Glimpses of Christian History Presents Pastwords #148: A Tangled Web of Church, State Politics and Intrigue Lead to Disaster printed for Sam Illidge ©2007

Alberoni's greatest service to Spain, was the destruction of the power of the royal councils (which, though originally the chief executors of royal policy, had become the centers of aristocratic opposition to reform), which he brought about by a series of decrees issued in Jan. 1717. His foreign policy was motivated by a desire to drive the Austrians from Italy and to safeguard Spanish trade with its American colonies. This policy was accompanied by the successful rebuilding of the Spanish navy. The Spanish military expeditions to Sardinia (1717) and Sicily (1718), which led to war with the quadruple alliance of Great Britain, France, Austria and the Netherlands, were regarded by Alberoni as premature and only resulted from a policy imposed on him by the queen. Nevertheless, the failure of the Spanish forces during the Franco-British invasion of Spain led to his banishment on Dec. 5, 1719.

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Guilio Alberoni (1664-1752) Spanish-Italian cardinal and statesmen, son of very poor parents, he labored as a gardener until age 15 at which time he became a bellringer in the cathedral of Pacenza where he gained the notice of the Bishop and was ordained a priest. He rose in the ranks of the church and state. He became prime minister in 1715 and cardinal in 1717. "As prime minister, Alveroni's political economy was decidedly in advance of his times. He strove to make the Spanish a manufacturing nation. At the same time he did not hesitate to sacrifice the popular liberties of Spain to the interests of the absolute monarchy; while the foreign policy by which he sought to recover Spain's lost Italian possessions, his efforts to obtain for Philip V the crown of France and, generally, to aggrandize the Spanish monarchy at all costs, must have led to a general European war if they had not resulted in his own downfall (5 December, 1719). He is blamed for the unwarrantable invasion of Sardinia and of Sicily by Spain, in spite of formal assurances to the contrary given to the Pope. Another extravagant scheme of Alberoni's was the restoration of the Stuarts to the British throne by the co-operation of Tsar and the King of Sweden. At last, in 1719, Philip V , to save himself from being treated as the common enemy of Europe, dismissed and exiled the Cardinal, who returned to Italy. " Catholic Ency.. I: 260.

he Holy Father came very well off, by writing two letters, one to his Nuncios in Germany, and another to the King of Spain, or rather to his chief Minister.( Alberoni) Here follows the first. Forasmuch as, upon the News of the Resolution taken by the Spanish Court to turn those Ships against Sardinia, which according to so many repeated Promises Spain had not only designed for the Levant against the Turk, but had given out they were already gone that Way, the World will perhaps be curious to know how his Holiness will carry it in so important a Juncture, both for his own Honor, and for that of the Holy see: I esteem it therefore necessary to let your Lordship know, that his Holiness was no sooner assured of the horrid Fault, but he was resolved to send an Express to the Nuncio in Spain, with Orders to deliver King Philip a Letter of the same Tenure with the copy hereto annexed; and to tell him moreover, (as to the Indulto's granted him by his Holiness for two Subsidies; one to raise a Million and half upon the Estates of the Ecclesiastics in the Indies; the other for 500000 Ducats, Spanish money; in order to employ the Produce towards the Charges which his Majesty should be at in his Expedition against the Turks, both directed to the said Nuncio for Execution,) that if as yet they had not been executed, they should remain of no Effect, since the Cause was ceased. Your Lordship may in case of Need represent to whom it may be convenient, the Importance of this Step taken by his Holiness, both with regard to the Letter, and to the other Resolution which accompanies it; and you may add the Consequences like to result form it, to the end that everyone may be convinced of the Candor, as well as Vigor, with which his Holiness has, and does still behave on this Occasion.

Rome, September 4, 1717.

But the Letter which the Holy Father wrote with his own Hand to the Catholic King, and which he did not fail to value himself upon to the Emperor, is a plainer Indication than any other Reflection, which may be made.

The Important and Politic Letter which follows was inscribed indeed to the King, but written for Cardinal Alberoni.

A Letter from the Pope to the King of Spain.

Most Dear Son in Jesus Christ, Health and Apostolical Benediction.

As we no ways doubted the Assurances your Majesty had given Us more than once, that the Ships of War which We had instantly demanded of you, and which you had caused to be equipped were designed for powerfully succoring the Christian Fleet against the Turks: Upon which Persuasion, and to contribute to your glory, We presently imparted it in Consistory to Our venerable Brethren, the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church; and also what was afterwards advised on your Part, that those Ships had set Sail to go to the Levant to support the Common Cause, as you had often promised Us. We were so much the more persuaded of this, as We desired it with Ardor, having received Advice, that that Fleet, although it had valiantly defended the Cause of the Christian Name, expected with Impatience the Arrival of those Auxiliary Ships, finding themselves very much fatigued by the bloody Battles lately fought in the Archipelago.

Your Majesty may then judge of the Surprise and Grief We have been in, upon the News lately spread, that your Ships had not taken the Road you had marked to Us, but another directly contrary to your Promises; so that the Orthodox Religion could not hope for any Succors from it, but on the contrary had all Reason to be in Fear of most dangerous Consequences.

We profess to you, that hitherto We have endeavored to soften the Grief we had conceived upon this News, in not believing that any Credit ought to be given to it, although it was confirmed by the Discourse and by the Complaints of many, because We looked upon it as a Thing directly contrary to your Piety, the Faith of your Promises, and even to the Duty of a Catholic King, in a Time when the Church was in so great Danger.

But as the common Report of this Affair, spread on all Sides, makes Us fear, that by the Artifices of some Persons you may have been drawn, against your own Inclination, into this destructive and dangerous Design, which, as 'tis said, you have already made known: "Our sincere and paternal Charity towards you permits Us not to hold our Peace in so great a Danger, not only to your Reputation, but even to your Soul. For who does not see what Account you have to give to the King of Kings, and what Stain this would be to your Reputation, if your counselors should be able to extort from you a Desertion of the Common Cause; that you should have no Regard to the Perils of the Christian Religion; and that forgetting yourself, you should carry elsewhere the Troops and Arms designed to a sacred War, and to the Defense of the Holy Church; and that you should not regard the Faith you have given to us, or rather to God, who will not be mocked, and in whose Name we have received your Promises: Those Counselors will draw upon themselves the terrible Effects of the Divine Vengeance; they have given to your Majesty such pernicious Counsels, as tarnish the Glory of your Royal Name, elude the Cares and the Efforts of Our Pastoral Function for the Defense of the Christian Name; and which, in fine, God, terrible to the Kings of the Earth, will not permit to pass unpunished.

What Offences in Effect may not your Ministers bring upon them, for counseling you to prefer them to the Cause of God? What Reasons can they allege which ought to be preferred to the Good of the Catholic Religion, to the Advancement of the Glory of God, and to the urgent Necessities of the Christian Commonwealth? Can they take for Pretence, that Jesus Christ has in any thing failed in his Word to them, or that he had done them any Injustice for maintaining their Want of Faith in him, and abandoning the Cause of his Name and his Rights, to which they were obliged?

We most instantly pray then your Majesty, and conjure you, in the Name of Jesus Christ, as we have freely represented to you, but with a paternal Affection, that according to your Equity and singular Prudence, you make serious Reflections upon the Dangers of the Christian Commonwealth, the Church and Christ's Religion; and that you will please to listen to Us; us, who hold the Place of a Father to you, who love you tenderly, who give you true and salutary counsels; rather than to hose Sons of Defiance, who think not but of Things of this World; and who, desiring your Applause, inspire you with Designs advantageous in Appearance, but most pernicious in Effect; and that you will take a Resolution that will make you leave things in the State they were; or if those Counselors have induced you to make an Alteration, that you will restore them again to their former State, and thereby recover your Glory and your Conscience, contribute to the public Tranquility, and prevent, in fine, the Complaints of all good Men.

Our venerable Brother Pompeio, Archbishop of Neo-Cesarea (Adrianople) our Nuncio at your Court, will tell you more upon this Subject; and We pray you to be pleased to listen to him always with Favor, as you have been used to do. In the mean time, we shall not cease to pray to God, in whose Hands are the Hearts of Kings, that he will give the Strength to our Words and our councils, that they may be able to soften the Mind of your Majesty, and make you form Designs that may not stop the Course of the Celestial Benedictions upon you; but that he may shower more and more upon you, for the continual Good of your Kingdom: And as a Pledge of our Pontifical charity, we give you most affectionately our Apostolical Benediction.

Given at Rome, at Sta. Maria Majora, under the Fisher's Seal, the 25th of August, Anno 1717, and of our Papacy the 17th.

All the Potentates of Europe formed almost the same Complaints against the Conduct of the Spanish Ministry, but no body with more Earnestness than the English Minister, whose Country Men had suffered by this Expedition; for a great Number of English Ships, and those of other Nations, were seized in the Eastern Ports of Spain, to join the Spanish Fleet; upon which the consuls were pressed with abundance of Complaints; and they, in their Turn, applied to the British Minister residing at Madrid, who presented a Memorial to Cardinal Alberoni, demanding the immediate Release of all the English Ships made use of against Sardinia. The Ministers of other Powers too were willing to be informed of the Cause of an Expedition so unforeseen, and made at a Time when it was believed that no Body had less Cause of Apprehension than the Emperor. All these pressing Solicitations did, at last, oblige the Cardinal to publish the following Manifesto, which was of his own Composition, and drawn up in Form of a Letter from the Secretary Grimaldo, to all the Spanish Ministers at Foreign courts.

Copy of a Letter of the Marquess Grimaldi, one of the Principal Secretaries of State in the Court of Madrid, to the Ministers of his Catholic Majesty, in the several Foreign Courts. Dated August 9, 1717.

It is not to be doubted, that the Passage and Employment of the Forces of the King (whom God preserve) for the Reduction of the Island of Sardinia, at a Time when all the Christian States had reason to persuade themselves, that that Armament was designed to reinforce the Christian Fleet against the common Enemy, according to the generous Offers which his Majesty had made to his Holiness, has much surprised your Excellency, as well as the Public, seeing, that even I myself have been extremely astonished at it, who having the Honor to be, so near his Majesty, may be allowed, so much the more, to know, what no Body is unacquainted with, his Uprightness, his Justice, his Religious Observance of his Royal Word, his extreme Delicacy in Matters of Conscience, and his Superiority of spirit in Adversities, which are so many Parts that compose this Monarch, and make them surpass his Predecessors the most Catholic and the most Holy. In the mean time, who can imagine, that a Prince, adorned with all these Virtues, forgetting himself (as we may say) so much, should undertake an Act of Hostility against the Archduke, at a time when he had upon his Hands so dangerous a War against the Turks, and when even the Coasts of the Ecclesiastical State were threatened with an Invasion? The Case being thus, no body can reason otherwise, than that the Motives must be very great and very pressing, that should force such a Resolution; Motives which after a long and surprising Silence I have at last been informed of from the living Oracle of his Majesty's sacred Mouth, with Order to communicate it to your Excellency, which I shall do with all possible Brevity.

Greatness of Soul made his Majesty bear with the Dismemberment of his Dominions, which the Plenipotentiaries would sacrifice to the Tranquility of Europe. After which he persuaded himself, that these stipulated Sacrifices should have at least secured to him the rest of this Nation, as glorious as afflicted. But no sooner had he parted with the Surrender of Sicily in Favor of the Repose of Spain, upon the Condition of the Evacuation of Catalonia, and the Isle of Majorca, than he found, that the Orders received for that Purpose were concealed; and when at last it came to the knowledge of his Allies, it was pretended, that the Treaty should be executed, by virtue whereof his Majesty demanded the Evacuation of the Places. Nothing was more easy for that purpose, than for the Garrisons of the Archduke to have surrendered to the King's Troops the Gates of the Places they possessed, in the same manner as was reciprocally practiced among the Potentates of Europe; but quite on the contrary, the Generals of the Archduke, violating the public Faith of Treaties, and the reciprocal Engagements, abandoned the Places to the Catalons, making them at the same time believe that they would soon return, and thereby fomented their Disquiet and rebellious Spirit so far, as to induce them to think of a furious and obstinate Resistance; and for the better Support of that Resistance, which was the more injurious to his Majesty, as it was powerful, the Generals, when they embarked, permitted that the Horses of their Troops should be left and abandoned to the Rebels. And they had even a Design to deliver to them Ostalric, a Place that had been put into their Hands for the more easy and safe Embarkation of their Troops.

