The Diary Samuel Pepys (love books to read .TXT) 📖

la campagne avec de la cavalerie pour avoir des nouvelles des ennemis.” —⁠Chambaud’s Dictionary —⁠B. ↩

The French accounts swell the number of the Spanish ambassador’s attendants to two thousand; two hundred would, perhaps, be the truth. —⁠B. ↩

This place so often mentioned, was first given up to the English fleet under Lord Sandwich, by the Portuguese, January 30th, 1662; and Lord Peterborough left governor, with a garrison. The greatest pains were afterwards taken to preserve the fortress, and a fine mole was constructed at a vast expense, to improve the harbour. At length, after immense sums of money had been wasted there, the House of Commons expressed a dislike to the management of the garrison, which they suspected to be a nursery for a popish army, and seemed disinclined to maintain it any longer. The king consequently, in 1683, sent Lord Dartmouth to bring home the troops, and destroy the works; which he performed so effectually, that it would puzzle all our engineers to restore the harbour. It were idle to speculate on the benefits which might have accrued to England, by its preservation and retention; Tangier fell into the hands of the Moors, its importance having ceased, with the demolition of the mole. Many curious views of Tangier were taken by Hollar, during its occupation by the English; and his drawings are preserved in the British Museum. Some have been engraved by himself; but the impressions are of considerable rarity. —⁠B. ↩

The White Devil; or, the Tragedie of Paulo Giordano Ursini, Duke of Brachiano, with the Life and Death of Vittoria Corombona the Famous Venetian Courtesan, by John Webster. Acted at the Phœnix, in Drury Lane, and first printed in 1612. ↩

The courier sent by D’Estrades to Paris, with the news of his discomfiture, arrived at the hotel of the Comte de Brienne (Louis-Henri de Lomenie, who had succeeded his father, Henri-Auguste, as Secretary of State) at eleven at night. Brienne instantly repaired to the king, then at supper with the queen-mother, his own queen, and his brother, Philippe of Anjou (Monsieur); and, requesting Louis to appear composed before the numerous spectators, he told him that the Spanish ambassadors people had cut the traces of his ambassador’s coach, killed two coachmen, and cut the horses’ bridles; and that the Spanish ambassador’s coach had taken precedence of that of D’Estrades, whose own son had also been wounded in the affray. In spite of the caution which he had received, Louis rose up in such agitation, as nearly to overturn the table; seized Brienne by the arm, led him into the queen-mother’s chamber, and bade him read D’Estrade’s despatch. The queen-mother followed in haste. “What is the matter?” said she. “It is,” replied the king, “an attempt to embroil the King of Spain and myself.” The queen-mother begged him to return to the company. “I have supped, madam,” said he, raising his voice. “I will be righted in this affair, or I will declare war against the King of Spain; and I will force him to yield precedence to my ambassadors in every court in Europe.” “Oh, my son!” replied the queen-mother, “break not a peace which has cost me so dear; and remember, that the King of Spain is my brother.” “Leave me, madam,” rejoined Louis, “to hear D’Estrade’s despatch. Return to the table, and let some fruit only be prepared for me.” Anne of Austria having retired, Louis listened to the despatch, and instantly gave his commands to Brienne; which were, in substance, to order the Conde de Fuensaldagna, the Spanish ambassador, to quit France instantly, and to forbid the Marques de las Fuentes, his intended successor, to set foot on the French territory⁠—to recall his commissioners on the boundary question, as well as the Archbishop of Embrun, his ambassador at Madrid⁠—to demand from the King of Spain an apology proportionable to the offence; that De Batteville should be punished in person; and that in all the courts of Europe the Spanish ambassador should give place to the French; and, on the refusal of any part of his demands, to declare war. Louis gained all and every point. After much paper war, and many protocols, Spain gave way. The Baron de Batteville was recalled; the Marques de las Fuentes was sent ambassador extraordinary to Paris, to tender apologies; and on March 24th, 1662, in the presence of twenty-seven ambassadors and envoys from various courts of Europe, the Marques de las Fuentes declared to Louis XIV that the king, his master, had sent orders to all his ambassadors and ministers to abstain from all rivalry with those of Louis. Louis, turning to the foreign ministers, desired them to communicate this declaration to their masters. The Dutch ambassador drily remarked, that he had heard of embassies to tender obedience to the Pope, but that he had never before known of such from one prince to another. An amusing volume might be written on the absurd punctilios of the ambassadors of the seventeenth century. A medal was struck by the French to commemorate this great event. —⁠B. ↩

This prejudice extended to the days of Pope, whose country mouse entertained his courtly guest with

“Cheese such as men in Suffolk make,
But wished it Stilton for his sake.”

Imitations of Horace, Sat. vi, b. ii

See also Shadwell’s Works, vol. iv, p. 350. —⁠B. ↩

To bloat is to dry by smoke, a method chiefly used to cure herrings or bloaters.

“I have more smoke in my mouth than would blote a hundred herrings.”

Beaumont and Fletcher, Island Princess

“Why, you stink like so many bloat-herrings newly taken out of the chimney.”

Ben Jonson, Masque of Augurs

↩

Snuff, anger.

“Who therewith angry, when it next came there,
Took it in snuff.”

Shakespeare, 1 Henry IV,