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 Arrival of Cardinal Barbirini in France, as Legate from the Holy Chaire, for the Affaires of the Valto∣line.

WHilest the Fire of this Civil War was burning up of Languedoc. The Car∣dinal Barbarini Legate from the Pope, arrived in France and came to Mar∣seille, where he was received with great honour, as also at Lyon, according to the Orders sent by the King. He came to Paris the one and twentieth of May, and his Majesty caused his entrance to be made with the most Pomp that hath been seen for a person of his condition. I shall not need insist on the relating that he is bound by the Laws of the Kingdome, before he Officiate the Function of a Legate to pre∣sent the Brief, which the Pope hath given him for the imployment to the Parliament of Paris, which is a Custome so ancient, that I shall omit speaking any more of it; but I shall observe that the Pope having ommitted in the Brief, to give the King the Title of King of Navar, which could not be denied to him without Injustice, the Parliament refused to acknowledge it, and obliged him not to make any further pro∣cedure in the businesse untill it were amended. The Legate comming to Paris, alighted at St. James de Haut-pas, where the Clergy of the City, the concourse of the Court, and other Officers to the number of twelve thousand went to salute him and receive his Benediction. After this, the Prelates of Paris came to do their res∣pects to him; there was a little dispute in what habit they should appear before him, the Legate desiring they should be in their Rockets and Camail covered over with a Mantlet, as a mark that they had no power in his presence; but the Prelates not be∣ing able to stoop to this Order, by reason it was contrary to the Rules of the French Church, it was concluded in the middle way between both, to give some satisfacti∣on to the Legate, that they should go so habited to salute him, and that they should accordingly accompany him in the Cavalcade to Nostre-Dame, where being come, they were to take off their Mantlets, but all was done under a Proviso of saving their ancient right. The King sent the Duke of Nemours, the Sieur de Bonnevil, the Introductor of Embassadours, and several other Lords of great quality, to receive him at his first arrival.

At night Monsieur the Kings Brother, waited on him with a great number of Lords, and saluted him with extraordinary respects, and one his entrance accom∣panying him, gave him the right hand. The same day he had Audience from the King, where nothing passed onely Complements; but the next day he proposed what the Pope had given him in charge, hee exhorted the King in general terms to Peace, he urged his Majesty to restore things in the Valtoline to their former State, as they were before the Army of the confederated Princes entred into it, and besee∣ched him to grant a Cessation of Arms in Italy. His Majesty answered to these

three Propositions, that he was ever inclined to Peace, and that he would still be in∣duced to it; provided it were for the Publick safety, and honourable for him and his Allies. That as to what concerned the Valtoline, the Treaty of Madrid made but a few years before, had made provision for all those difficulties, which have ri∣sen ever since, and that he desired the execution of it, as to the Cessation of Arms, that he could by no means hearken to it, by reason of the prejudice it would bee to himself and his Allies and the great advantage those of the adverse Party might make out of it. This was the sum of what passed on both sides. The King adding in con∣clusion, that he would send some one of his Councel, to wait on him, and try if there might be found out any way of accommodation.

Within a few dayes the Cardinal, the Marshal de Schomberg, the Sieur de Her∣bant▪ Secretary of State, went to wait on the Legate from the King▪ and upon a conference he came to these two points: The first was, to demand the cessation of Arms in Italy; and the t'other concern'd the giving his Holyness satisfaction, pres∣sing that the places in the Valtoline might be delivered into the Popes hands, and that the King should make some excuses to him for the proceedings of the Mar∣quis de Coeures.

M••nsi••ur the Cardinal answered, that the King had declared openly enough in his audience his intensions concerning the cessation of Arms in Italy, and that if he should submit to it, it would be a means of giving his enemies time and leisure to gather their forces together, and to fortifie themselves against his Majesty and his Allyes: That the Peace would as easily be concluded on as the War, if either party would but hearken to Reason, seeing the principal difficulties of State had been concluded in the Treaty of Madrid. That there need nothing but some pro∣vision to be made in point of Religion, to which his Majesty was much inclined: That as to what he desired satisfaction in to his Holyness, his answer was, his Ma∣jesty never having consented to the deposit in his Holyness hands any longer then the time limited, in which he ought to have caused the Treaty of Madrid to have been executed, his Holyness had not any reason to complain▪ and especially too considering the several declarations which had been made by the Sieur de Be∣thun in his Majesties name, That the King could not any longer suffer the Grisons to be dispossessed of those Forts which did belong unto them; Declarations which his Holyness himself thought to be reasonable, for that he had upon them sent for the Spaniards to chide them for it: Besides the respect which the Marquis de Coeu∣res shewed to his Holynesse's Arms and Ensigns in the eye of the whole world, did defend him from any blame which might be layd to his charge, for having been defective in giving due honour to the holy Chair. But that notwithstanding all these things his Majesty did bear so great a reverence to his Holyness, that he would cause his Ambassadour, to say all those words of respect and civility which should be thought fit; as also that after the peace should be concluded, his Maje∣sty would consent to deliver up into his Holyness's hands, the Fort of Chi••nuennes, provided that the Spaniards would at the same time do the like by that of Rive, to the intent both of them might be demolished, which once done, he would deliver all the rest up, one after another, until they were every one razed, and that this was the most could be hoped for.