What Expenses, what Destructions, and what Afflictions and Miseries, has not this Violation of Faith, and Contravention of Treaties, which ought to be sacred, brought upon Spain? The Continuation of the War had been less sensible, and the Losses it might have brought, more glorious to Spain.

With all this, the King, for the Love of Public Peace, dissembled, and shut his Eyes upon the continual Succors that came from Naples to support the Boldness of the Rebels, in hopes of procuring Step by Step Repose to his Subjects, after so long and ruinous a War, and another without Name. How much more easy would it have been to his Majesty to have invaded, with his powerful Armies and Squadrons, the Dominions the Archduke possessed, to make him sensible of the injurious and insidious Treatment he had been guilty of? But notwithstanding all this, the Effects of his Breach of Faith did not stop there.

Letters were sent to the Generals and Governors of Majorca to surrender it to the King; but contrary Orders privately given, animated them to delay the Performance, and gain time for the Arrival of German Succors, to force Spain to a new War, to equip Squadrons, and to plunge the Kingdom into new Expenses and Miseries, till in the End, the King made himself Master of the City, and the Island was delivered to him.

It must naturally be believed, that these manifest and authentic Acts of the Breach of Faith did not end there. But the Ministry of Vienna went so far, as to approve them by public Demonstrations, and by the Recompenses given to most obstinate Rebels, and who most distinguished themselves by their criminal Operations, declaring themselves thereby the Authors of Actions so injurious, committed by a People so unworthy, so vile, and so perfidious.

The War which the Turks declared against the Emperor, presented certainly to his Majesty a fair Opportunity of revenging himself, and opened a Door to re-enter the Dominions usurped from him. But instead of taking Advantage of that Conjuncture, he not only condescended not to disturb the Peace of Italy, but in opposition to his own Interest, he indirectly contributed to the aggrandizing of his Enemy, employing his own Forces, by a Motive of Religion, to reinforce the Allies of the Arch-Duke, and assist them in conquering his Enemies.

The King, after this, believed that a Conduct so sincere and disinterested would have produced in the Mind of the Arch-duke, if not a Desire of Peace, at least the Attention and Regard which is observed even among declared Enemies, and the Generals of Armies, in sight of one another; among whom reciprocal Civilities are observed. But far from following that Practice, injurious Declarations have on the contrary been published at Vienna, in Italy, and in Flanders, against the Person of the King, and against the Crown, so far as to cause the Inquisitor General of Spain to be seized, notwithstanding that he was furnished with the Pope's Passport, fortified with the Consent and Approbation of Cardinal Schrottenbach. This last Act has recalled to the Mind of his Majesty the past Offenses, and the Obligations that lie upon a King to revenge himself, and acquire Satisfaction for the Injuries he has suffered; which he cannot dispense with, without weakening his Authority in the Minds of his People; who will look upon him as incapable of securing their Repose, if he puts up the Affronts that are offered to his Crown.

Upon all which, it is to be considered, that the Ministry of Vienna have at all times sought all possible Means of humbling the Minds of a Nation so scrupulous and delicate in the Point of Honor, and who take such Offense at a public Injury offered their King. Nothing but these serious Considerations could have put a stop to the course of his Majesty's Intentions of sending the powerful Succors that were prepared against the Enemy of the Arch-Duke the Turk, and excite his Justice to employ them in a lawful vengeance.

