mistress of the vatican.pdf - End Time Deception

Eleanor Herman
against “the consummate dissimulation” of the family that cried poverty
“while from the dust of their palace you could get a fortune, and
that Donna Anna used the same lies when eating on earthen plates.” 5
As negotiations proceeded, Olimpia was also having second thoughts
about the Barberini exile. If she brought them back, they would be extremely
grateful to her. Perhaps it was not too late to arrange a marriage
between the families, and all would be forgotten. She told Innocent it
was time to let bygones be bygones and sweep the whole untidy affair
under the rug. On September 12, Innocent acquitted the Barberinis of
criminal intent and did not impose his threatened fine, but he stubbornly
insisted on receiving letters of apology before he permitted their
return. And the matter of their confiscated property would have to be
attended to later.
On December 16, Cardinal Antonio wrote three letters asking pardon,
one to Innocent, one to Olimpia, and one to Camillo. On the same
day, not by coincidence, Saint-Nicolas called on Olimpia, who welcomed
him with a great show of friendship. Saint-Nicolas, knowing exactly
what to say to win her over, thanked her obsequiously for using her immense
influence with the pope on behalf of the Barberinis. When Olimpia
demurred, saying she hadn’t really done anything, he assured her of
her great power. Later that day the ambassador wrote to Mazarin, “She
would have been plenty mad if we believed she didn’t have any.” 6
Mazarin, having finally put away his warships, felt increasingly well
disposed toward the pope. First of all, he was going to get the troublesome
Barberinis off his hands. Second, Mazarin felt that Innocent was
not in a position to refuse a cardinal’s hat to his idiot brother, Michel.
And now he truly understood who had the power to obtain it for
him—Olimpia. Saint-Nicolas had informed Mazarin that all efforts
should be concentrated on Olimpia, and that it was perfectly useless to
speak with the cardinal nephew. “It is better not to go there at all,” he
advised, “because he only responds with compliments.” 7
“ ’Tis a tedious thing to Princes’ Ministers who are old Stagers in Councils
and Affairs, to have to do with raw unexperienced Persons,” wrote
q
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