# Memoirs of the Twentieth Century/Paris, March 4, 1997

To the Lord High Treasurer, &c.
Paris, March 4. 1997.
My LORD,
I Was honour'd with your Lordship's of February the 24th from London yesterday, which brought me new proofs, of that undeserved affection and regard, with which you have ever honour'd me. I know not whether to applaud most, your Lordship's care of our Country, or affection to your friends and my family, or to make my compliments to you as the best of Ministers or Patrons. But I hope you will believe me honest enough to wish, that our family should rather be depriv'd of your favour, than our Country should ever be robb'd of so able an head, or so sincere and zealous an heart, to consider and pursue her interest. If I do not deceive my self, I think I don't say this, with any little view to my brother's being made one of the Secretaries for foreign affairs (how greatly soever I am oblig'd by it) but from a real sense of what the happiest Nation and the best of Princes owe you, for the labours of an illustrious life wasted in their service.
​But your Lordship's mind, and the obligations you lay on your friends as well as your country, are above the little returns of words and compliments; and therefore I shall take a method to pay you my acknowledgments, that will be more agreeable to you, by shewing you that I have endeavour'd to discharge the trust, you have repos'd in me here. Pursuant to your commands therefore, and my instructions from the Secretary by his letters of the same date, on Tuesday last I demanded an Audience of his most Christian Majesty; to which I was immediately admitted, tho' that morning the Pope's Nuntio, and the Spanish Ambassador were both put off, with excuses of his Majesty's indisposition. Upon account of these excuses, (as I suppose) his Majesty receiv'd me in his bed-chamber, where I found him accompanied with none but Mr. Meneville, his chief minister, who, as you know, leads him as he pleases. He receiv'd me, with a very great appearance of good humour and frankness; and as he had the memorial in his hand which I had given him the Sunday before, as he came from mass, he immediately cut off the formality of a prefatory introduction to what ​I had to say, by telling me he had carefully read and consider'd with Monsieur Meneville, the memorial I had presented him with, on the part of his Britannick Majesty, my Master. He told me he was perfectly convinc'd of the terrible train of consequences which must attend the establishing the Inquisition in France; and as he well knew the motives that made the Pope press for it, were only to increase his power, and that of the Clergy who adher'd to him in his Kingdom, he was willing and desirous to take any measures he could to prevent it. That he conceiv'd those propos'd in the memorial were well concerted, and would be of great service; but that he thought there was an omission in it, that was absolutely necessary to be supply'd, if we resolv'd to deter the Pope, from such a dangerous and insolent outrage on the honour of France, and the liberty of his subjects. As he spoke all this very quick, and with a good deal of action and emotion, as his manner is, he made a short pause here, and seem'd to expect my reply. Upon which I told him, that I was so confident of the King my Master's zeal, to lessen the unreasonable power of the ​Empire of the Vatican, and at least, prevent any new encroachments as to what regarded France, that I was certain his most Christian Majesty's proposals, for additional measures for that end, would be chearfully embrac'd. I would have gone on to desire that his Majesty would consider, that as all the extraordinary steps taken by my Master, were barely for the interest of France, I doubted not but all possible regard would be shewn, as to any further demands, to avoid unnecessary expence to Great-Britain; but he stopp'd me with his usual eagerness and quickness, to tell me, that the omission he complain'd of was, that of sending two Squadrons on the Coasts of Italy. I was so glad to find there was nothing further insisted on, that I told his Majesty, without hesitation, that he might depend on that assistance, whether matters came to an open rupture with the Pope or no. That his Majesty of Great-Britain seldom fail'd to send a small one into the Mediterranean every year for the protection of the trading part of his subjects; and that I doubted not but he would send two much stronger and earlier than ever, to any stations which should be ​thought necessary for the service of France. He seem'd extreamly pleas'd with this declaration, and turning about to Mr. Meneville, he whisper'd him so loud, that I plainly heard him ask him, have I any thing more to say? To which the other having answer'd so low, that I could hear nothing; his Majesty instantly turn'd to me, and laying his hand on his breast, said, I am deeply indebted to