[1] State Papers, France, vol. 126.

France had been well-informed about Marsilly while he was in England.  He then had a secretary, two lackeys, and a valet de chambre, and was frequently in conference with Arlington and the Spanish ambassador to the English Court.  Colbert, the French ambassador in London, had written all this to the French Government, on April 25, before he heard of Marsilly’s arrest.[1]

[1] Bibl.  Nat., Fonds.  Francais, No. 10665.

The belief that Marsilly was an agent of Charles appears to have been general, and, if accepted by Louis XIV., would interfere with Charles’s private negotiations for the Secret Treaty with France.  On May 18 Prince d’Aremberg had written on the subject to the Spanish ambassador in Paris.  Marsilly, he says, was arrested in Switzerland, on his way to Berne, with a monk who was also seized, and, a curious fact, Marsilly’s valet was killed in the struggle.  This valet, of course, was not Dauger, whom Marsilly had left in England.  Marsilly “doit avoir demande la protection du Roy de la Grande Bretagne en faveur des Religionaires (Huguenots) de France, et passer en Suisse avec quelque commission de sa part.”  D’Aremberg begs the Spanish ambassador to communicate all this to Montague, the English ambassador at Paris, but Montague probably, like Perwich, knew nothing of the business any more than he knew of Charles’s secret dealings with Louis through Madame.[1]

[1] State Papers, France. vol. 126.

To d’Aremberg’s letter is pinned an unsigned English note, obviously intended for Arlington’s reading.

“Roux de Marsilly is still in the Bastille though they have a mind to hang him, yet they are much puzzled what to do with him.  De Lionne has beene to examine him twice or thrice, but there is noe witnes to prove anything against him.  I was told by one that the French king told it to, that in his papers they find great mention of the Duke of Bucks:  and your name, and speak as if he were much trusted by you.  I have enquired what this Marsilly is, and I find by one Mr. Marsilly that I am acquainted withall, and a man of quality, that this man’s name is onely Roux, and borne at Nismes and having been formerly a soldier in his troope, ever since has taken his name to gain more credit in Switserland where hee, Marsilly, formerly used to bee employed by his Coll:  the Mareschall de Schomberg who invaded Switserland.”

We next find a very curious letter, from which it appears that the French Government inclined to regard Marsilly as, in fact, an agent of Charles, but thought it wiser to trump up against him a charge of conspiring against the life of Louis XIV.  On this charge, or another, he was executed, while the suspicion that he was an agent of English treachery may have been the real cause of the determination to destroy him.  The Balthazar with whom Marsilly left his papers is mentioned with praise by him in his paper for Arlington, of December 27, 1668.  He is the General who should have accompanied Marsilly to the Diet.