The life of John Baptist Colbert, late minister and secretary of state to Lewis XIV, the present French king done into English from a French copy printed at Cologne this present year, 1695.

THE Author's Preface.

WHatever may be said of the Performance, there can be no Objections made against the Seasonableness of my present Ʋndertaking: For if the Publication of this lit∣tle Work had been longer de∣lay'd, it wou'd have been a hard Task for the Author to have acquir'd the Reputation of an exact Historian; and every Reader wou'd have pre∣tended a Right to dispute, or at least to suspect the Truth of his Relation. 'Tis an obvi∣ous

Remark, That the Me∣mory of even the most Publick Transactions is of a very ten∣der Constitution, and seldom or never retains its Integrity, if care be not taken to preserve it, while 'tis fresh and unfaded; in some measure resembling Summer Fruits that must be either hastily gather'd, or ea∣ten corrupted, if I may be al∣low'd to borrow the Thought of a* 1.1 Modern Historian. Be∣sides the Ʋndistinctness, which is the common Inconveniency of remote Views. They who under∣take to write an Account of a Man••s Life, after a long Se∣ries of Years has in a man∣ner set him out of our reach,

are oblig'd to depend on the Cre∣dit of an uncertain Tradition, that confounds real with imagi∣nary Events, and not unfre∣quently suppresses the most re∣markable Actions of the Per∣son, whose Memory it pretends to preserve. In the midst of so much Confusion 'tis impossible to avoid Mistakes: For that which bears the nearest resem∣blance to Truth is frequently observ'd to be only a well-con∣triv'd Lye; and oftentimes a seeming Fable after a diligent Enquiry, is found to be a cer∣tain Truth. The Life of great Persons is full of Contradicti∣ons; and those Characters of em, and Judgments concerning

their Actions that are founded on the Idea they give of them∣selves on certain occasions, rare∣ly amount to more than false, or at best uncertain Conjectures.

On the other side, if I had publish'd this History sooner, it might have been suspected of Flattery. The Ministers of great Princes are no less terri∣ble than their Masters, and if ever an impartial Historian runs the hazard of an unjust and rigorous Treatment, for a faithful Representation of the Management of Affairs, 'tis when he attempts to unskreen the Designs of those who are the present Dispensers of Re∣wards and Punishments. If

M. Colbert's Life had appear'd while his Sons were actually possess'd of the highest Posts in the Government, the Reader might have justly suspected me of a Design to make my Court to the Children, by writing a Panegyrick on the Father. But the present Posture of Affairs leaves no room for any suspici∣on of that Nature; and there∣fore I expect to be believ'd when I protest that the only Motive which engag'd me in writing the History of that Great Minister, was my desire to acquaint Posterity with the most memorable Actions of his Life. And as I began the Work without the least curb

upon my Sincerity, so in the pro∣secution of it I have confin'd my self to a scrupulous Observance of the Truth: Nor have I been less careful to expose his Faults, than to do Justice to his Per∣fections.

The Reader will easily per∣ceive that I never take the li∣berty to wander from my Sub∣ject. For he must not expect to find in this Treatise a conti∣nu'd History of the Reign of Lewis XIV. but the Life of one of his Chief Ministers of State, who sustain'd not the en∣tire Burthen of the Govern∣ment, but was confin'd to the Management of certain parti∣cular Affairs: And I have en∣deavour'd

with all possible Ex∣actness, to trace him thro' the whole Course of his Life in the discharge of his peculiar Employments, without taking notice of those general Affairs that were not properly a part of his Province, any further than he had a share in 'em.

I cou'd not forbear adorning my Work with large and exact Descriptions of his Majesty's principal Buildings, that were erected under the Inspection of this Minister: For besides that Relations of this Nature are extremely agreeable to the Cu∣rious and Ingenious part of Mankind, these admirable Works are so many convincing

Proofs of the Activity, Vigi∣lance, and indefatigable Dili∣gence of him to whose Care they were committed. The Discharge of so important a Trust might have been the en∣tire and glorious Occupation of an ordinary Genius; but it was the least part of M. Col∣bert's Task. For besides, he had the Management of Naval Affairs, and of the King's Re∣venue, which he still found means to encrease by some new Expedient. He was also en∣trusted with the Care of pro∣moting Trade, and of improving ingenious Arts: And 'tis the duty of every Frenchman to acknowledge that the Industry

and Politeness of our Artizans is an effect of the admirable Con∣duct of that Minister, and that he depriv'd our Neighbours of the Servile Tribute which our wasteful Luxury paid to the Arts that flourish'd among 'em.

But our Gratitude to M. Colbert must not betray us in∣to a disingenuous partiality: Neither ought we to be so daz∣zled with the pleasing view of the shining part of his Life, as to forget or dissemble his Faults. For 'tis certain that he never scrupl'd to commit any Act of Injustice that might serve to enrich his Sovereign; and that notwithstanding his affected Probity, and seeming Neglect of

his own Interest, he omitted no Opportunity to fill his Coffers by indirect Methods. This is the dark and blemish'd Reverse of his Character; and the truth of these Assertions will appear evidently to the attentive Peru∣ser of the following Treatise.

To the History of M. Col∣bert I have added that of his Eldest Son, the Marquess of Seignelay, who succeeded him in the Offices of Secretary of State, and of Commander and Great Treasurer of His Maje∣sty's Orders. At present there are none of his Sons alive but James-Nicholas, Archbishop of Rohan, and Lewis, Colonel of the Regiment of Champaign.

Notes

• * 1.1

  History of Emeric Count of Tekeli, p. 2.