his Britannick Majesty, I am much indebted to his Britannick Majesty. He repeated these expressions at least thrice; and then, as I found he continued silent for some time, I pull'd out the last Memorial which I receiv'd in Mr. Secretary's dispatch, and told his Majesty, that I was commanded to present it to him on behalf of my Master; and to let him know, that it was a copy of the several heads of things which our Ambassador at Rome was charg'd with to represent to his Holiness, against the establishment of the Inquisition in his territories. He took it from me, and just looking over the title, he gave it into Mr. Meneville's hands, saying, it is long; you must make an abstract, and report the substance of it to me; upon which words, Mr. Meneville ​said nothing further, but put it in his pocket, whispering something into his Master's ear. His Majesty then turn'd to me, and ask'd me, whether our Ambassador at Rome, had already deliver'd that Memorial to his Holiness, and obtain'd a favourable answer to it; to which I could only answer, that I look'd on that as certain, but as yet I had no account of it; and that when I had, I should immediately acquaint his most Christian Majesty with my intelligence. To this he made no reply; but turning his discourse on the sudden to the ambition of the papal See, he said, with surprizing emotion to me, they think to make my Kingdom a Province to Rome; but, says he, striking his hand on his heart, not till I and half my Army are first cover'd with the sods of Dauphine; meaning, as I conceiv'd, that he would first die fighting on his frontier to Savoy and Italy. I told his Majesty, I hop'd neither of those unfortunate accidents would happen. I know not, said he, but I am sure one shall not happen without the other. If Providence had not disappointed all my best concerted projects, I had long before now secur'd the peace and honour of ​France; but it so pleas'd Providence, that every thing went contrary to my just designs. I did my best, and used my utmost endeavours; but all was to no purpose. Every body knows the event; I can blame no body but Providence; Providence would have it so, and I was forc'd to submit to its decrees. I observ'd he dropp'd some tears with these last words, and as I saw him in a great deal of trouble and concern, and having nothing further to speak to him on; I only begg'd Mr. Meneville I might soon have an answer to my memorial, and put an end to my audience, and immediately withdrew. The complaints against Providence, that made up the whole of the latter part of my audience, seem'd to me something very extraordinary, and brought to my mind the behaviour of Francis I. a predecessor of this King's, about 450 years ago, in somewhat the like circumstances. For when he saw his rival Charles V. had taken St. Disier, and was resolv'd to besiege him in Paris, he broke out into violent complaints against Providence, repining at its decrees; and said to his wife, my Darling, (for so he used to call her) go pray to heaven, that if ​against all justice Charles V. must be favour'd thus, that at least its partial providence, will allow me to die fighting in the field, before I live to be besieg'd in my capital. After all, these fine complaints of these mighty Lords of the world, that dare thus repine against and reproach the justice of their Maker, seem to me as impudent and silly, as the conduct of Sorbiere's Abbe St. Cyran. That old Author tells us, the Abbe, as he was one day eating cherries in his room, endeavour'd still as he eat them, to throw the stones out of the window, which often hit against the bars, and fell on the floor; upon which he ever and anon flew into a fury, crying out, see how Providence takes a pleasure to oppose itself against my designs. And indeed, my Lord, the mightiest undertaking of these rivals of Heaven, are, in the eye of infinite power, neither greater or nobler than the good Abbe's cherry-stones, that he was directing with so much care and prudence. I have hinted enough to your Lordship of the weakness of this Prince in my former letters; and as in Princes more than in other Men, to be ​weak, is to be unhappy; I believe there are few among his subjects, (as wretched as the subjects in France are) who are more uneasy in all the chief circumstances of life than he is. Indeed, by what I have been able to observe of the world, and the mighty monarchs of it, whom we envy and admire so much; I am persuaded this is oftner the case than we are apt to imagine. Crowns are such weighty, troublesome ornaments, that there are but two things that can make them sit easy on the wearer's head; either an ardent desire of doing great and glorious actions, and deserving well of mankind; or the senseless vanity of seeing one's self so high above others, as to the fopperies of power, riches, palaces, high living, and all the little tinsel shew of pomp, pleasure and luxury.
