The secret history of White-Hall, from the restoration of Charles II down to the abdication of the late K. James writ at the request of a noble lord, and conveyed to him in letters, by ̲̲̲late secretary-interpreter to the Marquess of Louvois, who by that means had the perusal of all the private minutes between England and France for many years : the whole consisting of secret memoirs, which have hitherto lain conceal'd, as not being discoverable by any other hand / publish'd from the original papers, by D. Jones, gent.

LETTER XXXVIII. (Book 38)

Of the Differences continued between the Pope and the French King, and of King James sending am Embassador to Rome, to recon∣cile them.

My Lord,

I Have already transmitted to your Lordship the Contents of his Holiness's Letters to the French King, about the Regale and Franchises; but there seems now to be a Disposition in these two high stomach'd Princes to come to an ac∣commodation, and the Conjuncture of Time lies so to the Heart of this Court, that I am apt to believe they will precipitate an Agree∣ment; however, because their forwardness therein might be disguised as much as French Policy could effect, they have by their Agents insinuated to our King; That an Embassy to Rome from him about accommodating of the foresaid Differences must be very grateful to his Holiness, who paid more deference to his Ma∣jesty, and would further regard his Mediation than any Prince in Christendom; and that tho' the French Court stood very stiff upon their Rights, yet it was not to be doubted, but as they had so high a Valuation for his Friendship at all Times and Occasions, so he might be confident that in so critical a Juncture of Time, they would not be so purblind as not to see wherein their true Interest consisted; It was

no sooner, my Lord, proposed to the King, but accepted by him, and my Lord Howard is already arrived in this Kingdom, in his Way to Italy, as the King's Embassador extraordinary on this Errand; but notwithstanding this Court has so far prevailed by their Artifices in England to procure the Kings Mediation, yet an Acci∣dent, if it may be called so, has lately happened at Rome, which may perhaps blast all the bloom∣ing Hopes entertained from this mighty Nego∣tiation. For Monsieur Lavardin, Embassador from this King at Rome, receiving Information that some of the Pope's Marshals were got within his Quarters, he ordered his Men to seize them, and commit them to safe Custody; the Cardinal de Estree has endeavoured to alleviate the matter, and mollifie his Holiness Resent∣ments, saying; That certain Persons, who were no great Friends to France, had set them at Work, with a design to irritate Matters yet further between the two Courts; that he might be pleased to consider, that in the Posture Affairs then stood, that is, after his Holiness had accept∣ed the Mediation of the King of England, it would look ill to admit any Innovation; but the Cardinal was asked, Whether the King of France was Sovereign in the City of Rome? And supposing he had been really so, was there any Justice to arrest People as they passed along the Streets, that had a Design to make no man∣ner of Attempts upon any? That it was never yet known in any Country, or heard of in the World of any Law that condemned a Man upon a bare Suspicion; but supposing that were true, as it was not, yet it was most certain that the Punishment was reserved to the Sovereign and not to an Embassador; who whatever Latitude

he would have allowed to his Authority, could not pretend to any more than to be indepen∣dent in his own Person; that as for his Do∣mesticks, if they pretended to the same Ex∣emption with himself, it was no farther al∣lowable than they demeaned themselves Regu∣larly, as they ought to do; for if they did otherwise, they were subject to the ordinary Iu∣risdiction of the Place they were in; That there were a Thousand Examples for it, though there had been some Embassadors who had endeavoured to extend the Privilege of their Domesticks so far, as to maintain that they ought to be affranchised. That this pre∣tended right of Sovereignty by Embassadors was so far from beng true, that they had not as much as Power to punish their own Servants, for there could not be any one Example pro∣duced that any Embassador has intruded so far as to condemn any Person whatsoever to Death, tho' there have been many who have justly merited such Punishment; That it was true, they had sometimes reclaimed them when fallen into the Hands of ordinary Iustice, but that at the same time it had always depend∣ed upon that of the Sovereign to concede that Favour to them, or refuse them according as they were more or less just. These things be∣ing granted, which could not be otherwise, for they carried their own Light with them, how could it be justified that a bare Em∣bassador should dare to arrest not only his own Servants, but the Officers of a Sove∣reign Prince, and that even in his Capital City, and to heighten the Extravagance of

such an Action, even in the very Sight of him.

Thus, my Lord, has the Old Gentleman resented the Injury, and I am afraid our King will have but little Joy of his Embassy, and in this Particular come short of his Grandfather's Motto of Beati Pacifici; how∣ever, his Zeal here for the Good of the Roman Catholick Church is highly applauded, but whether it be a Zeal without Know∣ledge, Ile leave to your Lordship to deter∣mine, and think my self happy in any Op∣portunity to serve you, who am,

My Lord,

Your very humble Servant

Paris, July 2. 1688. S. N.