WE have by the Hands of your Nuncio, the Pa­triarch of the Indies, received a Letter, where­by your Holiness recommends to us a General Peace, and especially that of Italy: And al­though we have at the Expence of Provinces, States and Do­minions, (which were sufficient to make them great Kingdoms) many times with joy facilitated the publick Quiet; yet we can­not at this time refrain our selves, to tell your Holiness, That seeing the King of France doth in no ways keep either Peace or Truce, and having broken his Treaties with all the Princes of Europe, they are obliged to joyn themselves for their Natural Security, and thereupon have sought the Necessary Means of War, to secure themselves.

He hath made War upon the Emperour without Cause or Reason, having at the same time raised a Rebellion in Hungary against your Prince, and that he might uphold the said Rebel­lion, hath brought the Turk into Christendom, hath kindled a Fire even in Austria, by which the innermost Provinces of the Empire have been set on Flames. Christendom trembled at the formidable Siege of Vienna, which City, though manfully de­fended and preserved by a Miracle, yet the Damages, Devasta­tions, Ruins and Horrors that were the Consequences of it, are unspeakable, and without number. An infinite number of Fa­milies carried into Slavery, which lost at once their Souls and Liberty, can sufficiently attest this. The Images have been profa­ned, and the Rivers died with the Blood of the Innocents. But to [Page]pass over in silence this sorrow, lest the Calamities that befel Christendom should raise another sorrow in the tender Heart of your Holiness, because they were caused by a Prince that stiles himself, Most Christian.

The unjust War in the Palatinate, with such horrible Burn­ings as was never practised by the most barbarous Nations, must be in fresh Memory with your Holiness, seeing the miserable sighs of the Subjects overwhelmed by the Troops of France, are con­tinually in our ears. Your Holiness cannot be ignorant of the violent Spoils committed on the three Electoral Princes of the Empire, viz. of Mentz, Cologne, and Trier; and even your Ho­liness could not deliver from this Tyranny the City and State of Avignon, it being an old Patrimony of the Holy Sea. What hath he lest undone, against all respect, both by the Clergy in France, and his Ministers at Rome, by Threatnings, and other Actions, to shew his little regard to your Holiness; but seeing your Holiness knows this too well, it is needless, but just to re­mark it.

What Prince, what State, and what Republick is there, which hath not these last Years felt the Ambition of France? Let Ge­noa speak, which was almost consum'd by his Bombs; let the Duke of Savoy tell it, whom he would at last have trampled up­on, as well as all Italy, and brought under a vile Yoak of Slave­ry; and seeing what hath been said, cannot be denied, how can we, Most Holy Father, treat of an Accommodation, before the Power of him be humbled, whom neither Religion, Justice, Faith, nor Oath can restrain: By all which, as well as our Trea­ties, we find our selves bound in no wise to part from our Allies, and Confederates; and standing fast in this Resolution, we must represent this only to your Holiness, That the only means to obtain Peace, is to continue the War; and that Italy may be freed and brought to its former tranquility, the League must be compleated, and by the Care of your Holiness, procured with all the Princes, and Christendom at last secured against the Violences of its Common Enemy, and the Emperor afford­ed the help that your Predecessour of pious Memory, accorded him: We hope for this from the great Justice of your Holiness, and that you will hereunto give your assent, upon the know­ledge of Truth, and the strength of our Arguments, and pour out upon us your Holy Blessing. Our Lord keep, &c.