The first of these are seldom found, but in a few great spirits, who appear now and then like comets, to the amazement of the world; and are to be excepted from the general rules that others move by. The other indeed is often to be met with; yet so high a degree of it, and good success with it, is necessary to ​sweeten the cares of Princes; and so many disappointments and misfortunes in publick and private life befall them, and often such ill health, and other accidents, that level them with the rest of mankind; that we must believe them seldom at ease, tho' we should not take into the account the prodigious expectations they entertain, which are therefore the harder to gratify; and the violence of their passions with which they pursue them, which makes the least ill success the more insupportable.
However, this Prince has one good quality, which will make him serviceable to our present views, in spite of his weakness and unhappiness; and that is, a good degree of courage; which, with the help of two or three ill ones, much obstinacy, and a violent unforgiving temper, will probably cut out more work for his Holiness than he can easily manage. The whole Nation is in great expectation what the event of our councils will be; and I perceive the Jesuits are in prodigious apprehensions, seeing so terrible an alliance likely to be form'd against them, as Great-Britain, France and Germany. They set ​all engines at work, to defame and asperse our sovereign and nation as hereticks and monsters, that are odious to God, and all good men; and they are as busy to expose and ridicule his most Christian Majesty, by spreading vile reports as to his personal frailties, and all the errors and mistakes imputable to him, as a Man or a King. They have writ two dangerous pamphlets lately, which are handed about in manuscript; one of them is a virulent satire against this King and his first Minister, Meneville: It is a sort of diary of his life for the last Lent, of which I shall transcribe you two days. First day of Lent. Got up betimes from Madam Du Vall, confess'd to Father L—— a Dominican, and got absolution; forgot to go to mass, and eat my breakfast; dress'd by the Duke of C—— the Count of D—— and Mr. P—— went to Mr. Meneville's, and ask'd leave to go to council; could get no answer, till he had consulted the British Envoy; got his consent, and went thither. Resolv'd on a war with the Pope, swore the ruin of the Church to the hereticks, past an arret against schools and colleges, as opening peoples eyes too much. ​Another against popular preachers and zealous bishops; went to dinner as soon as Mr. Meneville was ready, eat till I was sick, drank till I was fuddled —— Mr. Meneville swears the Pope is an heretick —— deserves to be burnt, chain'd to Trajan's pillar, and make the Churches in Rome serve for faggots. Grew very merry, sent for Mrs. Du Vall, scolded her, forgot going to confession. Went to cards, my old luck, lost every thing I play'd for; cheated by Mrs. Du Vall, bubbled by Monsieur Meneville, laugh'd at by every one, pitied by no body. Went to the opera, six foot-soldiers cried vive le Roy, pleas'd to see such proofs of my people's love. British Ambassador bowed very civilly. Several of my own servants carry'd with much respect to me. Very fine musick, and a world of company. Madam Du Vall the finest woman I could see there —— went home, supp'd upon flesh, got fuddled, threatned the Pope, swore heartily, commended the brave hereticks of Great-Britain, and their almighty fleets, talk'd over the great feats I would do when they help'd me, lost my tongue and my senses, sent for Madam Du Vall, and was carried to bed.
​Second day; made Madam Du Vall get up first —— call'd for Father L—— the Dominican, confess'd, and absolv'd; heard mass in my chamber, while I eat my breakfast —— sick in my stomach, my head out of order, drank some brandy, took the air at New Marly, at noon; out of sorts, took a cordial, ask'd Mr. Meneville's advice, and took another cordial, grew better, got home, and din'd on flesh, could eat little, drank the more. The British Ambassador came to wait on me. The Pope a villain, Bishops rascals, Jesuits rogues, and Catholicks fools. The riches of the monasteries and convents, and the Lands of the Church, the best fund to maintain a war with the Pope —— Monsieur Meneville will manage all. Mrs. Du Vall shall make the campaign with me, will give her an estate in church-lands; much pleas'd, heard a fine consort of musick, order'd a new tax upon Guienne to pay the band of musicians; saw Mr. Le Blanc dance; gave him a regiment for it; a great pity he's no soldier —— British Ambassador went home. Call'd for supper, bad stomach, swallow'd wine enough, and eat some Portugal hams, to shew I was a good Christian, and no Jew. Made ​Madam Du Vall sing, and Mr. Meneville dance. A fine gentleman, a faithful subject, and an able minister; might get his bread by dancing, better than Nero by his fiddling. Drank abundance, talk'd more; begun to think, grew dull and melancholy, fell asleep in my chair, dreamt I was drinking with the British Ambassador and the Devil; waken'd in a fright, carried to my apartment, fate on my close-stool, and rail'd at the world, went to bed, and ventur'd to lie alone.
