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A34619 The life of Lewis of Bourbon, late prince of Conde digested into annals, with many curious remarks on the transactions of Europe for these last sixty years / done out of French.; Histoire de Louis II de Bourbon, prince de Condé. English Coste, Pierre, 1668-1747.; Tate, Nahum, 1652-1715. 1693 (1693) Wing C6366; ESTC R21621 323,061 528

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pretend to the Regency if the Queen were Excluded or oblig'd to have a Partner and both the Queen and the Duke of Orleans were equally hateful to him But Cardinal Mazarin would not be so put off For in regard he sooth'd the Queen with every thing that could flatter her Hopes he lost no time either in solliciting the King or causing him to be importun'd in Favour of that Princess And the better to bring about his Design and that at the same time he might have the greatest part himself in the Management of Affairs he took a Resolution to propound Conditions so little to the Queens Advantage that Lewis XIII who saw himself just dropping into his Grave thankt him for having disingag'd him out of that Irresolution wherein he had hesitated so long For in short altho' he consented at last that the Queen should be declar'd Regent yet the Power which he gave her was extreamly limited that Princess not being able to undertake any thing of her self without first imparting the Business to the Counsel of which the Cardinal was to be the Chief and where things were to be carrid by Plurality of Voices But how disadvantageous soever these Conditions were to the Queen the King however thought he had done enough and the Queen and the Cardinal who had their Prospects and their Ends were highly satisfid that Things were brought to that point Nevertheless in regard the Business was not concluded and for that the Kings mind might alter the Cardinal left nothing omitted to keep the King steady in the Resolution he had taken while the Queen on her side labour'd to win to her Party all the considerable Persons in the Court of which number was the Duke of Enguien and it was a long time before she thought of him But the Duke de la Roche Foucaut who had always an Antipathy against Cardinal Richlieu and sought all Opportunities to be serviceable to the Queen having one day put it into her Head that it would be of great Advantage to her to gain this Young Prince she took it for good Advice And the Duke of Enguien who was glad of an opportunity to oppose the Authority of the Duke of Orleans who aspir'd to the Regency willingly accepted the Queens offer The Queen promis'd to prefer him before the Duke of Orleans not only by the Mark of her Esteem and Confidence but also in all Employments from whence it lay in her Power to Exclude the Duke of Orleans by such ways as they two should agree upon together and which migh● not provoke that Prince to a Rupture with her● On the other side the Duke of Enguien promis'd to be inseparably devoted to the Queens Interest and to be beholding to her alone for all the Favours which he desir'd at Court And now the Queen thought her self strong enough when she saw her self assur'd of the support of this Young Prince and therefore relying on the other side upon the Cardinal she waited for the Kings Death with a great deal of Confidence About that time the Duke of Enguien departed to Command the Army in Flanders and lay the Foundations of those great Things which he performed with so much Honour Lewis the XIII also dy'd within a short time after that is to say the 14 th of May in 1643. the very same day that he began his Reign After the Death of this Monarch there happen'd one thing which perhaps never happen'd before in France where there is a greater regard had to the Kings Pleasure then in any other Monarchy that the Parliament of Paris which according to the Institution of it is the Trustee and Guardian of all the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom and which derives its Jurisdiction only from the King cancell'd the Declaration of Lewis XIII by which as has been already said he order'd a Councel for the Regency to the end the Queen whom he thought incapable to manage the Government might be under a kind of Tutelage For the Queen Four days after the King's Death went to the Parliament and there did what she pleas'd her self in a manner so Advantageous to her self that ●here could nothing more be done the whole As●embly testifying that they desir'd nothing with so ●uch fervency as that her Authority should be ●bsolute In short the Queen was confirm'd Re●ent by a Declaration of Parliament bearing date ●he 18 th of May. This Digression was absolutely necessary as you ●ill find by what ensues Now therefore to return ●o the Duke of Enguien while these things were ●hus transacted in France and that they were pre●aring to carry the King's Body to St. Denis the ●paniards besieg'd Rocroy and so vigorously press'd ●he City that it was greatly to be fear'd it would ●all into the Enemies hands unless it were speedily ●uccour'd But the Duke of Enguien who was al●eady set forward to Command the Army in Flan●ers resolv'd to relieve the Place and no less ●riskly to attack the Enemy who seem'd as willing ●o come to a Battel and he perform'd what he ●ndertook as he had laid his Design This Prince was then not above Two and Twenty Years of Age and one of his Panegyrists has said and that not without doing him Justice that he had form'd ● Design which was above the reach of the Old Experienc'd Hoary-headed Captains but which Victory however justifi'd The Enemies Army ●as much more numerous then that which he Com●anded It was compos'd of those Old Bands of Walloons Italians and Spaniards which never had ●een broken before but all that could not make ●he Young Duke desist from his Enterprize Don ●rancisco de Melos stay'd his coming with a firm Resolution to engage him He was a Captain formidable for his Consummate Experience and for ● great many Victories which he had won and be●ides all that he lay entrench'd among Woods and ●oggs All the Forces of the Kingdom were ●ow to be ventur'd in one single Combat Upon that day depended the good or bad Fortune of the Regency For in short had the Duke lost that Battel it would have been impossible for France to have stopp'd a Torrent which would certainly have delug'dall Champaigne Picardy and the Neighbourhood of Paris The Consideration of so many Dangers would have terrify'd any other Person but the Duke of Enguien However never did any General appear more Sedate or more Undaunted He lay the Night preceding that famous Battel as if he had not thought of any such thing as fighting and slept so soundly that they were forc'd to wake him the next Morning This Prince who by that Battel open'd the way for so many others upon that Occasion acted not only like a Man of his Birth but like a Common Officer He was in all places where danger appear'd He receiv'd several Shot in his Cloaths and in his Boots he had a Horse wounded under him with Two Musket Bullets and he underwent all the Hazards and Fatigues of Combat
make little or no Resistance His Passion caus'd him to approve these Reasons for strong and undeniable so that he undertook to be Captain of the Enterprize under the Orders of the Duke of Orleans But the Duke at first oppos'd the Design till the Importunities and the Persuasions of the Abbot de la R●v●●re over-rul'd his Judgment and got the upper hand of his Calmer Sentiments Immediatly the Prince and Marshal de la Milleray propos'd the seizing of St. Louis's Island St. Antony's Gate the Arsenal and the Bastille and to lodge their Majesties in the Bastille But whether this Proposal were not sufficiently supported or whether they were afraid of exposing the person of the King the Court resolv'd to quit Paris and really to besiege the City So that in the Evening before Twelf-day the King retir'd from Marshal Grammont's House to the Cardinal's Palace and the next Morning about Three of the Clock ●e departed without any noise or bustle for St. Germans 〈◊〉 ●●ye The same day the King sent a Letter seal'd with his Privy Signet to the Provost of Merchants and the Sheriffs of Paris wherein his Majesty declar'd that he was forc'd to leave the City to the ●nd ●e might not be expos'd to the pernicious Designs of some Officers of Parliament who held secret Intelligence with the Enemies of the State Adding withal That he hop'd the Citizens would continue faithful ●o his Service and prove stedfast in their Du●●●● and that in a few days they should farther understand his pleasure How●ver● The Citizens no sooner understood that the King was gone but the Tumult began to wax very great in Paris They exclaim'd after a most dreadful manner against the Cardinal against the Prince against the Queen and against all that carry'd away the King For the Paris●ans took his going away for a Force