CHARLES II Autograph letter signed ('Charles R') to Louis XIV ('Monsieur mon Frère'), in French, responding to his reply concerning '...l'arbitrage des places en Flandres...', confirming he is satisfied that he sees Louis' desire for peace and a settlement to this dispute within that reply, that his ambassador will 'bear fuller witness to this on my behalf' on this matter and that of the Duc d'Orleans, ending '...I also take the liberty of entreating you to show toward him your customary kindness, which will be for him, for my sister, and for myself a matter of eternal obligation...', autograph address panel on reverse 'Au Roy tres Chrestien/ Monsieur mon Frere', two pages on a bifolium, 'TMA watermark', remains of two black wax seals, seal tear, dust-staining, spotting, creased at folds, portion of last page torn away with no loss to text, 4to (192 x 152mm.), 31 January 1670; with later French transcription Footnotes: 'MONSIEUR MON FRERE': CHARLES II ENGAGES HIS FRENCH COUNTERPART IN THE MONTHS BEFORE THE SECRET TREATY OF DOVER, AND DEMONSTRATES HIS CLOSE FAMILY CONNECTIONS WITH THE KING OF FRANCE. Our letter was written during a period of secret diplomatic negotiations between Charles II and Louis XIV in late 1669 and the first months of 1670, which resulted in the so-called Secret Treaty of Dover of June 1670, representing an important development in Anglo-French co-operation. Following the Treaty of Breda of 1667, Louis invaded the Spanish Netherlands, causing a Triple Alliance to be formed between the Dutch Republic, England and Sweden a year later, resulting in Louis signing a peace treaty with Spain. During 1669, however, the Triple Alliance fractured and Charles approached Louis with the offer of an alliance to conquer the Dutch Republic, delivered secretly by Charles' sister, Henriette Anne, duchess d'Orléans, wife of Louis' brother Phillippe. Detailed discussions were underway between Charles and his sister by December 1669, and she may be the 'ambassador' that Charles refers to in our letter. Historian Ronald Hutton, who has written extensively on the subject, states that the treaty '...was apparently devised between the English king and his sister in December, announced to a select group of advisers in January, and carried to France in March...' (Ronald Hutton, 'The Making of the Secret Treaty of Dover, 1668-1670', Historical Journal, Vol.29, No.2 (June 1986), pp.297-318). Although it does not specifically mention the treaty per se, our letter shows that the Kings were actually in correspondence over matters in Flanders as early as January. That our letter is a personal autograph letter from Charles shows that these sensitive matters could not be trusted to a secretary. Not only does it represent issues of State, it touches on more personal family matters concerning Philippe d'Orléans, also Charles' brother-in-law. Here Charles politely entreats him, for the sake of himself and his sister, to treat the Duke with '...your customary kindness...'. It has been suggested that our letter refers to his dismissal from the military by Louis, jealous of his growing popularity, but this event occurred some years later in 1677. It is more likely a reference to the matter of the Chevalier de Lorraine, Philippe's lover and confidant, whom Louis XIV had ordered to be arrested on 31 January 1670, coincidentally the very date of our document. After the arrest, the Duke and Duchess removed to the countryside where Henriette could no longer act as go-between over the Treaty, and the King was forced to negotiate with his brother for her return to Court. Our letter is a rare survival from this period. Much of the correspondence and working papers around these negotiations, according to Ronald Hutton, were destroyed or have simply '...vanished without trace...' (Hutton, p.319), although copies of the exchanges were retained by the secretary Sir Thomas Clifford. Provenance: Piasa, 13 April 2011. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * * VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing