A LETTER FROM THE King of SPAIN Written to the POPE of ROME.

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 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.