that had been put upon him But they were so enrag'd when they heard that the same day the King was carry'd to St. Germains that it had been resolv'd in Council to block up Paris that far from being consternated they shew'd an extraordinary Resolution and declar'd themselves prepar'd for all manner of Events But the Parliament who more readily foresaw the dismal Consequences of a Civil War were not so resolute as the People And therefore the first time they met which was upon the 7th of Ianuary they sent the King 's immediate Servants with their Submissions● and very Advantageous Offers But those Commissioners were sent back without being heard which extreamly exasperated their Minds So that the Parliament meeting again upon the 18 th declar'd Maz●●i● an Enemy to the State and order'd him to depart the Kingdom in Eight days with full liberty after that for all the King's Subjects to fall upon him where-ever they met him And at the same time they deliver'd out Commissions for the raising of Soldiers● and took all the Precautions needful upon such Occasions In the mean time the Prince with about six or seven thousand men which were the Remains of the Army last Summer block'd up Paris seizing upon Lagni Corbect St. Cloud St. Denis and Charenton On the other side the Duke d' Elbocut his Three Sons the Duke of Brissack ● and the Marquis de la Boulays went and offer'd their Services to the Parliament and after that● the Prince of Con●i the Duke of Longueville the Prince of Marsellac and Monsieur de Noimouster did the same The Parliament nominated the Prince of Con●i for Generalissimo and the Duke d' Elbocut for General and afterwards join'd the Duke of Bouillon and Marshal de la Mothe in equal Commission with ' em As for the Duke of Longueville he would not accept of any Employment because he could have none that was conformable to his Rank or none but such as equall'd him with his Inferiors● so that he was only present at the Prince of Con●i's Councils to give his Advice When the Prince understood that Conti and Longueville had privately left St. Germans in the night and were got into Paris he went from Charenton to the Court where he thunder'd most terribly against ' em But that was no impediment but that the Parisian Party b●ga● to grow numerous having now got among 'em a Prince of the Blood and another Prince almost absolute in his Government of Normandy De la Mothe also was become considerable in the Armies but the Duke of Bouillon much more For besides that he was deeply known in the Affairs of the World that he was stout and understood the Art of War to perfection he was endow'd with an easie fluent natural and insinuating Eloquence he had a neat Wit fertile in Expedients and proper to maintain the most difficult Affairs a cl●●r S●nse and a discerning Judgment And besides●●e was engag'd in a strict Tye with Marshal T●●e●ne his Brother who at that time commanded the Army in Germany Thereupon the Prince who look'd upon these two Brothers to be his Friends and Persons of great weight wrote to the Duke of 〈◊〉 ● that he was afraid he took it for granted th●t the Prince believ'd he had a hand in Conti and Long●evill's with drawing from the Court for which reason he was desirous to disabuse him and then conj●r'd him to return to St. Germains where he would procure him all manner of satisfaction touching his particular Interests But the Duke of Bouillon caus'd the Letter to be read in Parliament So that the Court finding they could not depend upon him and being moreover inform'd of Turenne's disaffection to thei● Cause the King and the Prince who was in great Reputation among the German Troops wrote to the several Collonels not to acknowledge him any long●r for General but to quit him which they did The Duke of Beaufort also who had been wandring about in the Provin●es upon the Loire ever since his Es●ape from Vincennes got to Paris in the time of the Troubles and offer'd his Service to the Parliament wh●●lear'd him of the Accusation of having conspir'd against Mazarin's Life receiv'd him as a Peer of France and made him one of their Generals In the mean time the King's Forces possess'd all ●he Posts round about Paris and though the Parliament's ●●my was more numerous their Generals ●●ver stirr'd to open any Passage so that Provisions could no● get into the City but with great difficulty from 〈◊〉 in regard that the Prince could not put a Garison in B●●ys Conte-Robert for fear of dividing his Forces● and for that he had quitted Charenton which C●n●● had made himself master of ●ut the Prince cons●●e●ing the Importance of th●● Post which secur●d the P●●isia● 〈…〉 and ●or that he long'd to begin wi●● some Action ●hat might render his Forces formidable● He resol●'d to attack it● though the Parisi●n had put t●ree thousand Men into it Advancing there●ore with the Duke of O●le●n● and all the Princes and Lords of th● Court● upon the 18th of February he committed
the Government of Stenay which was vacant by the Death of la Moussaie So that this Action of Marsin may bear two very different Constru●tions Those who will consider him abandoning ● Province the King had entrusted him with will find him very disloyal and those who will look upon him running after most pressing and almost indispensible Obligations will believe him a very worthy Gentleman Few Persons of sense will dare to say that he is Guilty or declare him Innocent In fine both those that are against him and those that favour him will agree in pitying of him the one for a Fault he was necessitated to commit the others for having acquitted himself of what he ow'd by a fault The Court was at that time at Poitiers as I have said and Monsieur de Chateauneuf possess'd in appearance the first Place in Affairs altho' the Cardinal still possess'd it in Effect Nevertheless this Old Man's firm decisive familiar way of proceeding directly opposite to the Cardinal 's began to give a relish to his Ministry and even began to please the Queen The Cardinal was too well inform'd thereof to suffer him to gain any more ground and it is very probable that he judg'd his return absolutely necessary to remedy the Evil he dreaded in his own particular since otherwise he little consulted the Interest of the State in so much that thereby he afforded the Duke of Orleance and the Parliament of Paris a Pretence to declare against the Court. The Marshal d' Hoquincourt was order'd to receive Cardinal Mazarin upon the Frontiers Luxemburg with 2000 Horse and to attend 〈◊〉 where the King should be He cross'd the Kin●●dom without the least molestation and arriv'd Poitiers as much Master of the Court as he had 〈◊〉 been They affected to give Monsieur de Cha●ea●neuf little share in this Return but still witho●● altering any thing in the rest as to the ex●e●iou● o● giving him the least mark of disfavour Th● Cardinal himself made some advances to him bu● he being unwilling to expose himself and con●●●dering that it was neither safe nor honourable fo● a Man of his Age and Experience to continue 〈◊〉 the management of Affairs under his Enemy an● that he should undoubtedly continually be expos'● to whatever Mortifications he should be pleas'd t● impose upon him he took this Pretence to retire that whereas by his Advice it had been resolv'● that the King should remove to Angouléme tha● Design was alter'd without having communicated it to him and at the same time the Siege of An●gers resolv'd upon contrary to his Sentiments I● so much that having taken his Leave of the King he retir'd to Tours The Court departed soon after to go to Anger 's where the Duke de la Rochefoucault had made the People rise and that Province had declar'd it self for the Prince at the very time that the Duke of Orleance and the Pa●liament of Paris joyn'd with him against the Court. All France seem'd in suspence in expectation of the Event of that Siege which might have produc'd great Consequences had the Defence of it prov'd long enough or vigorous enough to stop the King For besides that the Prince thereby might have secur'd the best Places and best Neighbouring Provinces it is most certain that the Example of the Duke of Orleance and of the Parliament of Paris would have been follow'd by the most considerable part of the Kingdom In effect had the Court been forc'd to raise that Siege it would have been reduc'd to great Extreams and the King's Person had been expos'd to great dangers● had it happen'd at the time the Duke of Nemours entred France with the Army from Flanders and the Prince's Old Troops without meeting any Resistance This Army pass'd the River Seine at M●nte where the Duke of Beaufort who commanded the Duke of Orleance's Forces joyn'd the said Duke of Nemours and together march'd with an Army of 7000 Foot and 3000 Horse towards the River Loire where they were certain of Blois and Orleance But whether Anger 's were not in a Condition to hold out a Siege by the Division