sicily, unable any
longer to bear the harshness of the Spanish Government,
revolted. The French assisted them with a body of troops under
the command of the Chevalier de Valbelle. In 1676 the Marshal
de Vivonne was sent there with a powerful fleet, and gained a
complete victory over those of Spain and Holland. But in the
beginning of 1678, the French, alarmed at the prospect of a
union of England with their enemies, abandoned Sicily to its
fate. It is to this latter event that Estrades alludes.
[195] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 22.
POMPONNE TO ESTRADES.
St. Germain, April 13th, 1678.
SIR,
I have already sent you word that the King approves very much of
the manner in which you have carried on the negociation with the
Duke of Mantua, without either breaking it off or advancing it too
much. It is even advantageous, as a very natural means of gaining
time, that that Prince should have taken the part of sending the
Count Matthioli to the King. We may treat with him according to
the propositions he is charged with; but it would be a pity if the
foundation of them was to be the condition of sending a powerful
army into Italy this year, because I can tell you in confidence,
that the King has not yet taken any measures for the purpose.
* * * * * *
POMPONNE.[196]
[196] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 23.
ESTRADES TO POMPONNE.
Means of protracting the Negociation.--Views of Matthioli.
Venice, April 30th, 1678.
SIR,
I consider myself very happy, that the King has so much approved of
the manner in which I have conducted myself, in the affair of the
Duke of Mantua, as you have informed me in the letter which you did
me the honour to write to me on the 13th of this month, and that
his Majesty has had the goodness to regard more the zeal I have for
his service than my capacity. I shall have nothing more in future
to tell you on this subject, but the Count Matthioli will give you
ample information, when he arrives at Court, of the sentiments of
his master; of the state of his affairs; and of what may be expected
from them. The disposition in which I have seen him, makes me hope
that it will not be impossible to protract this negociation, without
running the risk of breaking it off, until the season for action is
past, and that, when he shall see the necessity that there is of
waiting till the King can take measures for sending an army into
Italy, he will willingly employ the influence he possesses over the
mind of the Duke of Mantua, to take from him all kind of suspicion,
and to prevent his being impatient at this delay; perhaps even he
might be able to persuade his master, if he should really endeavour
it, to put himself under the declared protection of the King, as he
has thus far been under that of the House of Austria; and to content
himself with his Majesty’s paying the garrison he intends to place
in Casale. Finally, Sir, this affair will be in such good hands,
since it is yourself that will manage it, that even what appears the
most difficult in it may very well succeed. I will only add, that I
know that the Count Matthioli has a great desire, and need of making
his fortune, and that there are few things to which his master would
not consent for a considerable sum of money, and from the hope of a
great employment; of which, in fact, the title alone need be given
to him; as was the case with the Duke of Modena in the service of
France, and with the late Duke of Mantua in that of the Emperor,
whose Vicar-general he was in Italy, with the command of an army
there.
* * * * * *
THE ABBÉ D’ESTRADES.[197]
[197] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 24.
ESTRADES TO POMPONNE.
Delay in Matthioli’s Journey to Paris.
Venice, May 21, 1678.
SIR,
* * * * * *
The Count Matthioli has been here for the last four days with his
master. He came to me yesterday, to tell me that the Spaniards
had been, for the last two months, making such great advances to
the Duke of Mantua, that they would, perhaps, have obliged him to
consent to all they desired, which was the removing his garrison
from Guastalla, introducing the Germans into Casale, and declaring
himself openly against France, if he had separated himself for a
single moment from him; the Duchess-mother, and all the council of
this Prince, being devoted to the House of Austria. That it was
necessary he should wait for the return of the Marquis Galerati from
Milan, and that he should remain, besides, three weeks or a month
with the Duke of Mantua, who was to go, during that time, to Casale,
where he had persuaded him to wait for his return from France. That,
therefore, he could not set off till towards the end of June, but
that he would not delay beyond that time. I answered him, that he
had been in the right to remain with his master, at a time when
his presence was so necessary to him; that he ought not to set off
on his journey to Paris, till he was well assured that his absence
would cause no change, either in the sentiments or the affairs of
that Prince, but that I could assure him the King would see him with
pleasure, and that he would receive every kind of satisfaction from
his journey. * * *
THE ABBÉ D’ESTRADES.[198]
[198] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 25.
ESTRADES TO POMPONNE.
Interview with Matthioli.
Venice, June 11, 1678.
