— 
FRANCE. 
and expressive letter, “ I am informed that all was lost, 
and that you saved all.” . re 
in. In 1655, Landreci and Quesnoy were reduced by Tu- 
vades the yenne, and thus a road was opened into the Spanish 
ine iy Pediat B00 amen. The-lines 
lenciennes with an 20,000 men. 2 
ee Feee: , and the operations far advanced, when 
the Prince of Condé, and John of Austria, advan- 
ced with a superior army, and in the night-time forced 
that part of the lines where the Marquis de la Ferte 
commanded, Turenne, after in vain endeavouring to 
restore the fortune of the battle, effected a masterly re- 
treat, carrying off his artill and , and even 
halting on the ikndamen n less than a 
month afte he took Capell, in sight of the Prince 
of Condé and Don John. 
A short time before these events, Mazarine, more anxi- 
ous about the overthrow of his enemies, and the resto- 
Siakasinng 6 
reduced Montmede and St Vincent, raised the siege 
Ardre, and concluded the campaign by taking Mar- 
which, according to the treaty, was given up to 
ege 
English 
ankneteme 
A.D. 1658. deliver it up to 
3; Di “Oudenarde, Menin, Gravelines, and 
great 
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601 
and, in order that the preliminaries of a treaty might be History. 
settled in the most satisfactory manner to each party, “~~” 
Mazarine, and Don Louis de Hare, met on the frontiers 
of both kingdoms, in the Isle of Pheasants, in the Py- 
'renees, A. D. 1659. Much time was consumed in dis- 
putes about precedency ; but at the conferences 
“were begun, and, after four months, were concluded 
the celebrated treaty of the Pyrenees. According Treaty of 
o this treaty, Louis received with the Infanta a dowry the Pyre- 
of 500,000 crowns of gold ; Alsace and Rousillon were AD 1660 
confirmed to him ; and he restored the duchy of Lor- : ; 
raine to Charles IV. ; and St Omers, Ypres, Menin, and 
Oudenarde to the Spaniards ; he also consented to 
don the Prince of Condé, and solemnly reintansechal 
claim to any territory that might fall to him in right of 
his queen. The King of Spain, on his part, pardoned 
the rebellious Catalans ; gave up Verceil to the Duke 
of Savoy ; Reggio to the Duke of Modena; and the 
Duke of Newburgh, the long disputed succession to 
the city of Juliers, which had been sequestered by the 
house of Austria. 
- On the 9th of March 1661, a little more than a year Death of 
after the treaty of the Pyrenees, Cardinal Mazarine died; Mazarine. 
and his concern for his wealth was marked, even in the 4: D- 1661. 
last moments of his life. By a deed of gift, he resigned 
his riches to the king, who immediately res the 
instrument. His. immense wealth was soon dissi 
by the prodigality of the Marquis of Meillrai, who had 
married his favourite ter, or niece, Hortensia 
Mancini, and assumed the title of Duke of Mazarine. 
On the ruin of her husband, Hortensia retired to Eng- 
land, and subsisted on a pension allowed:her by Charles 
** Historians have seldom done justice to the charace His charac. 
ter of Mazarine, whose political caution restrained the ter. 
vigour of his spirits, and the lustre of whose genius 
was concealed beneath his profound dissimulation, If 
his schemes were less comprehensive, or his enterprises 
less bold than those of Richelieu, they were less extra- 
vagant. He has been agcused of avarice, and seemi 
ly with justice ; yet, if we reflect, that, beingiae inde 
gent forei himself, he married seven nieces to 
rench ~servaeers Bom the —_— distinction, ~~ left his 
nephew e evers, we , perhaps, be inclined 
partly to forgive him. So many matches could not be 
formed without money; and the pride of raising one’s 
family is no ible passion. He had the singu- 
lar honour of extending the limits of the French mos 
narchy, while France was distracted by intestine hos- 
tilities ; sand. of twice ing peace to the greater 
of Europe, after the longest and most. bloody wars 
it had ever known. Nor must we forget his attention 
to the ish succession, which afterwards made the 
is a striking proof of his political foresight. 
ing maxim was, that force ought never to be employed 
but in default of other means; and his pert aeen 
ledge of mankind, the most essential of all.mental ac- 
quisitions for a-minister, enabled him often to accom-. 
plish his views without it, When absolutely necessary, 
we have seen-him employ it with effect”... 
On the:death of Mazarine, the officers of state inqui- Louis him- 
red of Louis, to whom they were to apply; They were elf governs. 
surprised and disappointed, when the mona 
years of age; he 
5 
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been ill e F was consequent] ignorant; 
addicted to pleasure, and had been carefully ept at a 
distance Sow all ener legen business by the cardinal ; 
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