of the Inhabitants or whether the Duke de Rohan was unwilling to venture his Life and Fortune in confiding in People that seem'd wavering and astonish'd he deliver'd up the place to the King without much Resistance and was allow'd to retire to the Duke of Orleance at Paris Things were in this condition when the Prince remov'd from La Bergerie where he had remain'd three Weeks without Count d' Harcourt's who was on the other side of the River at Tonay Charante and Master of the Bridge of Boats having undertaken any thing against him Nevertheless as the Number and Goodness of his Forces was very much inferiour to the King's Army he avoided the occasions of being constrain'd to so unequal a Combat To that end he march'd to la Bernette three Leagues distant from the King's Army in order to have more time to consider in case they should march up to him He remain'd there some time without any considerable Action on either side But finding that far from making any Progress in that Country he was not able to remain there in sight of Count d' Harcourt he turn'd all his thoughts to the preservation of Guienne and to Fortifie the Cities that were in his Party To that end he resolvd to march thither with his Army and believ'd himself capable to maintain Saintonge for some time in leaving on the one side the Count du Doignon in the Garrisons the Spaniards at Talmont and the Prince of Tarente in Saintes and Taillebourg to hasten their Fortifications Having thus given his Orders he caus'd his Infantry and his Baggage to march to Talmont in order to be Transported by Sea to Bourdeaux and after a long march with his Cavalry the first day he stopt the second at St. Andras within four Leagues of Bourdeaux believing himself without the Enemy's reach But Count d' Harcourt who had follow'd him close arriv'd within sight of his Quarter when he least suspected it and would certainly have forc'd it had his foremost Troops entred it without hesitation whereas they plac'd themselves in Battalia over against St. Andras whilst the others attack'd the Quarter of Baltazar who repuls'd them with Vigour and came to joyn the Prince who got on Horse back at the very first noise They remain'd some time in sight but the Night proving very dark there was no Combat and the Prince retir'd without any loss being more oblig'd to the Enemies over-great precaution for his Safety than to his own Count d' Harcourt follow'd him no farther and the Prince persisting in the Design of going to Bergerac in order to Fortifie it pass'd at Libourne of which the Count of Maure was Governour and left Orders with him for the continuation of some Out-works The Marshal de la Force arriv'd at Bergerac just as he did with his Son the Marquess of Castelnau who commanded
with so much gaiety and a Look so chearfully unconcern'd that he was the equal wonder as well of the Spaniards as the French Toward the end of Lewis the XIII Reign the Spanish Army was Master of the Field Don Francisco de Melos Governour of the Low Countries had re-taken Air and La Bassee and won the Battle of Hannecourt The Designs which were laid were vast nor was his Ambition satisfid with re-taking only those Places which Spain had lost He foresaw that the King's Death would occasion great Troubles in France and the Physitians had all adjudg'd his Distemper incurable and every body was studying to make their best Advantages of the ensuing Minority The French also who were wont to loose by their Dissentions all the Advantages which they us'd to get in their Foreign Wars were about to have furnish'd Melos with a favourable opportunity to extend his Conquests Upon these Considerations he alters his design of Besieging Arras the Preparations for which had taken him up all the Winter and he resolvd to attacque Rocroy as being a serviceable Post that gave him an Entrance into Champaigne and therefore fit to make a Place of Arms that lay convenient for all his Enterprizes In a very short time after Lewis the XIII dyed and his Death divided all the Court as Melos well foresaw The Cabals that were secretly held to get the Regency threatned France with a General Revolution All the States of the Kingdom were unwilling to fall again under a Ministry like that of Cardinal Richlie● The great Lords and Peers could not be easily induc'd to buckle before a Minister who possess'd a Station of which every one thought themselves more worthy then himself The Magistrates were unwilling to depend upon any Person but the King in the Exercise of their Duties and could not brook the receiving Laws from a private Subject And as for the People they never fail to charge upon the Counsels of the chief Minister all the Taxes and Impositions which have been layd upon 'em and generally all Men are inclin'd to envy the Fortune and hate the Person of a Favourite Thus the Remembrance of what was past became Odious and the future was to be fear'd the Present was full of Trouble and therefore great Care was to be taken of the Kingdom under so great a Change All People wish'd for a Government more Gentle and Free but no Body agreed upon the means to bring it to pass Nevertheless the King before his Death had nominated and appointed the Persons that were to compose the Council of the Regency He had also at the same time given the Command of his Armies to the Duke of Enguien but to curb and moderate the Early Flames and Heats of Youth frequently transported with desire of Glory he gave him the Marshal de l' Hospital for his Lieutenant General and Counsellour But notwithstanding this same Settlement of Affairs and all the Intreagues at Court the Queen was declar'd Sole Regent with Absolute Power There was some likelyhood at first that she would have call'd the Bishop of Beauv●is to the Ministry and she had also some thoughts of procuring a Cardinals Cap for him upon the first Promotion But that Prelat instead of managing himself prudently and cautiously in the dawn of Favour went about to ruine all those that Richlieu had advanc'd and by that means drew upon himself a great number of Enemies Now while he was unseasonably endeavouring to overturn all which that Minister had done Mazarin took his Advantage of the whole and made his Leagues with the Persons that were in most Credit with the Queen They whom the Bishop sought to pull down had recourse to the Cardinal's Protection The Q. therefore fearing least he should create her a great deal of Trouble took distaste at his Services finding the Cardinal at length much more fit to supply the Place of Chief Minister And they in whom ●he most con●ided perswaded her to make this choice so that she resolv'd to send the Bishop back to his Diocess and openly to declare her Inclinations to the Cardinal At first she met with great Obstacles the very Name of Cardinal dreaded the minds of Men recall'd past Mischiefs to their Memory and caus'd 'em to fear worse for the future Thus the Queens Creatures were divided every one took his side and Affairs were worse embroyl'd then before Ne●ertheless the Cardinals Policy and good Fortune ●he Services which he had done France the Queens ●esolution● and the respect which all People had ●or her appeas'd the Male-contents Nor did the ●lot layd against him by the Dutchess of Cheuruse ●nd the Duke of Beaufort serve to any other pur●ose then to Settle and Confirm his Authority And thus Melos was deceiv'd in his Prognosticks as ●re all Foreigners that ground great hopes upon the Divisions of the French For tho' their Natural Levity sometimes excites 'em to revolt yet the in●ate respect and affection which they have for ●heir King reduces them always to their Obedience In short the Grandees the Parliament and the People submitted to the Queens Choice and all Authority bow'd under the Ministry of Cardinal Mazarin tho' he were a Foreigner and that his Enemies publish'd him to be Originally a Subject of Spain which was a Nation that had no Kindness for the French and tho' but a little before he appear'd under an Eclipse far distant from so splendid an Elevation The Duke had carry'd himself imprudently in the management of the Enterprize against the Cardinal and the Dutchess believing her self more Crafty and more in the Queens Favour scorn'd his Submissions So that at the same time that the Duke and she were consulting to destroy him the Duke was arrested the Dutchess disgrac'd the rest of the Cabal dispierc'd themselves and France en●oy'd a more pleasing Calm then ever While the Court was busi'd in these Intreagues the Duke of Enguien was preparing for the next Campaign Amiens was the place appointed for the Rendezvouse of the Army where the Prince ●rriv'd toward the end of April 1643. and there ●et Gassion with part of the Forces Espenan drew others together about L●on Marshal de Grammen● had put himself into Arras at the beginning of the Winter and had a considerable Body in that place The Duke of Enguien stay'd Three Weeks in Amiens in expectation of the Forces that were to meet there and to penetrate the Designs of the Spaniards He had also sent Gassion to Dourlens with Orders to observe 'em more narrowly At length he understood that Melos had drawn all his Forces together about Dovay and that he was upon his March toward Landrecies with a great Train of Artillery The Duke of Enguien muster'd as many men as possibly he could draw together near Amiens and sent Orders to those that were more remote to join him in his March The second day he lodg'd his Army near Peronne whither La Ferte Seneterre brought him some
