MAZARIN When Mazarin became First Minister of France in 1643 he inherited a costly war. Ruinously high taxation, arbitrary and oppressive measures of government and opposition at every level threatened the stability of the state. The king was five years old and a long minority was in prospect. It was a time of crisis. Eighteen years later Mazarin died in office, having survived the success­ ive revolts and civil wars known as the Fronde. His reputation was at its peak, as was the prestige of France, his adopted country. Mazarin's charac­ ter, however, had been so vilified during the previous, turbulent years that in the popular perception he was a charlatan, a mean-spirited but greedy trifler and an adventurer. Geoffrey Treasure argues that Mazarin was in fact a remarkable states­ man, subde, courageous and incredibly hard-working: a man who inspired devotion and respect among those closest to him, above all the king who would benefit by his tutelage in government In Mazarin: The Crisis of Absolutism in France, Geoffrey Treasure has gathered and focused the most recent research on Mazarin. It will prove the definitive text on this period. Geoffrey Treasure is the author of Seventeenth Century France (1984), The Making of Modem Europe, 1648-1780 (1985) and Cardinal Richelieu (1972). MAZARIN The Crisis of Absolutism in France Geoffrey Treasure London and New York First published 1995 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Reprinted 1997 First published in paperback 1997 © 1995 Geoffrey Treasure Phototypeset in Baskerville by Intype, London Printed and bound in Great Britain by TJ Press (Padstow) Ltd, Padstow, Cornwall All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book has been requested ISBN 0-415-01457-3 (hbk) ISBN 0-415-16211-4 (pbk) To Magdalen CONTENTS Family Tree ix Maps x Preface xiii Part I Giulio Mazarini, Papal Diplomat 1 THE YOUNG ROMAN 3 2 THE POLITICS OF ROME 9 3 MANTUA: CRISIS AND OPPORTUNITY 15 4 EARLY FAME 22 5 NUNCIO EXTRAORDINARY 30 6 THE CALL OF FRANCE 40 Part II French Service 7 CARDINAL MAZARIN 47 8 ANNE, QUEEN MOTHER AND REGENT 56 9 THE ADOPTED LAND: POVERTY AND DISORDER 68 10 PUBLIC FINANCE, PRIVATE ENTERPRISE 80 11 PREMIER MINISTRE 88 12 ROYAL ABSOLUTISM: THEORIES AND TRADITIONS 93 Part HI The Fronde 13 CLOUDY SKIES 103 14 THE GATHERING STORM 109 vii CONTENTS 15 THE CHAMBRE ST LOUIS 117 16 THE DECLARATION OF SAINTCERMAIN 125 17 THE FIRST CIVIL WAR 136 18 DIVIDE AND RULE 149 19 THE WAR OF THE PRINCESSES 157 20 THE FIRST EXILE 171 21 MAZARIN RETURNS 186 22 THE DEFEAT OF CONDÉ 195 23 UNFINISHED BUSINESS 202 24 THE FRONDE CONSIDERED 216 Part IV War and Peace 25 TOWARDS WESTPHALIA 233 26 THE LONG HAUL 239 27 GERMAN APPROACHES 245 28 THE ENGLISH ALLIANCE 250 29 PEACE WITH SPAIN 254 30 ARBITER OF PEACE 261 Part V Money Matters 31 FOUQUET 269 32 THE GREATEST PRIVATE FORTUNE 275 Part VI Conscience and Policy 33 THE GREAT AGE OF SOULS 285 34 THE CHALLENGE OF PORT ROYAL 292 35 THE LAST YEAR 301 36 A CHRISTIAN DEATH 307 Glossary 311 Afoto 315 Bibliography 384 index 393 viii MAZARIN’S FAMILY Pietro Mazarini m. Hortensia Bufalini 1576-1654 J 1575-1644 r- 1 1 1 1 1 Giulio Anna Maria Margarita Michele Girolama Cleria 1602-61 1604-69 c. 1605-85 1607-48 1608-56 1609-49 a nun m. 1634 m. 1634 m. 1643 (prioress 1657) Geronimo Lorenzo Mancini Pietro-Antonio Martinozzi (d. 1650) Muti (d. 1649) MAZARIN’S MANCINI NEPHEWS AND NIECES Girolama m. 1634 Lorenzo Mancini (d. 1650) _______________________________________________1_____________________________________________________ 1 1 1 1 1 Vittoria Paul Olympia Marie Filippo Alfonso Hortensia Anna-Maria (known in (Paolo) 1638-1708 1639-1715 1641-1707 1644-58 1646-99 c. 1648-1717 France as Laure) 1637-52 (by marriage (by marriage (by marriage 1636-57 comtesse de princess of marquise de la (by marriage Soissons) Colonna) Meilleraye) duchesse de Mercœur ) MAZARIN’S MARTINOZZI NIECES MAZARIN’S POPES Margarita m. 1634 Geronimo Martinozzi 1605-21 Paul V (Borghese) Laura Anna-Maria 1621-3 Gregory XV (Ludovisio) 1636-87 1637-72 (by marriage (by marriage 1623-44 Urban VIII (Barberini) duchess of Modena) princesse de Conti) 1644-55 Innocent X (Pamphili) 1655-67 Alexander VIII (Chigi) Figure 1 Mazarin’s family tree Map i European frontiers in 1640