SIR,
* * * * * *
The Count Matthioli, who does not lose sight of the Duke of Mantua,
for the reasons that I have already informed you of, is come here to
make a stay of three or four days with that Prince; he has assured
me that he is still in the resolution of setting off, the end of
this month, to go to Paris; and that he will first accompany his
master to Casale, where he has lately discovered the intrigues of
the Spaniards, for the purpose of obtaining possession of that
place. I have taken occasion, Sir, to represent to him, that, even
if the report, which has been spread of a general peace, should be
true, the Duke of Mantua would have still more need of the King’s
protection; that the House of Austria will not be in a condition
to do injury to any Prince, as long as she shall have to contend
with the power of his Majesty; but that if she had no longer this
obstacle, it would be easy for her to execute the designs, which
his master could not doubt her having against him; that it was
greatly his interest to put himself in such a state, that he need
not fear being deprived of Casale and the Montferrat, of which the
Court of Vienna had declared its wish to put the Empress Eleanor
in possession, who had no other view than that of leaving it some
day to the Prince of Lorrain,[199] in favour of his marriage with
the widow of the King of Poland; that the Duke of Mantua could not
avoid this misfortune, except by procuring for himself the support
of the King, by means of an intimate connection of interests; as
would be that he would have with him, if his Majesty had a garrison
in Casale, which would be paid at his expense, and kept on the same
conditions as we had already agreed upon; that this would make
him the more secure, from the circumstance of his Majesty’s never
having had any claims upon his territories, and from his being
the only sovereign who was capable of defending them successfully
against those, who thought they had well-grounded claims upon them.
I added to this, that if he reflected upon what I told him, he
would, without doubt, perceive, that the Duke of Mantua could not
take a better line, than the one that I proposed to him. The Count
Matthioli answered me, that he was so persuaded of this, and that
he was so assured of the aversion which that Prince had for the
Spaniards, and of his inclination towards France, that even if
at his arrival at Court he should find the peace concluded and
published, and that there should be in consequence no more hope of
seeing the war in the Milanese, which his master so much wished
for there, he would still not hesitate to conclude in his name the
affair which we have commenced here, provided the King wished for
it. Should this agree with his Majesty’s designs, you, Sir, will
know better than any body how to make use of the good intentions of
the Count Matthioli, when he shall be with you.
* * * * * *
THE ABBÉ D’ESTRADES.[200]
[199] Charles V. Duke of Lorrain, married, in the commencement
of this year, Eleanor, daughter of the Emperor Leopold, and
widow of Michael Wiecnowiecki, King of Poland. For an account
of him, see note, page 48.
[200] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 26.
POMPONNE TO ESTRADES.
St. Germain, June 15, 1678.
SIR,
I answer your letters of the 21st and 28th of May, and of the 4th
of this month together; the first has made known to the King the
reasons which have delayed the Count Matthioli: if they are really
such as he told you, and that he has thought his presence necessary,
in order to prevent the injurious resolutions to which the Spaniards
might have persuaded his master, it is quite right in him not to
have left him; it would also be advantageous if he could soon
withdraw him from Mantua, and lead him to Casale. It will then be
more easy for him to make his journey into France, and to insure the
success of the measures which he has concerted with you.
* * * * * *
POMPONNE.[201]
[201] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 27.
POMPONNE TO ESTRADES.
June 22, 1678.
SIR,
The King has seen the letter which you were pleased to write to me,
and his Majesty has learnt from it with pleasure, that the Count
Matthioli is always in the same sentiments of affection and zeal,
which he has already shown for his Majesty. Continue to strengthen
him in them, by the hope of the same advantages which you have
already shown him that the Duke his master will find in the alliance
and protection of the King. The Duke not being in a condition to
preserve Casale, without the assistance of some one more powerful
than himself, he cannot certainly receive it more usefully and more
surely than from the hands of his Majesty. I trust you will labour,
as you have already done, to inspire him with the desire of it,
from the pleasure that you will have in rendering a very agreeable
service to his Majesty.
* * * * * *
POMPONNE.[202]
[202] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 28.
ESTRADES TO POMPONNE.
Differences between the Duke of Mantua and the Spaniards.
Venice, July 2, 1678.
SIR,
I see by the letter, which you did me the honour to write to me on
the 15th of last month, that you have approved of the assiduity of
the Count Matthioli about the Duke of Mantua, from the reasons which
I sent you. It will appear to you still more useful, when you are
told that he has obliged that Prince to break off the marriage of
the great-nephew of Don Vincent of Gonzaga, Viceroy of Sicily, with
the second daughter of the late Duke of Guastalla, and sister of the
Duchess of Mantua, which was already concluded, and which had been
contrived by the Spaniards, in the view of putting him more easily
in possession of the Duchy of Guastalla; so that the Duke of Mantua
is at present so much at variance with the Spaniards, that it is not
difficult to make him comprehend that there is no other safe part
for him to take, than that of putting himself under the protection
of the King, and of fulfilling those engagements with his Majesty,
which he has already agreed upon. This is what I represented to the
Count Matthioli at his last visit to this place, and he was the
more easily brought to be of this opinion, because he has a great
interest that this affair should succeed, since the Spaniards, who
are all-powerful in the councils of his master, and who have the
Duchess-mother on their side, have easily discovered that it is
he alone who injures them in the mind of the Duke, and would not
fail to take vengeance on him, if he ever fell into their hands. He
departed yesterday to go and join the Duke of Mantua, whom he does
not quit, and whom he is to accompany to Mantua, and afterwards to
Casale, from whence he will proceed to Paris: but, by the reckoning
that we have made together, he cannot be there before the end of the
next month.