the Chur●h of Nostre Dame in Paris ● where their Majesties were present as well as 〈◊〉 Sovereign Societies and the Corporations of the City And to the end that from this Success they might not only reap considerable Advantages over the Enemy without but over those whom the King's Council look'd upon as Enemies within the Kingdom the C●uncil● were of Opinion That it behov'd 'em to mak● use of this favourable Opportunity which 〈◊〉 C●r●mony of Te Deum presented them to seize upon some of the Principal Members of the Parliament who had started those Paradoxes which no way pleas'd the Court and were follow'd by the whole Cabal of ●he Slingers So that upon the very day that Te Deum was sung several Companies of the Regiment of Guards being posted in several Quarters of the City M. de Broussel was seiz'd against whom the Court had a particular Peek as being the Head of the Slingers He was a Councellor of the Great Chamber a Person of ancient Integrity but of no great Capacity He had been all along a great hater of Favourites and was much reverenc'd by the People who call'd him their Father Now although he run a great hazard that seiz'd him by reason of the singular affection which the People bore him● yet M. de Cominges undertook to do it and perform'd what he undertook He seiz'd him while the Companies of Guards were drawn up in a row in the Streets so that M. de Broussel together with M. de Blancmesvi● Nephew to the Bishop of Beauvaise was carried with a good Guard to Bois de Vincennes Orders were also left with Mr. Laisne Councellor also of the Great Chamber to retire into Province and M. Loizel was banish'd into Montes The noise of the seizing of de Broussel was no sooner nois'd about Paris but the People betook themselves to their Arms the Chains were drawn cross the Streets the Barricado's were set up in all the Corners of the public Places and the Shops were shut up The Queen thereupon gave orders to reduce the People and suppress the Sedition but 't was impossible to be done so that the Court was constrain'd to give the Prisoners their liberty So soon as de Broussel appear'd among the People he was saluted with Volleys of small Shot and accompany'd with loud Acclamations to the Palace where he and M. Blancmesvil receiv'd the Complements of the Parliament● and from thence he was conducted as it were in triumph by the same people to his Lodging Now in regard the Antipathy which the Slingers and the People had against the Cardinal were the cause of this Uproar and for that they believ'd that the good of the Kingdom requir'd that Mazarin should no longer continue in the weighty Employment of Chief Minister but rather that he should be banish'd the Parliament who found themselves encourag'd by what had happen'd persisted with redoubl'd vigour in their first Sentiments and renew●d their strength against the Court. And several Persons of Quality some out of Interest● some desirous of Change most violently engag'd to ruine the Cardinal The principal Reasons which that Party alledg'd were That it was a thing unheard of and ignominio●s to a flourishing Kingdom That a Foreigner and a born Subject to the King of Spain should be the prime Minister of France and that this Minister should also have so absolute a Power as to be the Umoire of War and Peace● That the conferring of Honours Employments and all Favours should be at the sole disposal of his will and pleasure not to be bestow'd as the Rewards of Merit good Service high Quality but but to gratify particular devotion to his Interest That his Ambition had carried the Arms of France into Tuscany at a vast Expence and without any Advantage to the Nation● only to make himself formidable in Italy and to purchase Principalities for his Kindred That for his own Interests he had refus'd to admit of the Trea●y of Peace concluded at Munster which he had eluded by the Sedulity of Servien ● his Creature That out of Jealousie he design'd the Ruin of Marshal Gassion a little before his death That he only understood Foreign Affairs and that by his Italian Politicks he had effac'd that Confidence and good Opinion which the Consederates of France had of the Confidence and Sincerity of the French Nation which Cardinal Richlieu had establish'd during his Ministry That as for the Domestic Affairs of the Kingdom he was uncapable of managing 'em in regard● the State was become full of Division and Upro●r● during his Government That he rul'd the Kingdom by Foreign Maxims no way agreeable to the French Nation That he had introduc'd such palpable Jugling and Tricking Quirks of State that he had expos'd an Illustrious Court to the Contempt and Railleries of all other Nations In a word That he was unable to bear so great a Burthen and that ●e had lost his Credit among the People To this Mazarin's Party made answer That 't was no such strange thing for Foreigners to have the Government of the State witness the Cardinal of Lorrain and the Cardinal of Brague the Duke of Neve●s ● Marshal de ●ets and Marshal de Ancre that Mazarin had been nominated to the Cardinalship by France after he had done her considerable Services That Cardinal Richlieu who understood Men had appointed him his successor in the Ministry That the deceas'd King who had a perfect knowledge of the good Qualities of all that were about him made him President of his Council after the death of Richlieu That the Queen Regent had suffer'd him to continue in the same Dignity merely through the necessity of Affairs and in obedience to the King 's last Will and Testament That all these things were approv'd by all the Wise men of the Realm and by all the Princes in league with France That having by his Services answer'd her Majesty's Expectations she could not lay him aside without doing the Kingdom an Injustice and without being ingrateful to a Servant so beneficial and so faithful That he was so far from favouring only those who were devoted to the Interests of the Court That the common Complaint was● That in conferring of Honours and Employments he had too particular a regard to the Servants of the Duke o● Orleans and Monsieur the Prince That all Affairs were propos'd to the Council who took such Resolutions as they thought most convenient That the Accusation against him for opposing the Conclusion of the Peace was without any ground neither was it a thing probable in regard that besides the general Interest● his Eminency's particular Interest oblig'd him to Crown his Ministry which so many Successes had render'd glorious with a Treaty that would have eterniz'd him in the Affection of the People That it was certain the Spaniards had always cross'd that Treaty as the Duke of Longueville and the Princes themselves could testify That the Expedition against Orbitello and
Porto Longone were the most advantagious that France could have undertak'n and most proper to bring the Enemy to a speedy Peace in regard those Places would have kept in subjection those Territories which the Spaniards possess'd in Italy ● That the Independency which the Duke of Guise affected at Naples was not the Reason that the Cardinal afforded him powerful Assistance That Gassion would have set himself up in Flanders with little dependance upon the Court. That the Prince never complain'd of his not assisting him either at Catologna or any other of his Campaigns as much as lay in his power That he was constrain'd to have recourse to those Edicts to raise Mo●ey for the Expences of the War nevertheless that the Taxes were abated That Time had sufficiently evinc'd That his transporting Money into ●taly was a meer Fabulous Story invented on purpose to disgrace him To this they added That for twenty years together he had manag'd with honour the Interests of the Princes of Europe That if the good Intelligence between France and the Vnited Provinces began to flag● 't was because some particular Persons had been suborn'd and corrupted by the Gold of Spain That in the Administration of State he had follow'd all the Maxims of Cardinal Richlieu only that he had ●onish'd the Cruelty of Punishments That if he had been oblig'd to promise more then he had perform'd 't was because the number of those that serv'd in France was very great and the number of Pretenders much greater That the State had never kn●wn more Prosperity