233 



d'Aulnoy's volumes of 1690, bearing a similar name and treating of a 

 similar time, is yery strange ; but it is not more strange than the forget- 

 fulness of Mr. Ford. 



To return to our narrative, it was not until April, 1700, two years 

 after the death of Yillars, that Biecourt was left at Madrid by the Mar- 

 quis d'Harcourt, as his representative."^* In this somewhat subordinate 

 position he remained at the court of Spain until May, 1705,f during 

 the several embassies of M. de Marsin;^ the Cardinal d'Estrees, M. 

 I'Abbe d'Estrees, § and the Due de Grammont.|| To these succeeded 

 Amelot, whose capacity, activity, and fascinating manners, are spoken 

 of in the highest terms by Saint-Simon.-'"^' Towards the end of April, 

 1705, Amelot took his departure for Madrid, where he remained as am- 

 bassador until the autumn of 1709. ff On the 6th of May, 1709, in a 

 letter to Louis XIV., he asks for his conge, partly on public grounds, 

 and partly that the state of his health required it.%X In a subsequent 

 letter, dated 17th May, 1709, he urges the matter of his conge more 

 earnestly, and suggests M. de Biecourt as his successor. §§ His wishes 

 were acceded to in both respects ; and we find him, in July, 1709, wait- 

 ing for the arrival of M. de Biecourt. Hj] It was on the 23rd of August, 

 1709,^'^'^'' exactly eleven years and a half after the death of Yillars, that 

 the Marquis de Biecourt entered Madrid as ambassador in his own right, 

 aud for the first time justified the description of the anonymous editor 

 of the MS. Memoires" in the possession of Mr. Stirling, of having been 

 sent by his Majesty into Spain in this or any other capacity. As am- 

 bassador he remained but two years at Madrid, having asked and ob- 

 tained his recall in 1 711 .f f f To conclude this sketch of the life of Bie- 

 court, it may be added that he died in 1719.J^J 



* "Lundi 12 [Avril, 1700] a Versailles." 



" Le marquis d'Harcourt, notre ambassadeur a Madrid, a pris son audience de conge 

 dn roi d'Espagne ; mais il demeurera la encore quelques jours. II y laissera Biecourt, 

 qu'il y avoit amene avec lui, a qui le roi donne le titre d'envoye avec 18,000 francs 

 d'appoiritments." — Journal de Dangeau, t. vii., p. 291. 



f "Dimanche 27. Jour de la Pentecote a Versailles" [Mai, 1705]. 



" Avant que le roi allat a la Messe, M. de Torcy lui preseiitaM. de Biecourt, qui re- 

 vient d'Espagne on il avoit ete avec M. le due d'Harcourt, qui 1' y avoit laisse pour y 

 faire les affaires du roi." — Journal de Dangeau, t. ix,, p. 200. 



X M. de Marsin asked to be recalled in September, 1702. — Saint-Simon, t. iii. 

 p. 434. 



§ The Cardinal d'Estrees left M. I'Abbe d'Estrees after him, "avec le caractere 

 d 'ambassadeur." — Saint-Simon, t. iv., p. 178. 



II The Due de (.-irammont was appointed successor to M. I'Abbe d'Estrees in 1704. 

 ^— Ibid. p. 270. 



Saint-Simon, t. vii., p. 323. 

 ft Saint-Simon, t. iv., p. 432 ; t. vii., pp. 453, 454. 



++ Saint-Simon, t. vii., p. 452. §§ Saint-Simon, t. vii., p. 452. 



Illl Journal de Dangeau, t. xii., p. 461. 

 *** Saint- Simon, t. vii., pp. 453, 454. 



ftf M. de Bonnac, neveu de Bonrepaux, was named as his successor in 1711 Jour- 

 nal de Dangeau, t. xiii., p. 410. 



XXX Decembre, 1719, Mercredi, 13. 



" Biecourt gouverneur deNavarreins est mort." — Journal de Dangeau, t. xviii., p. 181. 