The rest is all of the same nature, very malicious; and, like all true malice, very dull. For this reason, I shall not trouble your Lordship with any more than a few short hints of another; in which they pretended to prove his Britannick Majesty and his Parliaments are the publick incendiaries of Europe. That his Majesty has erected the house of commons into a sort of grand prerogative-court, where the wills of all the crown'd heads of Europe are to be first duly prov'd and enter'd, with a salvo jure magnæ Britanniæ Regum si illis aliter visum fuerit; and the next heir is to be admitted or rejected, as best suits the convenience of the present state of things, ​and the inclinations of the good people of Great-Britain. That no such will is to be deem'd authentick, unless the deceas'd takes care to have 100000 arm'd witnesses, to prove the validity thereof. That in case such will be pronounced valid, it shall not be construed to extend to bequeath to the heir, or his subjects, any foreign trade or naval power; but so far as they shall be dependent on, and subservient to, the interest and commerce of Great-Britain, and no further. That in case any prince or potentate, nation or people, shall presume to construe it otherwise, the said prerogative-court do issue out a writ, call'd a Classis major quæ scire faciat; and settle all points of the said will thereby, as they judge proper; substituting a convenient decree and will of the said court, in the place thereof, of which the known rule is, salus Populi suprema lex esto. That the said court has pretended to compute, by their political arithmetick, that since the 16th Century to the 20th, the Princes of Europe have sacrific'd the lives of above 100 millions of the bravest of their subjects to Wars, begun and carried on for the most frivolous silly causes imaginable; ​and sometimes, for little trivial piques of ministers and favourites against each other, for which an honest heretick would not turn off a footman. That therefore they have made a decree, that no monarchs in Europe shall presume to go to war till their quarrel is tried in the said court, and sentence pronounc'd there for war or peace; and to act accordingly. There is abundance of such aukward malice in the pamphlet, which is not worth repeating. I shall therefore omit it, to acquaint your Lordship with the resentments of a particular person, who may be able to do us more prejudice, with a few words to his master, whom he rules and governs as he pleases, than all the pens of the Jesuits, who think to govern the world.
I need not tell your Lordship, that I mean Mr. Meneville, who expostulated with me yesterday in a very calm and civil, but at the same time in a manner that shew'd a great deal of conceal'd resentment. He met me at court, and ask'd me to walk with him in the King's garden; he talk'd to me a little on the Memorial I had given his Master, and then began a long expostulation, that has made me apprehensive we may ​may have disgusted him too far. He told me, I very well knew the French sea-ports had never remain'd in our hands, or the last treaty of peace been sign'd between France and Great-Britain, but for him; which God knows, says he, I did not do for the sake of the pension then so solemnly promis'd me, or to provide for my family, but to serve my country, that was tearing in pieces. That your Lordship and I both knew he had not got it accomplish'd, if he had not ruin'd the Marquis of M——— who was violently for carrying on the war with England; and persuaded the French King he was a pensioner of the Pope's, tho' the said Marquis was Mr. Meneville's good friend, and as faithful and wise a minister as ever was in France. That three years after he had thus got the peace sign'd, his Majesty would have broke it again, but that he offer'd him a thousand arguments against it, and sav'd Great-Britain from that storm; and now he kept him firm to the scheme of our court, for humbling the Pope, and opposing the Inquisition; which last point, however, he insisted the less on, because it was the true interest of the Kingdom. That I very well knew how ​ill his pension had been paid, ever since it was first promis'd him; that there was now two years and an half due, and not a penny offer'd him. That your Lordship, (you will pardon the freedom of reporting this) manag'd your master's treasures like a banker, rather than a prime minister; and that if the friends of Great-Britain in foreign Courts were always thus us'd, we would find the scene chang'd suddenly. I would fain have interrupted him here, but he would not let me; so he went on to say, that if he could think of deserting Great-Britain, he might find his account much better with the Pope's Ministers, where he had been offer'd near double what we contracted for; but his Master's honour, and the interest