then during his Ministry and that i● in great Executions the honour of the Performance were due to the Generals the Contri●ance and Forecast belong'd to him That France had been still in quiet if every body had been unanimous in their Duty if the People had not been drawn from their Obedience by the Suggestions of Persons disaffected or rather if the Parliament who ought to be the true Model of Allegiance had not pav'd 'em a way to revolt That the Station wherein the Cardinal was had always been expos'd to the Assaults of the Hatred and Envy of all the States and by consequence 't was no wonder if sometimes an Inordinate Ambition were laid to his charge or if sometimes he were accus'd of Insufficiency However that he was happy in this That Calumny in her most Venomous Assaults had spar'd his Fidelity and never attack'd him with the least suspicion of Treachery But this Answer and Apology of Cardinal Mazarine could not hinder his Enemies from persevering in their Design to remove him from the Administration of the Government and then to Ruin him And this Design was afterwards so well confirm'd that it was decreed in the Assembly of the Chambers of the Parliament That a Solemn Deputation should be sent to the Duke of Orleans and the Prince of Conde and Conty to beseech them to join with the Parliament for the effectual Remedy of the Grievances that threaten'd the Kingdom The Court was at Ruel when the Cardinal was inform'd of what had pass'd and he was deeply afflicted to see that he must be constrain'd to throw himself into the Prince's Arms and to secure his Tottering Fortune by his Support The Disorders at Paris not permitting the Prince to reap all those Advantages from the Victory of Lens which he might have done he was constrain'd to bound his Conquests with the taking of Lens And so soon as that Place was taken he return'd to Court at what time all People beheld him with admiration For besides that he was endow'd with so many noble so many excellent and rare Qualities besides the many Signal Victories he had won he had had no share in the Troubles insomuch that both Parties look'd upon him as their Defender and bel●ev'd they might shelter themselves under his Laurels from all manner of troublesome Accidents And indeed had he harbour'd at that time those Thoughts in his Breast which his Enemies afterwards imputed to him questionless he would have made the best of Opportunities so favourable For in truth the low condition of the Court and Publick Admiration equally concurr'd to his Exaltation and to the Execution of the most Ambitious Designs which he could have had in his Head So that in regard he study'd then so little to court the People and to manage the Exasperations of those whose Sentiments and Conduct were most opposite to the Regency and the Cardinal 't is manifest he had no such design as he was accus'd to have at that time The Prince had admitted two great Men to be his Confidents both Persons of Signal Merit but opposite in their Judgments as to the Affairs that made so great a noise These were the Duke of Chatillon and Marshall Grammont The first whose Person and Family were bound in the strictest Tyes of Alliance with the Prince labour'd to perswade him to declare for the Parliament or at least to make himself Umpire of the Differences with all the Neutrali●y imaginable The other Engag'd by all manner of Interests with the Court spent a large stock of pleasing Eloquence to oblige him to side with the Court But the Prince upon this occasion laid a Comtraint upon his own Temper r●mote from moderate ways and wrote together with the Duke of Orleance to the Parliament exhorting 'em to fend Commissioners to St. Germains ● and to put an end to their Differences in a Conference Which Conference terminated in an Authentick Declaration of the King●s which g●ve some Respi● to the Publi●k Differences and for that the Stra●agems of the Enemies of the Court prevail'd so far that they openly d●manded the Ruin of th● Cardinal the Cou●● thought it their best way to have recourse ●o ●he Duke of Orleans and the Prince And in regard the Mischief had penetrated so far that it was not t● b● Eradicated but by strong Medicaments they wer● of Opinion at the same time that the Natural Mod●ration of the Duke of Orle●n● and his peaceable Te●per would not be so proper as the Prince's more Vigorous Heat besides that the Reputation of so great a Captain the Splendour of his Victories and ●he Assistance of his Army would strike a Terrour into the Male-content●● so that the Court labour'd might and main to gain him The Queen made use of all the most powerful and perswasive Motives descending even to Tears and the most melting Expressions● telling him She look't upon him as her third Son The Cardinal also protested that he should be all his Life time devoted to his Will and Pleasure with an Absolute Submi●sion The King likewise tenderly embracing him recommends to him the welfare of the Kingdom and the safety of his Person But notwithstanding all these Caresses Marshall Grammont and Le Fellier were the Persons who fully determin'd him to take the Court Party They laid before him that by degrees the Parliament would invade all Authority That without confining their
Ambition within the Bounds of the Declaration of the Conference at St. Ger●ans they would not only take ●ognizance of the Affairs of War but also dispose of the Fortune of Ministers of State change 'em remove 'em and settle others in their rooms a● their pleasure● that there was reason enough to fea● that a● length they would Attacque the most priviledg'd Persons in the Kingdom that the Condi●ion o● 〈…〉 liament would be a Dignity to be 〈◊〉 if they come once to impose Laws upon 〈…〉 and the Condition of the Princes 〈…〉 be more miserable should they 〈…〉 to creep to ' em That this new sort 〈…〉 wo●nded the Constitution of the Monar 〈…〉 which was Absolute and Indepen●●●●● 〈◊〉 it was particularly contrary to the Con 〈…〉 and the Institution of French Par 〈…〉 T●at if any Abuses were crept into the 〈◊〉 ●hey ought to be reform'd by the Assem 〈…〉 General and not by the Decrees 〈…〉 whose Suffrages carry things rather b● 〈◊〉 then consideration That every time the 〈◊〉 h●d exceeded the Bounds of their Duty they had been always severely check'd sometimes by 〈…〉 King sometimes by Henry IV. somet●●●s by Charl●s IX and other Kings their Predec●●●ors upon less dangerous Occasions then what 〈◊〉 no● in Dispute That Great Empires were ne●er supported by Cowardly Counsels That he 〈…〉 Trial of his Co●rage and his Forces in 〈◊〉 ● Weighty Conjuncture and that the Just●●● of Sove●aigns consisted in their Power That he● 〈…〉 of Conde was concern'd to support the Card●●●l● because the Resolutions which had been tak'n 〈◊〉 ●he Person of his Eminency tended to the D●●●ruc●ion of the Royal Family and that if the 〈◊〉 of Orleans and himself did not stand firm and 〈◊〉 oppose an Enterprize of this Nature the 〈◊〉 with her Children would be constrain'd to implo●● t●e Aid of the Princes in League with the 〈◊〉 Now besides that the Prince believ'd that the lit 〈…〉 the Parliament had taken to conform to the 〈◊〉 wounded the Honour of those that were 〈…〉 the Conference and undermin'd the Foun 〈…〉 the Pe●ce that had been Establish'd these Discourses made so deep an Impression in his Mind that he would no longer hear of a Neutrality so that abandoning all his Care of losing the Affection of the Publick he had recourse to those Thoughts which inclin'd him to the most violent Extremities In short going along with the Duke of Orleans to the Palace he carried himself with so much Heat and Passion as did him a great deal of Injury in the Hearts of the People He had no sooner taken his Place but the President Viole who had great Credit in the Company rose up and took upon him to say That the occasion of their meeting was of that great Importance that they could not make one step which did not lead 'em either to Honour or Infamy nor was there any probability that they could enter into a good Beginning till they had first implor'd the Assistance of the Holy Ghost and he was preparing for the Solemnity of the Duty However in regard that while the President was talking he let fall some disobliging Expressions against the Cardinal the Prince of Conde threatning him at the same time with his Looks and Hand could not forbear to bid him hold his Tongue and then addressing himself to the First President in a great Passion told him That he wonder'd that he who was the Head of so Famous an Assembly did not endeavour to suppress the Liberty which some People gave themselves who under the pretence of the Publick Good went about to excite the People to Sedition Adding withall That if the King's Youth and his want of Experience were the cause of the Disorders which had happen'd in the Kingdom he would have him to know That the Duke of Orleans who was there present and himself were