Jean-Antoine de Mesmes, called d'Avaux (1640–1709), was a French diplomat in the service of Louis XIV. He is probably best known for accompanying King James II of England in his Irish expedition. He also negotiated for France the Peace of Nijmegen, which ended the Franco-Dutch War (1672–1678). He was French ambassador in Venice, The Hague, Stockholm and finally The Hague again.
Birth and origins
Jean-Antoine was born in 1639 or 1640 He was the youngest of the four sons of Jean-Antoine de Mesmes and his wife Anne Courtin. His father was Comte d'Avaux and a president at the Parlement of Paris. His paternal uncle Claude was a well known diplomat. Jean-Antoine's mother was the daughter of François Courtin, seigneur de Brusselles and baron de Givry.
Jean-Antoine de Mesmes, the diplomat, the subject of this article, may easily be confused with other members of his family who shared the same name, notably his father Jean-Antoine de Mesmes, comte d'Avaux (died 1673) and his nephew Jean-Antoine de Mesmes (premier président), premier president of the Paris Parlement and comte d'Avaux (died 1723).
Comte d'Avaux
Jean-Antoine de Mesmes, the diplomat, was never a count. That title passed from his father (died 1673) to his eldest brother, Jean-Jacques, who died in 1688, and then to Jean-Jacques's eldest son, who died in 1723 and outlived the diplomat (see family tree). However, he liked to pass himself off as "comte d'Avaux" when abroad on his embassies to better his precedence. Saint Simon remarks upon this habit in his memoirs. He appears as "comte d'Avaux" in many texts, among others his obituary in the Gazette de France, Louis Moréri's historical dictionary, and, besides, a modern academic study. He signed "De avaux". His eldest brother did not approve but may not have cared that much because he preferred his title of president over that of count.
Order of the Holy Spirit
In 1684 he became Provost and Master of Ceremonies of the Order of the Holy Spirit, which is the highest order of chivalry in France. However, membership and offices could be inherited and bought. He obtained his office from his eldest brother, Jean-Jacques, probably against payment. In 1703, he sold the office to his nephew, also called Jean-Antoine, but kept the right to wear the cordon bleu.
His office at the Order of the Holy Spirit allowed him to wear the attributes of the order: the cordon bleu (blue ribbon), the "plaque" (cross to be worn on the breast) and the smaller cross attached to the cordon bleu. The broad blue ribbon and the breast cross are clearly visible on his portrait by Hyacinthe Rigaud.
Judicial career
Jean-Antoine followed in the steps of his father by starting a career in the judiciary. In 1661, he became Conseiller au Parlement; in 1667, Maître des requêtes; and finally, much later, in 1695, Conseiller d'État ordinaire.
Diplomatic career
His diplomatic career fell entirely into the reign of Louis XIV, who ruled France from the death of Cardinal Mazarin in 1661 to 1715. He served under three secretaries of state for foreign affairs: first under Simon Arnauld, marquis de Pomponne until 1679, then under Charles Colbert, marquis de Croissy until 1696, and finally under Charles's son Jean-Baptiste Colbert, marquis de Torcy, until the end of Louis XIV's reign. Croissy was a younger brother of the great Colbert.
Ambassador in Venice (1672–1674) In 1672 Louis XIV appointed him as his ambassador to the Republic of Venice. From the 15th to the 18th centuries, Venice repeatedly clashed with the Ottoman Empire in seven Ottoman-Venetian Wars, but his embassy fell into a period of peace between the end of the Cretan War (1669) and the beginning of the Morean War (1684). The French had intervened in the Cretan War during the Siege of Candia to gain favour with the pope for the Most Christian King, but the French expeditions ended in disaster, and France pulled out of the war, leading to the fall of Candia. The Venetians felt betrayed, and he needed to rebuilt trust and understanding. He engaged in industrial espionage and facilitated the purchase of Italian works of art for the royal collections. He stayed at the post until 1674.
Peace of Nijmegen
From 1675 to 1678, he negotiated the treaty that ended the Franco-Dutch War (1672–1678). During the negotiations, he befriended Charles Colbert, marquis de Croissy, a senior French diplomat and brother of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Minister of Finance from 1661 to 1683. Colbert de Croissy was to become his superior as secretary of state for foreign affairs after the conclusion of the treaties in 1679.
Ambassador at The Hague (1678–1689)