[478] Isabella Clara of Austria, daughter of the Archduke Leopold, who was grandson of the Emperor Ferdinand III. She was married June 13, 1649, to Charles III., Duke of Mantua.—Trans.
[479] Unpublished letter of Louis XIV.:—Archives of the Ministry of War, vol. dcxxxv, p. 36.
[480] Unpublished letter from Matthioly to the Empress Eleonora of Austria:—Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, section Mantua, 5; Arbor priscæ nobilisque masculinæ familiæ de Matthiolis:—Archives of the Empire, M. 746; L’Italia regnante, di Gregorio Leri, part iii., Geneva, 1676, duodecimo, pp. 161-173.
[481] Son of Godefroi, Count d’Estrades, long employed in diplomatic negotiations in Holland and appointed a Marshal of France on the death of Turenne.—Trans.
[482] A despatch from Varengeville, ambassador at Venice, to Pomponne, July 1, 1679, given by Delort, states that Giuliani “is a little editor of newspapers, in whose shop the letters of news are written, as it is not the custom here [Venice] to print them. He works at this himself, as well as at copying for the public; and his situation in this town answers to that of the Secretaries of St. Innocent at Paris. Therefore it would be a very improper thing to give a secretaryship of embassy to a man of this profession [as the Abbé d’Estrades had proposed to do], who, besides, in other respects, does not appear to me fit to properly fill such an employment.... But as he is a sort of ferret who works out and gets at all that is passing, I think it is necessary to encourage his zeal by some such gratification as forty or fifty pistoles a year, or whatever shall be approved of by his Majesty.”—Trans.
[483] Despatches from the Abbé d’Estrades to Louis XIV., December 18, 1677; from the same to Pomponne, December 24, 1677; January 1 and 29, 1678. These have been given by Delort, as well as all those to which the word “unpublished” is not prefixed. Delort had seen and made use of the Mantua and Venice series, but not of that of Savoy, in which the most curious and interesting are to be found, because the Abbé d’Estrades, after having filled the post of ambassador at Venice, was sent in the same capacity to Turin.
[484] Despatch from D’Estrades to Louis XIV., December 18, 1677.
[485] Simon Arnaud de Pomponne, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs at this epoch. In spite of his admittedly high character, he fell into disgrace in the course of the following year, mainly through the intrigues of Colbert, with whom he was at enmity, and whose brother was promoted to his post.—Trans.
[486] Letters from Louis XIV. and Pomponne to the Abbé d’Estrades, January 12, 1678.
[487] “Monsieur le Comte Matthioli,—I have perceived from the letter that you have written to me, and from what my ambassador, the Abbé d’Estrades, has informed me, the regard that you show for my interests. You cannot doubt but that I am much obliged to you for it, and that I shall have much pleasure in giving you proofs of my satisfaction upon every occasion. Referring you, therefore, to what will be said to you more particularly on my behalf by the Abbé d’Estrades, I shall not lengthen this letter more than to pray God that he will have you, Monsieur le Comte Matthioli, in his holy keeping.