The history of the government of France, under the administration of the great Armand du Plessis, Cardinall and Duke of Richlieu, and chief minister of state in that kingdome wherein occur many important negotiations relating to most part of Christendome in his time : with politique observations upon the chapters / translated out of French by J.D. Esq.

The Pope sends the Cardinal Barberine in the quality of a Legate in∣to France, to negotiate the Peace between his Majesty and the King of Spaine.

THE Pope, who is equally qualified with the Title of Common Father to Chri∣stian Princes, as well as that of Soveraign Bishop, was much displeased to see the war was upon the point of flaming, out both in France and Italy. The condi∣tion of France mooved him with pitty, it being both against the Church, as well as against the Kings authority; but besides that this piety did not make him less sensible of the War in Italy. He had some apprehensions to for his own States, doub∣ting lest they after those of Genoua might become the Scene of this Tragedy; this was it which obliged him to send a Legate into France and Spaine, or into some other neuter place, where the two Kings Deputies might be found, to negotiate a Peace; as the Cardinal of Florence was heretofore sent to treate a peace at Vervins, and Aldobrandine, for the Peace of Savoy; His Holiness spoke of it to the Sieur de Be∣thune, as a thing which he had resolved on, and told him, that he desired to make use of one of his own house for this employment, and that he would willingly pre∣fer his desires, and that the affections which he had for peace more then any other. He presently proposed to him his Brother the Cardinal de Saint Onufra, to which the Sieur de Bethune only answered, that he was very capeable of the Legation. But that they that have been so long in a Cloyster, living in such an extraordinary Piety as he did, would commonly judge by the rules of devotion, which being so, it might happen that he would not consider at all the affair of the Valtoline, more then by the specious pretext, which the Spaniards had given out for their invasion, and thus considering all in a spiritual way, without regarding those interests of state, which would happen, there could hardly be found all the necessary qualifications, to make the peace between the people, who should be interessed it it. It was said in few words, and no reply on the one side or the other. The Pope then having changed his discours soon after alter'd his design, and proposed to send the Car∣dinal Barberin his Nephew, who earnestly desired to be imployed in this negotia∣tion, and to make the voyage between France and Spain.

Although the Sieur de Bethune honoured him as one of the most virtuous Cardi∣nals of the Consistory, yet he knew that he wanted experience in affairs to negoti∣ate this business. Besides finding the Spaniards indisposed to renounce the passages of the Valtoline, he easily concluded that the voyage would be to no purpose, but however looking upon the inclination of him to this voyadge, he would not te∣stify to his Holiness, that he misliked his choyse, only upon the first motion of it, he expostulated it with his Holiness, and represented how much it troubled him that his Holiness should give this commission to a Person, who being so neerly related to him, could not but be very dear to him; thinking that the consideration of that one thing would work more with him, then all others; and then he added to the intent his journey might be the shorter, that it would be proper to draw up and agree upon those points with the Spanish Ambassadour, in which the greatest diffi∣culties were contained, without which finding the business all confused and undige∣sted either in France or Spaine, it would of necessity follow, that he must be a long whiles absent from the Court: But the Pope who had been propossessed by the Cardinal his Nephew, who took a singuler delight to please him, took no notice of it, and a few dayes after conveened an Extraordinary Consistory to deliver him a Legats Crosse, and caused him to be conducted in Pontificalibus by all the Cardinals, out of the gates of Rome, according to the usual custome. They who had been upon the same employments before him, return'd back to Rome for a few dayes, that he might take orders for their occasions, but did not appear on any publique employments. The great affection which the new Legat had to the journey, made him prolong it no more then one day, so that he set out immediately punctually

observing his Holiness command, of using an extraordinary industry, to prevent the progresse of the war in Italy, to administer on his part the offices of a Common Father, by procuring a Peace between the Kings of France and Spaine.