MANCINI HORTENSE: (1646-1699) Duchess of Mazarin. Italian courtesan, a mistress of King Charles ...

MANCINI HORTENSE: (1646-1699) Duchess of Mazarin. Italian courtesan, a mistress of King Charles II of England who also enjoyed the protection of King Louis XIV of France. A niece of Cardinal Mazarin, Hortense and her sisters were known at court as the Mazarinettes. A.L.S. (with a paraph), two pages, 8vo, n.p. (London?), 13^th December n.y., to the abbot of Aussevielle (?), in French. Mancini asks her correspondent to remind the marshal to return some letters, remarking ‘il y a longtemps que je n'ai eu des nouvelles du porteur mais je suis sure que c'est chez Madame la Comtesse de Soisson a Anvers’ (Translation: ‘It has been a long time since I heard from the bearer, but I am sure that it is with Madame la Comtesse de Soisson in Antwerp’) and further writes ‘J'ecris a ma soeur sur le mariage de Mr. le Duc d’Albres je n'en ferai rien que ce que vous m'en avez mande, je ne vous ecris point de nouvelles de notre pays, elles sont si publiques que vous ave appris aparament la bonne disposition sur le parlement est d'assister le Roy de tout ce qu'il aura besoin pour la confirmation de la guerre’ (Translation: ‘I am writing to my sister about the marriage of Mr. le Duc d’Albres. I will do nothing about it other than what you have told me about it. I am not writing you any news from our country, it is so public that you having learned apparently the good disposition of the parliament is to assist the King with everything he needs for the confirmation of the war’). With integral address leaf in Mancini’s hand and bearing the remnants of a red wax seal. A few small tears to the edges and a few small stains, mostly to the integral leaf. G

In the last sentence of her letter Mancini may well refer to King Charles II and the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-67).

Provenance: The letter was formerly part of the Albin Schram collection.