_Monsieur de Lionne_, a person of great Abilities, being employ’d Embassadour to _Rome_ by the most Christian Crown, one day ask’d a familiar friend of his (pleasantly) _What kind of person himself had_? To which his Friend answered. _That he had the person of a man worthy of this Age_. Monsieur _de Lionne_ reply’d to him, _That he took himself to be like a Tennis-ball bandi’d to and fro by foul-players_; alluding hereby to the Artifices and tricks put upon him by the _Barbarini_ in his negotiating with them concerning the affair of _Castro_. The truth is, any other Minister but Monsieur _de Lionne_ would have shewed much anger in _Rome_, in the time of the War of the Duke of _Parma_ with the confederate Princes. This great Man, who was dispatch’d on purpose to procure the appeasing of the rising tumults, knew not which way to turn his wits to invent projects and artifices enough to oppose those of the _Barbarini_, who continually promis’d what they never intended to perform. He was sent from _Herod_ to _Pilate_, and from _Pilate_ to _Caiphas_: The one answer’d, _Yea_: The other, _No_. But what was most important, the _Pope_ had granted him leave to treat with the two Cardinals his Nephews, with a promise to confirm what should be by them concluded. Hereupon having one day by the power of perswasions reduc’d the said two Lords to reason, he repair’d to the _Pope_ to beseech him to confirm the Treaties agreed upon with his Nephews; but he receiv’d for answer, _That ’twas expedient to consider upon the matter_; which consideration never had an end. All the Policy of the _Barbarini_ lay in drawing out affairs in length, and concluding nothing; so that when ever these Nephews concluded any thing with the Ministers of Princes, they presently sent word to the _Pope_, that he should deny to confirm what they had done, and at the same time gave out that such denial was contrary to their wills. The Republick of _Venice_, when they saw that ancient Monument remov’d out of the _Vatican_, which represented the Benefits done by St. _Mark_ to the Church, sent an Express to carry their just complaints to the _Pope_, but he could never obtain any kind of satisfaction, not so much as in words, the _Pope_ turning the matter from himself to his Nephews, and the Nephews from themselves to the _Pope_. In the mean time great affront was done to the honour of a Republick so well deserving of the Church, without which one may say perhaps there would not be now a _Pope_ in _Rome_, if any where else. In like manner the Commonwealth of _Lucca_ sent an Embassadour to _Rome_ to complain of the injury done to them by the _Pope’s_ sending to them the Lord _Recagna_ with the title of Commissary, (which was a thing not a little derogatory from the Soveraignty of that State) and the more, in that this good Prelate, sent from the _Barbarini_, had something of the Barbarian.