of his Country, were too near his heart. However, as the forgeting real services, and remembring small disobligations, often made the best friends enemies, he desir'd I would consider well of it, and without a useless waste of words and reasons; (which, says, he, you are ready to give, and I will not receive) take care to answer these complaints, with the single argument, that can only justify your conduct to me. The instant he had said this, he left me ​without allowing me time to reply; and as I have faithfully related the whole of his expostulation, I humbly recommend it to your Lordship's consideration, to have the arrears of his pension instantly paid him. I am persuaded, the Pope's Ministers would give him vastly more than we do; and tho' he must, to oblige them, run counter to his Master's inclinations, and the body of the people; yet he has such an ascendant over the King, that he is able to manage him, and every thing by him, as he pleases. I shall add no more on this subject, but to beg I may be instructed very suddenly how to answer Mr. Meneville, with something more than good reasons and great promises, or my credit here will be but short-liv'd. In the mean time, I am persuaded, if he be kept our friend, all will go well, and we shall probably mortify the Pope sufficiently. Indeed his most Christian Majesty, has so vastly improv'd the strength of his frontier towns in Dauphine, by their new-invented method of fortification, that the strongest places in France, fortified after the old manner, are not strong enough to keep sheep from wolves, or geese from foxes, when compared with them. All the ​troops are ordered to be compleated without delay throughout France, and money is sent to Swisserland for remounting the cavalry; so that every thing here looks like preparations for war, and the Jesuits and their numerous party are evidently under great apprehensions of its breaking out. However, probably their interests in all Courts is so prodigious, and they have so many spies that lie within the bosoms of their enemies, that they will manage so, if possible, as to make all this storm blow over. A few months will clear up this matter, and I shall redouble my efforts to bring every thing to bear; being persuaded, such a crisis, when both France and the Emperor are warmly inclin'd to a rupture with the Pope, and to concert proper measures to curb his ambition, is not easily found.
In the mean time, my Lord, allow me to pass to less busy scenes of things, and to tell you, that after I parted with Mr. Meneville yesterday, I went to see the magnificent entry of the old Marquis del Carpio, Ambassador extraordinary from Spain. He had an infinite train of rich liveries, coaches and attendants, and made an appearance becoming that Monarchy in its highest splen​dor; but as he is a violent enemy to Great-Britain, and will certainly serve the Jesuits, (whose creature he is) all he can, I heartily wish him and his fine shew in Madrid. I knew him when I was in Spain very well, his name is Haro, and he has very considerable estates in Andalusia; and is on that account, and his zeal and bigottry, much consider'd by the Jesuits; but otherwise, he is both in his person and understanding, infinitely despicable. This entry cost him a vast sum of money, which I suppose the Jesuits, whose errands I am sure he comes on, will answer for him. The very coach, which he rid in cost near 6000 l. and brought into my mind the rich shrines for relicks, (to say nothing of some great noblemens palaces) which are so glorious and splendid without; and yet within, contain nothing but the decay'd remains of some worthless creature, which must now be reverenc'd as sacred, and regarded almost with adoration by the crowd. I shall leave no stone unturn'd, to get as early intelligence as I can, from the best hands, of the design of this embassy, which I am sure are no ways auspicious to our present views; and shall give your Lordship notice of ​them with all possible expedition. It is certain, that one part of his business is, to influence this Crown to give no sort of encouragement or assistance to the Portuguese, in the dispute which is arisen in America, between them and the Spaniards, and is likely to be carried on with prodigious violence. As the affair is perfectly new, and the whole of it sufficiently curious, I shall let your Lordship in a few words into so much of it, as I could learn at present. 