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.
But this Embassage had no effect, besides a return of Plenary Indulgency, which the Embassadour carried home, who seeing himself so often baffled at the Vatican, fell into the humour of negotiating with the Saints, and made his business to receive the Stations sometimes of one Church, and sometimes of another.
The Crown of Poland for six years together solicited by its Embassadour to have a Cardinal’s Hat for the Lord Visconti, according to his just Priviledges; but in all that time he not only could not obtain his intent; but moreover the Popish Embassadour at his return knew not what cause to tell his Master of the denial; for they all gave him good words, and bad deeds. Cardinal Antonio excus’d himself by saying, That he had no authority to effect it; Cardinal Francesco, That his desire was to serve his Majesty, but his Holiness did not think the Person worthy; And the Pope pretended, That he could not make a man Cardinal who was an enemy to his Nephews.
The same was the case of the Citizens of Bononia, who dispatch’d an Agent to Rome, to supplicate his Holiness, that he would please to remove the Commissary Della Grascia, whose being there mightily intrench’d upon their Priviledges, but they receiv’d the same Answer with those of Lucca; their Envoy returning laden with fair words, but not with Indulgences, as he of Lucca; for out of displeasure to have miss’d his intent he would not visit the holy places, but said to a Friend that moved him to go and receive the Stations of St. Mary Maggiore, (rather like a Protestant than a Catholick) My Friend, If there be no treating with the Barbarini who can speak, there is less with the Saints who cannot. To what purpose is it to solicite the dead, if it be so hard to address to the living?
The two Crowns of France and Spain are manifestly imposed upon every day, the Spanish Policy little availing with the Barbarini, whilst they stir not a hairs breadth from their ordinary Maxime, which is to perplex the understanding of Embassadours, one of them denying as much as the other promis’d. Which gave occasion to a certain Florentine of the great Duke’s Court to say, That the greatest miracle of Rome was to see all the Ministers of Princes tantaliz’d with the ambiguous and confus’d treating of the Barbarini, to so great prejudice of all Christendom.