* * * * * *
Sir, I am obliged to tell you that the Nuncio is so devoted to the
Spaniards, and that he sees with so much chagrin the power of the
King, and the weakness of the House of Austria, that he would be
capable of inventing to me a story of this nature, even should it
not be true.[203] * * *
THE ABBÉ D’ESTRADES.[204]
[203] As the letter breaks off here abruptly, it is impossible
for us to discover to what transaction Estrades alludes.
[204] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 29.
ESTRADES TO POMPONNE.
Excuses for the delay of Matthioli.
Venice, July 9, 1678.
SIR,
After what I had the honour of acquainting you with in my last
letter, on the subject of the Count Matthioli, I should not have
any thing further to add to-day, if he had not begged me to let you
know that he has only remained at Venice some days longer than he
originally intended, in order to execute some little commissions
which the Duke of Mantua gave him when he left the place; but that
he will go and meet that Prince this week at Mantua, that he will
follow him to Casale, and that from thence he will set off to go to
Paris, where he expects to arrive during the month of September. We
have together calculated the time, and he cannot and ought not to
leave his master sooner. He has, however, been apprehensive that
these delays might give a bad opinion of him, and he has wished, in
order to set his mind at rest, that I would send you the letters he
has written to the King and to you, Sir; although I assured him he
need not take this trouble, and that it would be sufficient if I
bore testimony to his zeal and to his good intentions. * * *
THE ABBÉ D’ESTRADES.[205]
[205] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 30.
POMPONNE TO ESTRADES.
July 13, 1678.
SIR,
The letter which you were pleased to write to me on the second of
this month, has shown the King that the Count Matthioli continues
in the same good intentions for his service, and in the design of
coming to France. His Majesty sees with pleasure that he is making
preparation, in order to be able to finish there the negociation
which you have commenced with him; and he has also been well
contented that, in order to prevent his master from entering into
more intimate engagements with the Spaniards, he has caused to be
broken off the marriage, which was on the point of taking place,
between the great-nephew of Don Vincent of Gonzaga, Viceroy of
Sicily, and the second daughter of the Duke of Guastalla.
POMPONNE.[206]
[206] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 31.
ESTRADES TO POMPONNE.
Venice, July 30, 1678.
SIR,
I have nothing new to send you, in return for what you tell me, in
the letter which you did me the honour to write to me on the 13th of
this month: but as soon as the Duke of Mantua shall be arrived at
Casale, I shall be able to inform you precisely of the day on which
the Count Matthioli will set off for Paris.
I have heard that the Duke has brought his mother back to Mantua,
and that she is ill there of a fever. If God was to call her to
himself, without doubt the affair of Casale would be more easy to
conclude, and the execution of the treaty would be less difficult;
though thus far there is no reason to doubt that in any case it
will fail, if his Majesty continues always in the wish of obtaining
possession of that place.
* * * * * *
THE ABBÉ D’ESTRADES.[207]
[207] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 32.
POMPONNE TO ESTRADES.
St. Germain, August 10, 1678.
SIR,
As the King continues always in the intention of profiting by the
good dispositions of the Duke of Mantua, His Majesty desires that
you will continue to encourage them, as you have already had so much
part in originating them. His arrival at Casale, and the journey
of the Count Matthioli into France, will show more clearly his
inclinations with regard to delivering up that place to His Majesty. * * *
POMPONNE.[208]
[208] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 33.
ESTRADES TO LEWIS THE FOURTEENTH.
Good dispositions of the Duke of Mantua, and of the Garrison
of Casale.
Venice, August 20, 1678.
SIRE,
* * * * * *
The Count Matthioli arrived here the day before yesterday, and he
goes away this evening to Mantua. He only came here to assure me,
that he would set off infallibly in the first week of next month, to
go to your Majesty, as he has done himself the honour of sending you
word himself; that the Duke of Mantua is always firm in his design
of putting himself under the protection of your Majesty; that all
those who have any command in Casale, are devoted to the will of
that Prince, and inclined to the French; and that there is so exact
a guard kept in that place, that nothing can enter or go out of it,
except by the order of the Commandants. I exhorted him not to defer
his departure beyond the time he had stated, and I told him that
he would be as well received by your Majesty, as he could possibly
wish. * * *
THE ABBÉ D’ESTRADES.[209]
[209] From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at
Paris.
No. 34.
PINCHESNE TO POMPONNE.
Venice, September 3, 1678.
SIR,
* * * * * *