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96 MEMOIES OF THE DUKE OF SAINT-SIMON.

where to negociate for peace, although he had no right to do
so, Torcy being the minister to whose department this business-
belonged. Torcy likewise sent people to Holland and else-
where with a similar object, and these ambassadors of the two
ministers, instead of working in common, did all in their power
to thwart each other. They succeeded so well that it was said
they seemed in foreign countries ministers of different powers,
whose interests were quite opposed. This manner of conducting
business gave a most injurious idea of our government, and
tended very much to bring it into ridicule. Those who sin-
cerely wished to treat with us, found themselves so embar-
rassed between the rival factions, that they did not know what
to do; and others made our disagreements a plausible pretext
for not listening to our propositions.

At last Torcy was so annoyed with the interference of
Chamillart, that he called the latter to account for it, and
made him sign an agreement by which he bound himself to
enter into no negociations for peace and to mix himself in no
foreign affairs; and so this absurdity came to an end.

In Italy, early this year, we received a check of no small
importance. I have mentioned that we were invited to join,
in an Italian league, having for its object to oppose the Emperor.
We joined this league, but not before its existence had been
noised abroad, and put the allies on their guard as to the
danger they ran of losing Italy. Therefore the Imperialists
entered the Papal States, laid them under contribution, ravaged
them, lived there in true Tartar style, and snapped their
fingers at the Pope, who cried aloud as he could obtain no
redress and no assistance. Pushed at last to extremity by the
military occupation which desolated his States, he yielded to all
the wishes of the Emperor, and recognised the Archduke as
King of Spain. Philip V. immediately ceased all intercourse
with Rome, and dismissed the nuncio from Madrid. The
Imperialists, even after the Pope had ceded to their wishes,
treated him with the utmost disdain, and continued to ravage
his territories. The Imperialist minister at Rome, actually
gave a comedy and a ball in his palace there, contrary to the