able to supply both the one and the other and that the King would not want good Subjects to reduce the Male-contented to their Duty These words offended the whole Assembly But in regard they ●ell from the Lips of a Prince of whom they stood in awe every body was profoundly silent contenting themselves to utter their disgusts in pri●ate As for the first President he was extr●amly zealous for the Honour of the Assembly which the Prince had affronted in threatning one of the Members of it However he was not much troubl'd at what had happen'd because he thought that when so great a Prince had declar'd himself those of the Parliament whose heat and violence he did not approve would bethink themselves and become more moderate Nevertheless he told the Prince That he could not forbear complaining of his reprimanding so severely a Member of an Assembly that were only met to remedy the Distractions of the State and not to kindle new Flames That he was confident that what he had done was out of a good Intention but in regard that Suffrages were to be permitted he took the liberty to tell him That if he had taken another course he would have done better Lastly That he read in the Countenances of those who compos'd the Assembly a great Emotion and great Discontent That if he saw some that made no outward shew of any thing yet they were never a w●●t the less sad in their hearts and never the less afflicted That they were in hopes a Prince whose 〈◊〉 Atchievements had equall'd him to the Greatest Captains in the World would have join'd with 'em to re-establish the Tranquility of a Kingdom whose Frontiers he had so well secur'd by his Illustrious Victories This same Speech did not equally satisfy all people The more ancient and prudent sort found that he had spoken much in a few words and that considering the Conjuncture of Affairs the first President could not have done much better then he did But the younger sort were not so reserv'd for they began to murmur one among another So that the Prince who was not well pleas'd with the plaints that were made of his proceeding as not being accustom'd to hear Truths told him nor to receive any opposition to his Will was so little master of his own Inclinations that instead of making amends for what he had done amiss he turn'd toward the younger sort and threaten'd them as he had the President Viole that is to say with his looks and hand The Court was overjoyd that the Prince had so openly declar'd in their favour And in regard that after what had pass'd he found him self-interested by his own Quarrel in the Differences of the Court he greedily listen'd to all Proposals that were made him for reducing the Parliament Thereupon it was no hard matter to persuade him that the best way would be to besiege Paris ● and that a Siege would not fail to make the People cry out and mutiny against the Assembly Or whatever happen'd that the Parisians wanting Leaders and Men and being accustom'd to Plenty and Ease would
the A●tacking of the Post to the Duke of Chatillon ● and advan●'d with the Cavalry upon a rising ground 〈◊〉 hinder the Parisians from succouring the Place Ch●tillon perform'd the Prince●s Orders with all the Conduct and Valour imaginab●e● but when he had driven the Enemy to the last ●arricado he receiv'd a Musqu●● shot quite through his Body of which he dy'd the next day in ●he flower of his Age lamented by both Parties for his Noble Qualities and for being slai● just at the time when he was ready to have obtain'd those Dignities which his great Servic●s had perfo●m'd The taking of Charenton was much to the dishonour of the Parliament's Generals● and Forces and no less to the honour of the Prince of Conde For in short The Prince carry'd that P●●● in view of the Enemy's Army and at the Gates of Paris out of which he had march'd in the sight o● Ten thousand men who seem'd to have taken the Field merely ●o be Witnesses and Spectators of so great an Action This Conflict and these of Bois de Vin●nnes Lag●y and B●●y-Con●e● Robert all to the disadvantage of the Pa●isians and in one of which the Young Duke of Roba● ● approving himself the worthy Inheritor of his Father's Vertue lost his Life made 'em begn to think of Peace But the diversity of Interests was an Obstacle difficult on surmount On the other side the Court who were pu●t up with their Success and who were in greater hopes by reason of the Princes successful Atchievements would needs imp●se too Rigorous Conditions upon the Contrary Par●y● So that if both Parties were so 〈…〉 was b●cause that a Civil War 〈…〉 qually displeasing to both For this Re●son upon the 20th of F●b●●a●y the King sent a Herald of 〈◊〉 accompany'd wi●h two 〈◊〉 who coming to the Gate of St. H●nore 〈…〉 he had three Pacquets of Letters one ●or th● Prin●● of Con●● the other for the Parliament ●nd a third for the City Of which the Parliament 〈◊〉 ●●f●●m'd took the matter into consideration 〈…〉 a Decree● That they should neither admit 〈◊〉 ●●ceive the Herald but send the King 's Serv●●●●● that is to say ●alon Meliand and Bignon to 〈◊〉 Q●een to let her know That if they had refus'd 〈…〉 the Herald it was not for want of duty 〈…〉 because Heralds were never sent but to Sove●●ign Princes or States that were in hostility with the Kingdom● but that neither the Prince of Conti 〈…〉 Parliament nor the City were either Sover●igns 〈◊〉 Enemies and therefore they besought her Maje●●y that they might understand her pleasure ●rom 〈◊〉 own Lips Those Commissioners were well 〈◊〉 ●y the Queen who told ●em she was satisfy'd with ●●●ir Excuse and their Submissions that when ●he Parliament should return to their duty● they should● find the effects of her Favour and Good●will● a●d that a●●or private Persons they should all of 'em 〈◊〉 o●e find all manner of security both for th●i● Persons and estates in their submission and the D●●e of Orlean● also and the Prince gave 'em th● 〈…〉 Now th● b●●h Parties most ardently desir'd Peace 〈…〉 concluded without a great deal of dif 〈…〉 several Deputations and various Con●e●●●ces● whe●e it was a hard matter to content so 〈…〉 whose Interests were so nice and so differen●● But at length it was concluded at St. German● ● 〈…〉 March and afterwa●●● the King 's De 〈…〉 for this so necessary Peace was verify'd in ●ool Parliament who order'd that Thanks should be return'd to their Majesties for the Peace which they had restor'd to their Subjects No sooner were the Flames of Civil War extinguish'd by this Peace but they were re-kindl'd in a short time after and spread it self with more Violence into the principal Provinces of the Kingdom for the Reasons which I am going to tell ye Considering what the Prince had done in the preceding War in favour of the Court and the Cardinal it was a difficult thing for them to make him those acknowledgments which his great Services deserv'd or that the Prince should contain himself within the bounds of Mod●sty out of a desire of Domination and Superiority in demanding the most considerable Employments whether for himself or for those whom he had a mind to favo●r And in regard the Cardinal had chiefly reap'd the benefit of the Prince's Assistance he was the most expos'd to his Demands his Complaints his Threatnings and his Bad Humour And indeed during the Parisian War there had been some Misunderstandings between the Prince and the Cardinal For as there was at that time a strict and diligent Correspondence between 'em and for that for the most part Familiarity lessens Esteem the Respect which the Prince had for the Cardinal was very much abated and the Cardinal who perc●iv'd it had look'd upon those great Virtues which the Prince had made so gloriously appear in the time of the Civil Troubles as no other then the Effects of Fear and Aversion Moreover during that time the Cardinal plotted to bring the Odium of the People upon the Prince by endeavouring to make him the Author of all the Mischiefs to which they were expos'd The Prince also after the Peace thought it behov'd him to thwart the Cardinal and to shew the Alienation of his Kindness for him that he might regain the Affection of the people and of a great 〈◊〉 o● considerable persons which he had lost for protecting a person so generally hated Calling to mind al●o the submissiveness of the Cardinal during the last Disorders he was persuaded● That if he should put him in fear and scorn him it would be s●●●●cient to draw upon him new Troubles and to oblige him to sneak a second time to him and to have ●he ●ame dependance upon him as before He might also perhaps imagine by reason of the Kindness ●hich the Queen shew'd him at St. Germains that i● wo●ld not be impossible for him to make that Princess sensible of the Cardinal's Defects and to have all the Authority next her himself after he had laid the Cardinal aside On the other hand the Cardinal had found that he could build no solid Foundation upon the Prince's ●●iendship who was sway'd rather by Capricio then by Reason or his own Interests and that time did bu● augment his scornful humour● so that he began to meditate his Ruin To which we may add that Concord and Reputation being incompatible between two persons in the same place the Cardinal could no more brook a Superior at Court then the Prince could endure an Equal And that which contributed considerably to dissolve the Knot was this That the Cardinal was ●●rongly convinc'd that he could not engage the ●●ince to persevere in his Interests but by the probabil●●y of new Establishments which either he propos●d Himself to him or by his Crea●ures only to 〈◊〉 him and with a ●ull rotent afterwards to evade 〈◊〉 ●is Offers and his Promises All which the 〈◊〉 pe●ceiv'd and was extremely
