Letters of the Cardinal Duke du Richelieu great minister of state to Lewis XIII of France / faithfully translated from the original by T.B.

About this Item

Title
Letters of the Cardinal Duke du Richelieu great minister of state to Lewis XIII of France / faithfully translated from the original by T.B.
Author
Richelieu, Armand Jean du Plessis, duc de, 1585-1642.
Publication
London :: Printed for A. Roper, A. Bosvile, and T. Leigh,
1698.
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Subject terms
Louis -- XIII, -- King of France, -- 1601-1643.
France -- History -- Louis XIII, 1610-1643.
Cite this Item
"Letters of the Cardinal Duke du Richelieu great minister of state to Lewis XIII of France / faithfully translated from the original by T.B." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A57251.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 3, 2024.

Pages

LETTER LXXXIX. The Draught of the King's Letter to the Pro∣vinces, upon M. Schomberg's Entring Sa∣voy with his Army.

MY Cousin, the Cardinal of Richlieu, coming to at∣tend me at Grenoble, according to my Order, has given a particular Account of what fell out in his Journey for Piedmont; where he has omitted nothing that I could expect from his Fidelity, Courage and Prudence; as well in the Conduct of my Arms, as in the Negotiations of a Peace, upon several Proposals made by His Holiness, by my Cousin the Cardinal Antonio, his Legate, and the Nun∣cio's employ'd to that End, as also by other Persons, who

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have propounded several Conditions so remote from Rea∣son, and with so little Security for my Cousin the Duke of Mantua's Territories, or those of the rest of the Italian Princes, that I could not give my Consent to 'em, with∣out greatly prejudicing my Dignity and Reputation. They would prescribe the Duke of Mantua Laws altoge∣ther new; and deprive him of the Liberty of making use of such Persons or Nations as he shall judge conve∣nient for the ordinary Guard of his Strong Holds; and yet they will not so much as assure him neither of the In∣vestiture of his Dutchies, but only as a thing which he may hope for, after he has sent to demand it of the Em∣peror, which he has done formerly several times, by his Son; which would be to expose the Success of an unjust thing to the Inconveniencies of delay'd Resolutions, which are frequently subject to remarkable Changes. They would also oblige me to deliver up Suza and Pigne∣rol, and other Places which I hold in Piedmont, only resto∣ring the Passes of the Grisons; and yet not oblige 'em to surrender the Valtolin, according to the Treaties and A∣greements formerly made between us; the Performance of which we reserv'd to our selves, with Power to cause the Breaches thereof to be made good by the Parties. Be∣sides which Conditions, the Duke of Savoy demands, that the Annual Rent of Fifteen Thousand Crowns in Gold, which I caus'd the Duke of Mantua to grant him the Pay∣ment of, for his Pretensions in Montferrat, should be paid him in old Rents and Duties; which he made to amount to three time, more then I promis'd him, to the end he might swallow up the best part of Montferrat by his exces∣sive Dmands. Therefore seeing things so far remote from Reason and Peace on the part of the Authors of this War, who affect Scruples and Niceties to justifie themselves in their unjust Usurpations and Enterprizes; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Answers which my Cousin of Richlieu return'd 'em 〈…〉〈…〉 Command, having sufficiently made known to 'em 〈…〉〈…〉 of my Intentions, and my Desire of the publick Peace and Tranquility; and that the Duke of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, who, by a reaty made between him and me the last Year, was oblig'd to join his Arms with mine, and allow 'em a safe and free Passage through his Dominions, and furnish 'em with necessary Ammunition and Provi∣sions in their March into 〈◊〉〈◊〉, for the Defence of the said Duke of Mnun, never minded the Performance of the said Obligation, as he was several times requested by

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my said Cousin: I have therefore been constrain'd to make use of the Means that God has put into my hands, and to enter by Force of Arms into the Countries and Territories of Savoy, in order to open a Passage into Ita∣ly, for the Succour of the Duke of Mantua, and to main∣tain the rest of the Princes, my Confederates, in their an∣cient Liberty. And in regard my principal Aim is, to procure 'em an assured Peace and Repose, and not to usurp upon my Neighbours, I shall not neglect any Means to ob∣tain it, whether by Force of Arms, or by a Treaty of Peace, provided it may de made, as I desire, upon sure and rea∣sonable Conditions, for the Repose and Liberty of Italy; correspondent to the Dignity of my Crown, and the Au∣thority of my Mediation, &c.

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