The Valet's Tragedy, and Other StudiesLang, Andrew
History
The Valet's Tragedy, and Other Studies
Lang, Andrew
History; World history
Another letter of Marsilly to Arlington, only dated Jeudi, avers that he
can never repay Arlington for his extreme kindness and liberality. ‘No
man in England is more devoted to you than I am, and shall be all my
life.’*
*State Papers, France, vol. 125, 106.
On the very day when Marsilly drafted for Charles his own commission
to treat with Zurich for a Protestant alliance against France, Charles
himself wrote to his sister, Madame (Henriette d’Orleans). He spoke of
his secret treaty with France. ‘You know how much secrecy is necessary
for the carrying on of the business, and I assure you that nobody does,
nor shall, know anything of it here, but myself and that one person
more, till it be fit to be public.’* (Is ‘that one person’ de la
Cloche?)
*Madame, by Julia Cartwright, p. 275.
Thus Marsilly thought Charles almost engaged for the Protestant League,
while Charles was secretly allying himself with France against Holland.
Arlington was probably no less deceived by Charles than Marsilly was.
The Bishop of London’s share in the dealing with Zurich is obscure.
It appears certain that Arlington was not consciously deceiving
Marsilly. Madame wrote, on February 12, as to Arlington, ‘The man’s
attachment to the Dutch and his inclination towards Spain are too well
known.’* Not till April 25, 1669, does Charles tell his sister that
Arlington has an inkling of his secret dealings with France; how he
knows, Charles cannot tell.** It is impossible for us to ascertain how
far Charles himself deluded Marsilly, who went to the Continent early in
spring, 1669. Before May 15/25 1669, in fact on April 14, Marsilly had
been kidnapped by agents of Louis XIV., and his doom was dight.
*Madame, by Julia Cartwright, p. 281.
**Ibid. p. 285.
Here is the account of the matter, written to ------ by Perwich in
Paris:
W Perwich to ------
Paris, May 25, ‘69.
Honored Sir,
. . . . . .
The Cantons of Switzerland are much troubled at the French King’s having
sent 15 horsemen into Switzerland from whence the Sr de Maille,
the King’s resident there, had given information of the Sr Roux de
Marsilly’s being there negociating the bringing the Cantons into the
Triple League by discourses much to the disadvantage of France, giving
them very ill impressions of the French King’s Government, who was
BETRAYED BY A MONK THAT KEPT HIM COMPANY and intercepted by the said
horsemen brought into France and is expected at the Bastille. I believe
you know the man.... I remember him in England.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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