'Tis a matter likely to be attended with prodigious consequences, and to engage both the pens and the swords of the two nations, with all the rage that either glory or profit, can stir up in them; for the quarrel is about nothing less than the bounds of their several Empires in the vast Continent of America. Your Lordship must remember to have read, how Pope Alexander VI. in the the 16th Century, when the discovery of the new World was thought little of, divided it into two hemispheres, the eastern and western; the first of which he bestow'd on the Portuguese, and the last on the Spaniards. For the first three or four Centuries, every thing was very calm and quiet, neither Nation having been able to pene​trate and discover, much less to plant and occupy, the inmost parts of that prodigious Continent. But as of late years, America is grown vastly populous, and the inhabitants for this last Century, by the help of the natives, have carried their colonies and plantations thro' the remotest provinces; it happen'd the Portuguese and Spaniards frequently met, and had furious contests and engagements, about the boundaries of their dominions. The Portuguese maintaining, that the Spaniards have intruded too far, and the others denying it, all the Geographers of each Nation, and the Mathematicians of Europe, have been engag'd of one side or other with the utmost fury and passion; and yet cannot agree about fixing the Longitude, differing, many of them, about 19 degrees. It will, in all probability, cost much blood and treasure, before this dispute be determin'd; and 'tis generally said, the Jesuits in Paraguay, who are jealous of them both, blow up the coals, and use all their arts to put things in a flame; which is no difficult task between two Nations sufficiently warm and resentful, and that have such vast tracts of a very rich fertile country, to contend about.
​The Spaniards have lost a great friend in the Duke de Richlieu, who died here last week, in spite of all the heaps of wealth he had rais'd, by cheating the Nation, and ruining 8 or 10000 families. However, he died very comfortably among his Jesuits, to whom he left 10000 l. out of near fifty times that sum, to pray his soul out of purgatory. It is currently reported here, my Lord, that he had violent disputes with his confessor, what the value of his sins might be computed at, and the masses requisite to pray his soul out of danger. Tho' he was much afraid of going there, and heartily superstitious; yet he lov'd his dear money so well, that 'tis said it was not without great uneasiness he inserted that sum in his will. After all, there are so many people who wish him at the Devil, that I am terribly afraid, they will be apt to out-vote a few priests, who endeavour to pray him into Heaven; and that the curses of those he has ruin'd, will probably drown the sound of the prayers, of those he has paid.
Your relation of the vast improvements in the royal Fishery and Plantation-companies, were extreamly agreeable to me, ​on account of the advantages which our Nation, and the glory your Lordship's administration, will reap from them; but as to my private affairs, they were of no sort of benefit to them, having unluckily sold out about two months before. 'Tis incredible, my Lord, with what regard and honour you are consider'd in this Nation, upon the new regulations you have establish'd about those two companies, and in what terms they mention the whole of your ministry, and his Majesty's reign. As I am convinc'd, there never were praises better deserv'd, it gives me infinite concern to find your Lordship's stile so much chang'd from its usual spirit and force, and to hear you talk in so desponding a manner of the infirmities of age, your weariness of the world; and, which I fear is nearest your heart, the envy and malice of a degenerate race, and an unthankful age. But your Lordship's spirit is of a nobler turn, than to let your virtue be alarm'd from its own shadow, envy; which is so far from injuring, that it is ornamental, and a necessary help to it, and rather serves than hurts it. 'Tis true, your Lordship stands in need of no such assistances; but in other ​people, the fear of its lashes makes them watch over their frailties, and avoid running into a thousand mistakes, which otherwise they would fall into. By this means, 'tis so far from hurting virtue, that, like the clipping of the sheers to the hedge, it makes it grow thicker and stronger from its wounds. Your Lordship has been too long used to it, not to know that it accompanies the actions of the great; like the dragons, gryphons, and other beasts and monsters, which the heralds give them, not as blots and deformities, but for the ornaments and supporters of their coats of arms.
May you live many years to triumph over the groundless malice of your enemies, and enjoy the well-deserv'd gratitude and praises of your friends; may your Lordship long continue to serve his Majesty and your Country; and at last, in a good old age, loaden with years and honours, retire to that grave, which you think of so often, and I hope will wait for so long; which is the sincere wish of, my Lord, your Lordship's, &c.
Herbert.
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