(Vol. viii., pp. 461. 549.; Vol. ix., pp. 3. 204. 356.)
"Des gens qui écrivent pour le Comte de Grammont peuvent compter sur quelque indulgence."—Vide Introduction to the Memoirs.
Grammont's first visit to England may have been in Nov. 1655, when Bordeaux, the French ambassador, concluded a treaty with Cromwell, whereby France agreed totally to abandon the interests of Charles II.; and Cromwell, on his part, declared war against Spain, by which we gained Jamaica. Another opportunity occurred in 1657, when Cromwell's son-in-law, Lord Fauconberg, was sent to compliment Louis XIV. and Cardinal Mazarin, who were near Dunkirk. The ambassador presented some horses to the King and his brother, and also to the Cardinal. They made the ambassador handsome presents, and the King sent the Duke de Crequi as his ambassador extraordinary to the Protector, accompanied by several persons of distinction.
Grammont was at the siege of Montmedi, which surrendered on the 6th August, 1657.
He accompanied his brother, the Marshal, to Madrid in 1660, to demand the hand of the Infanta for his sovereign. On the Kings entry into Paris the same year with his Queen, Madame de Maintenon writes:
"The Chevalier de Grammont, Rouville, Bellefont, and some other courtiers, followed the household of Cardinal Mazarin, which surprised everybody: it was said it was out of flattery. The Chevalier was dressed in a flame-coloured suit, and was very brilliant."
In 1662 he was disgraced on account of Madlle de la Motte Houdancourt, aggravated also, it is said, by his having watched the King getting over the tiles into the apartments of the maids of honour, and spread the report about.
The writer of the notes to the Memoirs supposes that the Count's circumstances were not very flourishing on his arrival in England, and that he endeavoured to support himself by his literary acquirements. A scarce little work in Latin and French on King Charles's coronation was attributed to him, the initials to which were P. D. C., which it was said might stand for Philibert de Cramont. There seems no reason for this supposition: his finances were no worse in England than they had been in France; and there is no doubt he made his appearance at the Court of England under the greatest advantages. His family were specially protected by the Duke and Duchess of Orleans, the favourite sister of King Charles; and the Count was personally known to the King and to the Duke of York; and from a letter of Comminges', dated 20th Dec. 1662, it may be almost inferred that the Duke sent his own yacht to fetch the Count to London. Bussi-Rabutin writes of the Count, that he wrote almost worse than any one, and therefore not very likely to recruit his finances by authorship.
The exact date of Grammont's marriage has yet to be fixed: probably a search at Doctors' Commons for the licence, or in the Whitehall Registers, if such exist, would determine the day. The first child, a boy, was born on the 28th August, O. S., 7th September, 1664, but did not live long. This would indicate that the marriage took place in December, 1663. From Comminges' letters, dated in that month, it must have been on a day subsequent to the 24th December. Their youngest child, who was afterwards an abbess, was born on the 27th December, 1667.
It has been stated that Grammont was the hero of Molière's Mariage forcée, which was performed before the Court at Versailles in 1664. Comminges' letter of May 19-24, 1664, may allude to the Count's conduct to Miss Hamilton. He was twenty years older than the lady.