MAINTENON (Françoise d'Aubigné, marquise de). Autograph letter signed to the Archbishop of Rouen. Saint-Cyr, "ce 22 décembre" [probably 1706]. 3 pp. in-4, address on back, remnants of red wax seal with her Latin motto "Recte"; small tear from opening. "Mr. Coadjutor is blessed to have you and has great need that Father Le Tellier wants to serve him sincerely, I ALWAYS FEAR THE JESUITS IN RELATION TO THE BISHOPS, it is believed that it is the esteem I had for Mr. Bishop of Chartres [Paul Godet Des Marais], which made me so keen on prelates, but I was arguing for them against Father [Louis] Bourdaloue before I knew that Mr de Chartres was in the world, Father Bourdaloue did not deny me that they often opposed the power of bishops, finding that they wanted too much. I am very upset by the poor state of the diocese of Noyon, and all the more so as I see little remedy. Me Barentin will have ruined a fine abbey, and I don't understand why abbesses are allowed to do whatever they feel like [Marie-Élisabeth de Barentin, abbess of Saint-Amand de Rouen]. Mr Des Maretz hopes that if there is no dangerous frost in February, that the wheat will decrease considerably, but in the meantime we are overwhelmed with misery even in the palaces of kings. Your agitation about the assembly causes me great sorrow, and I am trying to persuade the parish priest of St-Sulpice [Joachim Trotti de La Chetardie] of the goodness of your reasons, for I am convinced, as you are, that you will not serve the Church, and that you will be giving yourself a lot of useless trouble; the ministers are of the opinion that the minutes of 1705 should be published. Father Le Tellier proposes some explanation, the King must consult Mr Cardinal de Janson, we shall soon see what all this will produce, and you will be well informed. I am not surprised, Monsieur, by your zeal and docility, you are always straightforward and always willing to do what is best. Mr Cardinal de Noailles cries that he is dishonored if the procez-verbal does not appear. I am very much afraid that we will fall out completely with Rome, because the king is always inclined to follow the advice of ministers, and if Mr le ca[r]d[inal] de Janson penetrates him he will be of the same opinion. You greatly increase the esteem I already had for Mr. l'évesque d'Évreux [Jacques Potier de Novion] and I wish him better and better health. Mine is still very shaky and I am still the person in the world who honors you the most...". The 1705 clergy assembly was opposed by the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris, Louis-Antoine de NOAILLES, a Gallican conciliatory to the Jansenists, and the provincial of the Society of Jesus and confessor to Louis XIV, Michel LE TELLIER, an ultramontane. - Cardinal Toussaint de FORBIN-JANSON, who had been in charge of French affairs in Rome from 1692 to 1697 and again from 1700 to 1706, was Grand Chaplain of France from February 1706. - Claude-Maur d'AUBIGNE, bishop of Noyon from 1701 to 1707, succeeded Jacques-Nicolas Colbert as archbishop of Rouen.