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The Deputation of the Sieur de Bethune, to Rome as Ordinary Embassador, and the Revocation of the Commander of Syllery.
THe Commander de Syllery being thus surprised, the King was obliged to call him home, and to send in his place Monsieur de Bethune, a man of great judge∣ment and reputation, to whom he gave expresse order, to declare very resolutely to the Pope, that he would never consent that the Spaniards should have passage in the Valtoline, and to beseech him in his Majesties name, that he would use his authori∣ty to inforce the execution of the Treaty of Madrid, that according to the rules of Justice, the Grisons might be restored to that which had been usurped from them, both in the Valtoline, as also in the rights of the League at Caddee. A little after his departure, his Majesty received advice, that the resolution of denying those passages, was approved of at Rome, so he dispatched one to him upon the way, that he might every day be more resolute, and that hee publish it aloud to all the world, to stop the Spaniards mouths, who made people beleeve, that at last wee should give ground and accord it to them.
The Sieur de Bethune being arrived at Rome, acquitted himself so worthily of that which was give him in charge, that the Pope no more doubting of his Ma∣jesties resolution, told him, he would forthwith discharge himself of the Forts in the Valtoline. The Sieur de Bethune, was for the present satisfied with it, and gave notice of it to the King, But upon receiving his Majesties further pleasure upon that particular, he very briskly told his Holiness, it would be a thing of very ill conse∣quence, to deliver them into the Spaniards power, seeing if it were once done, a breach between the two Crowns were not to be avoided. That it were no lesse a∣gainst the Interest of Religion, to surrender them to the Grisons who were Here∣ticks, and that the best expedient which could be taken was (but by the By he pro∣posed it onely as from himself) either to raze them, as by the Treaty of Madrid was agreed on, or to leave them to the Valtolines themselves, seeing there might be an easier agreement made with them, then with any others. The Pope found him∣self so intangled, that he knew not what to resolve, so that the businesse, had been Wyer-drawn into a great length of time and delays, if he had not been pressed by those Protestations, which were several times represented to him: That the King his Master, after he had imployed all the means of a Treaty to no purpose, would have recourse to those to his Arms, without any more ado, to obtain that by force, which was denied to the justice of his Reasons.
His Holiness being thus hard put to it, would willingly have delivered up the Forts into the hands of the Valtolines; but one thing which hindred him was, he would be re-imbursed of those Charges which he had expended, for their preservation du∣ring the deposit. The Spaniards offering to give him satisfaction in it, did invite him to deliver them up to them. But the Sieur de Bethune, making him the same proffers from the King, did so puzzle him, that afterwards he could not deliver up the Forts to one, without offending the t'other, and without making a breach be∣tween them. Now to dis-ingage himself from these broyls, he made divers Propo∣sals, but all tending to delays, the Sieur de Bethune, acquainting the King there∣with, received express Order, not to consent to any expedient of that nature, and rather to press his Holiness, to leave the Fort in the Spaniards hands, then to use any longer delays; because his Majesty was fully resolved, not to let the year pass away without somewhat of Action, and in case he could get no other determinate resoluti∣on, that he should write to the Marquess Coeuures, presently to enter with an Army upon the Valtoline.