Your Excellency is charged to make known, That his Majesty, who has concurred in adjusting the differences of Rome with a Zeal and Intention so pure, for the Good and Honor of the church, could never, without the most powerful Motives, have stopped those Forces with which he was always disposed to aggrandize it. And it is a great Mortification to me, to see that these Succors demanded by his Holiness, are for some time delayed, which his Majesty through a just Resentment cannot avoid. It were to be hoped, that the Conduct of the Ministers of a Prince so considerable as is the Arch-duke, had been regulated and proportioned to the dignity of a Sovereign; and that they had not exposed themselves to the just Blame that is due to a continual and manifest Want of good Faith.

These Reasons, tho' plausible in Appearance, gave Satisfaction to no body. The Emperor being apprehensive that some of the Princes of Italy would suffer themselves to be misled, repeated his Threats, the most terrible Storm of which fell upon the Duke of Parma, whose Dominions he was resolved to sequestrate; by this Means he chastised two at once, the Duke and the Pope. However, he forbore farther Menaces, under an Apprehension that such Severity would exasperate the Parties. Notwithstanding this Conduct, the Duke was really frighted, and sent a Dispatch to Cardinal Acquaviva to entreat the Pope, to cause the Standard of the Church to be set up in his Capital City, and to Garrison it in his own Name; as several of his Predecessors had done, apparently with a View, that the Emperor's Cuirassiers would have greater regard to his Holiness's Troops than to his own. The King of England and the Duke Regent of France not being satisfied with the Reasons alleged in the Cardinal's Manifesto, renewed their Complaints, and gave out, more especially the former, that if the Court of Spain did not put a stop to the Execution of their Projects against Italy, his Majesty would be obliged, by Virtue of the Treaty of May 1716, to assist the Emperor his Ally.

The Cardinal replied to the King of England's Remonstrance, with very pressing Complaints against the British Ministry's Conduct, in negotiating the said Treaty of Alliance, as incompatible with those of the Peace and Commerce concluded at Utrecht in the Reign of Queen Anne, and afterwards renewed upon King George's Accession to the Crown: Since it is evident the Signing of the abovementioned Treaty in the Month of May 1716, was a kind of Declaration of War against Spain; in regard that England engaging in that Treaty to maintain the House of Austria in the Possession of all their Rights and Claims, publicly espoused their Cause against Spain, with which was said House of Austria had not yet made a Peace; because they refused to quit the Possession of several Dominions belonging to that Crown. How reasonable and well grounded soever these Complaints appeared to the Cardinal, which the Marquess de Monteleone, Ambassador of Spain at the British Court, made to King George, in the Name of the King his Master; no other Answer was returned, than that the Treaty of 1716 was not concluded without the Knowledge of the King his Master; since M. Bubb, who was then charged with the Care of the British Interest at the Court of Madrid, had communicated it to King Philip, before it was signed: To this Answer it was added, That his Catholic Majesty had no reason to complain, since an Alliance of the like Nature was proposed to him. Cardinal Alberoni judged a new Alliance between the two Crowns to be altogether needless, especially at the Time that it was offered; since there was no Treaty capable of making a more strict Union between them than that of Utrecht, which having re-established Peace and a good Correspondence between Spain and England, appeared to the Cardinal in all respects incompatible with that which King George then concluded with the only Enemy of the Spanish Monarchy. Lastly, the Cardinal, who seemed not to be so well apprized, as he ought to have been, of the Posture of Affairs in England, and of the Superiority of the Court Party in the Parliament; either did not penetrate into the Primum Mobile of the Measures taken be the Ministers of London, or thought (which is probable) that the British Nation would never consent to any Step, that might occasion their losing the Advantages they reaped from their amicable Correspondence with Spain, for the sake of espousing the Cause of a Prince, with whom that Nation (as one may say) had no Commerce: But the Sequel has made it appear, that the Cardinal did not then conceive a right Notion of the Matter.

