234 



But, although the Marquis de Blecourt did not, and could not,have re- 

 ceived from the Marquis deYillars the ^" Memoires de la Cour d'Espagne," 

 which are alleged to have been v\^ritten for his information, it is very- 

 singular that he did receive from his predecessor, Amelot, a remark- 

 able letter of instructions relative to the position of the French Em- 

 bassy at Madrid, and the conduct to be pursued there by the ambassa- 

 dor, the subject of v^^hich has a striking resemblance to one or the 

 other of the missing works attributed to the Marquis de Yillars, by the 

 anonymous editor of the MS. ''Memoires." These works are : — 



Des Memoires des affaires concernant le Commerce que les Ambas- 

 sadeurs du 'B.oj Tres Chretien out poursuivi a la cour d'Espagne depuis 

 le Traite de Mmegue," &c. 



''Du ceremonial des Ambassadeurs de la Cour de France a celle 

 d'Espagne." 



This important doci^ment, written by Amelot, is headed ''Memoire 

 pour le Marquis de -Blecourt, Envoye Extraordinaire du Roi en Espagne" 

 (Bibl. imp. du Louvre. F. 325, t. xxvi. piece 74). 



It is too long for insertion here, but is worth referring to in the '' Me- 

 moires de Saint Simon," tom, vii. from p. 454 to 458, where it is given 

 in full. It is very interesting, and makes us acquainted with some cu- 

 rious circumstances. Among others, the following, which shows that 

 the author of " The Bible in Spain" had some active predecessors in the 

 reign of Queen Anne. Speaking of the efforts of the English and Dutch 

 to introduce the Protestant religion into Spain, Amelot, writing to Ble- 

 court, says : — 



'' On sait ce qu' ils ont fait en Aragon et en Yalence, pendant qu' ils 

 en ont ete les maitres; que la doctrine catholique y a ete corrompue 

 en bien des endroits, et que Ton a trouve sur un vaisseau anglois qui a 

 ete pris, quatorze mille exemplaires du catechisme de la liturgie an- 

 glicane, que la reine Anne envoyoit pour fair distribuer dans ces. deux 

 royaumes."^' 



This state paper, given by Amelot to Blecourt, upon a subject and 

 under circumstances so closely resembling the alleged previous transac- 

 tion of Yillars, is taken from the vast collection of manuscripts, amount- 

 ing to about 200 volumes in folio, which was formed towards the close 

 of his life by the celebrated Marechal Due de l^oailles. It was to the 

 second daughter of JSToailles, Amable-Gabrielle, that Marshal Yillars (the 

 son of the Marquis de Yillars), married in 1721 his only son.f From 

 this coimexion between the families of the Due de IsToailles and the Mar- 

 quis de Yillars, it is not at all improbable that a Memoir connected with 

 the French embassy at the Court of Spain, which was found among the 



* For this passage see Saixit-Simon, t. vii., p. 457. The Memoir begins at p. 453. 



t " Le marechal de Villars raaria son fils unique a una fiUe de due de ISToailles ex- 

 tremement jolie, et depuis dame du palais, et apres dame d'atours de la reine, femrae de 

 beaucoup d'esprit et d'agrement, devenue devote a ravir, et dans tousles temps intrigante 

 et chemiuant a merveille." — Saint-Simon, t. xviii., p. 172. 



