of silver plate that he had received. The boat carrying Castelnau's luggage and treasures home was sunk by pirates. The new French ambassador in London was Guillaume de l'Aubéspine, Baron du Châteauneuf, who inherited packets of unsent ciphered letters to Mary. France On his return to France he found that his château of La Mauvissière had been destroyed in the civil war; and as he refused to recognize the authority of the League, the Duke of Guise deprived him of the governorship of Saint-Dizier. He was thus brought almost to a state of destitution. But on the accession of Henry IV, the king, who knew his worth, and was confident that although he was a Catholic he might rely on his fidelity, gave him a command in the army, and entrusted him with various confidential missions. Death and legacy Castelnau died at Joinville in 1592. His Mémoires rank very high among the original authorities for the period they cover, the eleven years between 1559 and 1570. They were written during his last embassy in England for the benefit of his son; and they possess the merits of clearness, veracity and impartiality. They were first printed in 1621; again, with additions by Le Laboreur, in 2 vols. folio, in 1659; and a third time, still further enlarged by Jean Godefroy, 3 vols. folio, in 1731. Castelnau translated into French the Latin work of Ramus, On the Manners and Customs of the Ancient Gauls''. Various letters of his are preserved in the Cottonian and Harleian collections in the British Museum. Castelnau married Marie, a daughter of another diplomat Jacques Bochetel de la Forest. She died in December 1586 in Paris. Their grandson, Jacques de Castelnau (1620–1658), distinguished himself in the war against Austria and Spain during the ministries of Richelieu and Mazarin, and died a Marshal of France. References Attribution External links George Lasry, Deciphering Mary Stuart's Lost Letters to Michel de Castelnau Mauvissière: YouTube British Library, images of letters from Michel de Castelnau, Harley MS 1582 Jean Laboureur, Les memoires de Messire Michel de Castelnau, seigneur de Mauvissiere, vol.1 (1731) Petitot, ed., Mémoires de messire Michel de Castelnau: seigneur de Mauvissière at de Concressaut, baron de Jonville, comte de Beaumont, Le Roger etc., vol.33, Collection de Mémoires, Paris (1823) 1520s births 1592 deaths People from Indre-et-Loire Ambassadors of France to Scotland Ambassadors of France to England Court of Mary, Queen of