share in the Design nor was he to have any in the Execution of it And that he might have the whole Honour of it he went from Amiens wh●re the King was to the Siege But Fortune prov'd no way favourable to him his Enterprize 〈◊〉 to his Confusion for Cambray being reliev'd 〈◊〉 was forc'd to raise his Siege During the Prince's Absence the Cardinal had held no other then a Correspondence of Decency and Civility with him and the Prince who began to be sensible of the Prosperity of the Court with some regret and who was not a little disturb'd about the Siege of Cambray was no less glad to hear it was rais'd The Troubles in Guyenne and Provence and the Difficulties which obstructed the King's Return to P●ri● pleas'd him as much because he believ'd that the Cardinal minded nothing else but which way to surmount all those Obstacles and present Impediments that obstructed his recovering an Absolute and Independent Authority And therefore he forbore to ●oment his Discontents either in private or in publick as if he were willing to lay his Resentments asleep to the end he might afterwards let 'em loose with more Violence Also at his return from Burgundy to P●ris before he had seen the Court he most earnestly solicited all his Friends to take care that the King and the Cardinal might have a Reception into the Metropolis of the Kingdom suitable to their Dignity Perhaps he strove to compleat a work so glorious as that of restoring the Cardinal or that he flatter'd himself that such a piece of Service would never be forgot by the Queen He ●tay'd till the Court was return'd to Compeigne where he was receiv'd with more demonstrations of Friendship then when he parted from thence After which his Majesty return'd to Paris and in that Entry the King the Queen and all the Royal Family rode in the same Coach and the Cardinal in one of the Boots with the Prince who put a confidence into him by his presence And the incredible Throng of people who appear'd at that same Entrance and who abhorr'd the very sight of the Cardinal did only then let loose their Joy for the King's Return who at that time took up all their thoughts and defac'd the remembrance of all their Animosities and past Misfortunes When their Majesties arriv'd at the Palace-Royal they receiv'd the Submissions of the D. of Beaufort the Coadjutor and the rest of the Heads of the Frondeurs and the Prince compleated so Noble a day's work by telling the Queen That he lookt upon himself to be very happy in having fulfill'd the Promise that he made her to bring back the King To which her Maje●ty reply'd Sir This Service which you have done the Kingdome is so great that the King and my self should be very ungrateful should we ever forget it One of the Prince's Servants who 〈…〉 this Discourse told him That his great 〈…〉 him tremble and that he was afraid 〈…〉 was no more than a Reproach I 〈…〉 reply'd the Prince however I have per 〈…〉 what I promis'd When good Services are 〈…〉 atred takes place of Acknowledgment 〈…〉 the Prince found to be true For all that 〈…〉 in favour of the Cardinal was one of 〈…〉 which his Mortifications had in 〈…〉 that spurr'd him on to ruin him 〈…〉 purpose all things were to be so order'd 〈…〉 the Fro●deurs nor the D. of Orleans should 〈…〉 the Prince And to that effect 〈…〉 the Hatred and Aversion which they 〈…〉 had for him and which was renew'd 〈…〉 to time in regard the Prince sometimes 〈◊〉 to ●e reconcil'd to 'em and embrace their 〈…〉 had shew'd himself to be their 〈◊〉 Enemy● 〈…〉 all the Artifices which the Cardinal 〈…〉 to incline the Frondeurs to rejoice at the 〈…〉 this was the chiefest 〈…〉 had receiv'd a Note which gave him 〈…〉 That the Frondeurs had a Design upon 〈…〉 and that they had resolv'd to Assassinate 〈…〉 over Pon●neuf This Note he shew'd 〈…〉 the Duke of Orleans and the Cardin●● 〈◊〉 seem'd to be as much surpriz'd as the rest 〈…〉 some Consultation what course to take 〈…〉 the truth 't was resolv'd to the end they 〈…〉 themselves without exposing the Perso● 〈…〉 Duke That his Coachman should drive 〈…〉 over Pontneuf with the Curtains drawn 〈…〉 were in it which was done while 〈…〉 the mean time stay'd at a Bathing-House 〈…〉 Event So soon as the Coach was 〈…〉 before the Brazen-Horse the Coach was 〈…〉 certain persons unknown who fir'd their Blunderbusses into it and wounded a Lacquey belonging to the Count of Duras who rode at the Tail of the Coach Of which the Prince having immediate notice demanded Justice of the King and the Queen against the Frondeurs The Cardinal also seem'd to outdo himself upon this occasion for his Diligence and his Zeal exceeded the Care and Sedulity of the Prince's nearest Relations and most Cordial Friends In the mean time the Frondeurs seeing such a quick and dangerous Accusation taking root against 'em believ'd it at first to be an Artifice of the Prince's to ruin ' em However they were nothing daunted and tho the report ran that the Prince would prosecute his Revenge with all manner of Violence the Duke of Beaufort made no s●●uple to visit Marshal Grammon● at a time that the Prince supp'd with him and there spent the remainder of the Evening without the least shew of being concern'd The Coadjutor and he made use of all the ways imaginable to justifie their Innocency to the Prince and the Marquess of Noirmoustier offer'd on their behalf to join with the whole house of Conde against the Cardinal But the Prince who was no less exasperated for the little respect they had shew'd him upon other occasi●ons as out of a perswasion not to be vanquish'd that they had a design to Assassinate him stopt his ears against all their Justifications and laid aside all other thoughts but of doing himself Justice with the Consent of the Court or else of demanding Justice from the Parliament The first Resolution was too violent neither did it agree with the Cardinal 's conceal'd Design and the effect of the other was too tedious and dubious Nevertheless because it was the intention of the Court to refer this business to the Parliament on purpose to mortify the Prince with delays and the vexation to see himself as it were a Suppliant at the Feet of the Judges the Cardinal w●nted not specious pretences to perswade the Prince to take that course Thereupon he made his complaint to the Palace in the usual forms and during the whole course of that Affair the Cardinal 〈◊〉 ●he pleasure to draw him into all those Snares 〈◊〉 he had laid for him In the mean time the Duke of Beaufort and the Coadjutor demanded that they might be admitted to justifie themselves which being granted both Parties quitted all other ways a●d adhered only to the practice of the Palace But ●he Prince soon understood
were come to join ' em The Prince during his Imprisonment at Vincennes had written a long and elegant Discourse to justifie his Innocency to all France and to all the world and to display the Malice of his Grand Enemy The beginning of this Discourse was put into the hands of a considerable person by a Soldier who being won by 〈◊〉 ● was wont to bring News how the Duke did and ●hen the Princes were carri'd to Marcoussy anoth●r Soldier that escap'd in the hurry brought the Remi●der The Piece is nervously and eloquently compil'd and justifies that the Illustrious Author knew more then how to manage his Sword Had it not bee● so long as it is we would have inserted it in this History but it would almost compose a Tome of i● self 'T is enough to let you know That the Prince all along keeps within the Bounds of Respect to their Majesties and that without murmuring at the●● Orders he discovers the Malice of those who had rais'd so great a Persecution against him and gives admirable and home Answers to all their false Accusations But tha● you may the better see both the Accusations ●●d the principal Answers we shall here insert the King's Letter to the Parliament of P●ris concerning the Prince's Imprisonment and another from a private person to the Parliament which answers the King's Letter very home without omitting any thing essential And this last Letter which appear'd some time before their Removal induc'd the Pa●li●ment to seek all the most proper ways to releas● the