The Legat had other audiences, and other conferences past between him and the Ministers, where nothing more was proposed nor answered: But the King being at Fountainbleau, the Legate made a third proposition, which concerned the security of the Catholique Religion in the Val••oline, requiring for that purpose that the Soveraignty of the Grisons over the Valtolines should be moderated, without which he supposed there could be no settlement. His Majesty clearly declared unto him, that the Interests of State and Religion were not to be mingled, and that he would never grant any thing that might impair the Soveraignty of the Grisons, his Allies, over the Valtoline.

A while after he caused a conference to be had betwixt him, and the Ministers upon that subject, where having made the same proposition, the Cardinal delated

hmself upon the reasons of the Kings answer, and told the Legat, that his Maje∣sty having taken the protection of the Grisons, he could not consent to the dimi∣nition of their Soveraignty, especially since it had been conferred unto them by the Treaty of Madrid, since which time nothing had been altered in point of Re∣ligion: That the Treaty was to be observed, and that his Majesty could not depart from it without staining his Honour and Reputation; offering notwithstanding his authority to give all sort of security and freedom to the Catholique Religion. The Legat then declared the Pope was Head of the Church, and could not suffer that the Valtolines should he reduced under the dominion of the Grisons, and that his Holyness having consulted with some of the Clergy at Rome, they had told him, that in conscience he could not consent thereunto.

The Cardinal was not wanting to tell him, that the divine Laws did oblige the Re∣delivery of that which did justly belong to a Soveraign, of what Religion soever he be; so there could be no scruple of conscience for the restoring of the Valtolines to the Grisons, their lawful Masters, and that in effect the Treaty of Madrid, by which it was granted to them, had been approved of at Rome by the Pope, as also the sayd Treaty had not been resolved on, but after a consultation with the Clergy, who found no difficulty in the thing, and that the truth being still the same, his Holyness had not any reason to be scrupulous of it at this present.

This the Cardinal spake so smartly, that the Legat perceived that there was no more to be expected in that particular; so that from that time forward they were finding out new waies for the security of Religion; yet still declaring, he would not recede from his first Proposals, but under the Pope and holy See's censure. He proposed several Articles upon that score, to which the King assented; That leaving the Soveraignty to the Grisons which lawfully belonged to them, there should be such provision made for the safety of the Catholiques in the Valtoline, that the Grisons should give them full liberty for the exercise of their Religion; that they should not send any Governours amongst them, but such as were Roman Catho∣liques; that all degrees both Secular and Regular might inhabit there with all kind of Freedom; that no Heretiques, or their Adherents should buy Houses, nor that those who had then any in possession, should any longer live there, or enjoy their goods but onely in the behalf of Catholiques. To be short, that there might be a perpetual establishment of the whole businesse, his Majesty promised to become pledge for the Grisons, and to perswade them to consent to the utter loss of their Soveraignty in the Valtoline, in case they should break the conditions, of which the Pope and his Majesty were to be joynt Judges. Nothing more could be desired. But however the Legat, whether it were because he was somwhat cautious, or re∣served, or because he had not as yet any great experience in businesses of impor∣tance, or whether it were by reason of his Instructions from the Pope, which per∣adventure might be limited, was very fearfull to engage himself to any thing in which he suspected he might be disclaimed; and more especially seeing Count Gon∣damor, the Spanish Ambassador, then at Court, declared openly, that he was prohibited by his Master to meddle or make in the Treaty; for that his Catholique Majesty would never treat at all untill those places were restored into his Holyness's hands. The King had no great reason to be satisfied with this manner of the Le∣gat's proceeding, seeing he every day created new difficulties. It was well known that the Orders which he received from the Pope, was one cause of it. His Holy∣ness apprehending that in case he should consent to the delivery of the Valtoline to the Grisons, the Spaniards would disable the Counsel, in regard several of the Ro∣man Clergy were of opinion, that he could not with a safe conscience allow of it, as also the continual suggestions of the Spaniards, did mightily molest and trouble him.