the Proposals concerning Ireland was agreed to, onely some smal alterations. You
have the heads already of the Proposals. The Councell this day added, That
there shal bee Recruits of Horse, and Foote, Bridles, Saddles, &c. for the Service
of Ireland.
Cardinall Mazerines Letter to his Father.
My loving Father,
YOurs of the 20 February hath been delivered unto me by Serbozin, to whom you had
intrusted it. It was not very strange to me, in seeing what you write concerning the reports
that are made of me in Rome; I alwayes have expected no lesse. You are the only man
in the world, to whom I would justifie my self in that manner, as I would do to you at present
in answer to your last Letter. Before me proceed further, I pray consider my carriage among
so many occurrences happening daily in this condition I am in; therefore I do intend to discourse
fully upon it, thereby to make you see that I have not been and forces, in maintaining
my selfe among so many potent adversaries, as I have in this Court specially, but also
throughout the Kingdome of France, where I have the mannaging of Affairs, by the power
and credit I have got in the good affections of the Subjects, by the reflection of the love of the
Queen my Mistris upon me; so that I may say to be arrived to that period, that I fear not
at any time there should be any alteration.
I had sooner wrote unto you, if I had known any safe way sooner, my urgent occasions
being also a great hinder once to it; but I could not apply my self there to, since the death of
my brother the Cardinal a Aix, by reason of my general Affairs, besides those that concern,
me in particular. Think not that the reflection you cause me to make upon the death of the
Marquesse d Ancre have not made a deep impression in me. Yea truly they entred so far
into my imagination, That at the late Baricaaoes at Paris, I was the space of two dayes
even dead with feare, least the people at Paris taking hold of me, should in their jury
cut me in peecas; and this fearfull image of so infamous a death did so fright mee, in
minde, till I perceived, that the setting at liberty of Monsieur Broussel, a councellour in
the Parliament, had delivered me from that great storm, like to swallow me up by that popular commotion.
And all the ground my enemies have to complain of me, is, That I have cheated Messieurs
Chavigni and La Riviere, and that I am more carefull of my own preservation, then of
the State: These are meet effects of the fear I had, left I should perish through the treachery
of the one, and a resenting of injuries the other hath against me; insomuch that I resolved to
clear my self from him, what price soever it cost me, seeing they are the two greatest less I
can have to binder my quiet possission of the Government of this State. He that betrayed me,
is Monsieur La Riviere, Fovarite to the Duke a'Orleance, who is one of a base degree, and
is twice more hated and envied in France, then my self, and is much inraged to be a Cardinal,
and so the cheife Minister in France.
The other is Monsieur Chavigni, who [unr]ise is incensed against me, by reason he doth,
not rule joyntly with me, and so be made cheife Minister of State, thereby to govern all
things as his own mind, as I doe; so that they revile me, by reason I do not suffer them to
thrust me out, to set themselves in my place; and that they have no occasion to undo me.
And such as your Letter implyeth only generall complaints of, so I cannot answer it but
in general [unr]; but in regard this doth not satisfie so much; and cannot furnish you with
sufficient answers to justifie me towards my friends, I thinke fit to tell you thus much, That
you ought to be satisfied of me, when I have answered unto three things that trouble me, most
of which, I must be carefull, and the more by reason you insist so largely upon it in your Letter,