During all these Transactions, the Marquess de Lede did not let slip the least opportunity that might promote the entire Conquest of Sardinia. The Marquess Ruby was surprised in his Retreat by a Detachment commanded by Count Pozuela, against whom the Marquess valiantly defended himself four Hours, till having lost above half his Convoy, which only consisted of 150 Horse, and being wounded in the Arm, he made his escape into a Wood in the Disguise of a Peasant, leaving to the Mercy of the Spaniards the Count San Antonio General of the Gallies of Sardinia, who was taken Prisoner with six or seven Officers: These were the first Fruits of the Triumph, and great Care was taken to convey them forthwith into Spain. The Marquess Ruby retired to Larghero or Algeri, a Place in a sufficient Condition of Defense, situate seventy Miles from Cagliari, on the Western Coast of the Island, where he met with part of the Regiment of Hamilton, sent thither from the Milanese, as soon as notice was given there of the Descent of the Spaniards. The Vice-Roy did not stay long at Larghero, and had scarce Time to provide for the Defense of that Place and of Castel Arragonese, 36 miles on the North of Larghero, when he received Advice that Cagliari had capitulated; and that Saffari lying between Larghero and Castel Arragones, and being the Capital City of the Northern Part of the Island, dignified with an Archiepiscopal See, had declared for the Spaniards, who were become Masters of the whole Island, except those two Places: so that being continually apprehensive of falling into the Hands of the Spaniards, he quitted Sardinia, and retired to Genoa, with some Noblemen of the Island that adhered to the Interest of the House of Austria. His departure was soon followed by the Surrender of the two only Places, where he had left a Garrison. Thus the Marquess de Lede completed the Conquest of this Kingdom in two Months.

The Advice of these Proceeding received at Madrid, caused Cardinal Alberoni to take Courage, who suspecting that the Germans might make a longer Resistance, began to despair of the Success of that Enterprise, on which depended that of the Project he had formed against the other Dominions of Italy. On the other hand, the Ministers of France and England did not cease soliciting the Court to suspend the Execution of those Projects, into the Secret of which they could not penetrate: For how mysterious soever the Conduct of Ministers of State may for the most part appear to be, yet it's known that somewhat is usually let fall on which a Conjecture may be grounded: But upon this Occasion, since the Armament of the Spaniards, as little Insight has been got into their Designs, as if the War were but just begun, which has given upon good Grounds a great Idea of the Cardinal's Capacity, who not being able to do every thing himself, had the Judgment to pitch upon Persons so very faithful in keeping the Secret so inviolably: He made use of the good Disposition he found the King in, (upon the Arrival of the Courier that brought the News of the Surrender of the whole Island of Sardinia) to incite that Prince to pursue a Project, the Beginnings of which were so successful; and to answer the Ministers of France and England with a firm Resolution. His Catholic Majesty expressing to him the Satisfaction he had in his Conduct, gave him full Power to act as he should think fit in carrying on the projected Design. The Cardinal made the first Use of his Power, by giving those Ministers whom his conduct had made uneasy, a satisfactory Answer, at least in Appearance; and assured them that the King his Master sacrificing his own Interest to the Tranquility of Europe, would content himself for the present with the Conquest of Sardinia, and that they might assure their Masters of it. He immediately dispatched Instructions to the Spanish Ministers at London, at Paris, and at the Hague, to give the same Assurance to the Sovereigns at whose Courts they resided; and to adjust all their Answers, to all the Remonstrance's that might be made to them, according to that Plan.

However, he used not less Expedition to forward the raising of new Regiments, and refitting of the Ships come back from Sardinia; to cause others to be bought in all Ports, and others to be launched in all the Docks of Spain; to erect good Magazines on all the Coasts, and punctually to defray all the Expenses necessary for so great Preparations. So that all Europe was in the greatest surprise to see Spain, whose Treasure some Years ago seemed to be so exhausted, that she was in no Capacity to sit out a small Fleet to Sea, should now find Resources sufficient to answer all the Charges incurred to this Instant; and those sums of Money that are proposed to be laid out, in order to have one of the most considerable Fleets at Sea, and an Army capable of putting vast Designs in Execution.