Princes from such an Unjust Captivity The King's Letter to the Parliament of Paris touching the Imprisonment of the Princes THE Resolution which we have been forc'd to take by the Advice of the Queen Regent our m●s● Honour'd Lady and Mother to sec●re our Perso●s from our Cousins the Princes of Conde and Conti and the Duke of Longueville is of that Importance for the Welfare of our Service that altho we owe to God alon● the Account of our Actions and o● the Administration of our Kingdom we thought however that we could not let both you and the Publick know too soon the Motives that induc'd 〈◊〉 to it to the end that all our Subjects being inform●● of the absolute Necessity which through the ill Conduct of those Princes and the Duke constrain'd us to proceed with so much Rigor to prevent the irreparable Mischiefs that threaten'd this Monarchy may all redouble their Affection and concur so far as lies in their power with us in that aim which we propose to our selves to establish a firm Tranquility within our Kingdom as having understood by experience to bring our Enemies to reason whose opposition to Peace proceeds from no other cause but only in hopes that the Divisions which have for some time vex'd this Kingdom will at length turn all things Topsie-turvie which by the Assistance of God we hope to prevent We promise our selves that the Remembrance which all Christendom will resume of the Moderation and Mildness of our Counsels which we have follow'd since our coming to the Crown which has been such that often what has proceeded from our natural Indulgence or Prudence for other stronger Reasons has been imputed to the weakness of our Government will convince every body That we had not had recourse to this last Remedy till after we had found all others were of no force And in truth when we were to deliberate upon the Arresting a Prince of our Blood whom we have always tenderly lov'd and who is otherwise highly to be valu'd for his many Noble Qualities a Prince so often victorious over his Enemies against whom he has so frequently signaliz'd his Courage Certain it is that tho he soon made an ill use of that Honour which we gave him the opportunity to purchase and that his proceedings in divers Enterprizes have given us just occasion from time to time to 〈◊〉 his De●igns we could not without extreme 〈◊〉 determine his Imprisonment and we ●●uld have wink'd at all the Imprudences of his evil C●●●●ct but only the imminent danger that the Ki●gdom was in to be torn in pieces● and unless we 〈◊〉 palpably discern'd that considering the way which the said Prince took and wherein he made large steps every day one of these two mischiefs was inevitable Either the utter destruction or the Di●●olution of this Monarchy by the ruin of our Authority upon the preservation of which principally d●pends the Tranquility and Happiness of the people which God has submitted to our Obedience It is so n●tural to all men to love their own works and to desire as much as in 'em lies the kind acceptation and merit of 'em that there is no body wit●out doubt but will presume in regard we have affor●●d opportunities to our Cousin by means of those Military Employments wherewith we have entrusted him to ac●uire a high Reputation and for that we have ●eap'd upon his Family and his own Person Favours of all sorts no body we dare say will believe that unl●ss Necessity had compell'd us we would h●●e been willing to have lost the fruits of all our Favours● and to have depriv'd our selves of the Services which our Cousin might have done us both by his Counsels and Performances in times of difficulty such as are those of a long Minority had he not de●iated so far as he has done from the Path of his Duty● or if he could have satisfy'd his Ambition with living the Richest Subject this day in Christendom And c●●t●inly upon due consideration of the vast Settlements that belong to his Family either in Employments or Governments of Provinces or great Towns in Lands or Ready-Money or Church Re●●nues it must be acknowledg'd that so many Favour● nor so considerable as we have conferr'd upon our said Co●sin were never in so short a time bestow'd upon any one Family not to reck'n in ou●●rants to his Relations and Friends at his Reques● and out of the Respect we had for him He cannot deny but that he holds at this day from our Bounty solely all that he enjoys of Places or Governments in regard all became vacant upon the Death of our Dear Cousin his Father and that it was in our full Power to have dispos'd of 'em to such other persons as we should have thought sit to have preferr'd before him But to go a little higher every body may call to mind how that so soon as the Queen Regent our most Honour'd Lady and Mother foresaw the Misfortune wherewith Heaven was about to afflict France by the loss of the Deceased King our most Honour'd Lord and Father and that there was no longer any hopes of recovering a Health so precious to the Kingdom she apply'd her self to obtain the good will of our said Cousins giving order so soon as she was design'd Regent in the King 's ●houghts to those in whom that Great Prince put greatest Confidence to make it their business to perswade him to confer
the Cardinal's Niece both the thought of it ceased to be criminal and the Demands themselves were lookt upon as just And it was judg'd that the man who was able to perform such an Illustrious Action had a right to demand the most important Places in the Kingdom It has been often seen in corrupt Ages that not only Vertue has been oft without reward and Crimes have gone unpunish'd but that the Disorder has been so great that only they who were unworthy Employments were permitted to demand 'em without offence and that Merit only serv'd to remove men from pretending to Elevated Employments But this is what we never saw in our days till during the Ministry of Cardinal Mazarine for now all men must resolve to disown true Worth and renounce Desert if he thinks to have any preferment and he must be careful of pretending to Employments for fear of being suspected for a State-offender With what black and sooty Colours do they besmear the Protection which he gave to the Marriage of the Duke of Richlieu And yet if you examin all the Circumstances you will find that there was not the least shadow of a Crime in that Action and that they would fain make that the Effect of a pernicious Design which proceeded only from a real Friendship which Madam De Longueville had for the Lady that had her Advantages by it Persons that know the whole Story of that Business can certifie that the Match was not carry'd on by concert in the whole Family as is pretended since the Prince of Conde was not acquainted with it till it could no longer be conceal'd from him and that the Duke of Longueville knew nothing of it till the very instant that Madam de Longueville who had undertaken the Business was ready to depart for Try to accomplish the Design which she had been long contriving for the advantage of Madam de Ponse and not at all for her own Interest All the Circumstances of the Marriage that could occasion any mistrust at Court proceeded only from the Distrusts of the Queen and Cardinal Mazarine in reference to the Match 'T is true that the Prince advis'd the Duke of Richlieu to retire to Havre so soon as he was marri'd but he gave him that Council only because he was well acquainted with the jealous Humour of a Minister who would not fail to draw mischievous Conjectures from a Design that was really innocent but which might admit of different Interpretations He rightly judg'd that Mazarine would make use of those Pretences to wrest that Place from the Duke of Richlieu and to gratifie the Desire which he had a long time had to make himself Master of that Place there being no other way for him to do it For my Lords if you will understand the real Crime that the Prince committed upon that occasion was this That the Prince having caus'd the Duke of Richlieu to marry Madam de Pone he disappointed Cardinal Mazarine's Design for one of his Neices who by that Alliance was in hopes to make sure of Havre to himself a Place of great importance and a proper place of refuge for him if he should be forc'd to quit his Ministry ●Twill be no difficult thing for me to justifie his design to have been Constable for besides that he had been put upon it by the malice of Cardinal Mazarine who had a desire ●o insinuate into his favour by ●ffering him his Service to bring about that attempt and by that means render him suspected to the Queen and the Duke of Orleans What could make this Demand so Criminal a piece of Business Was he not accomplish'd with all things necessary to authorize it was not his Birth sufficiently illustrious Had the Dignity been a Novelty in the Nation Had it not been enjoy'd by Iames of Bourbon Charles of Bourbon and I●hn of Bourbon Had it not been also within this litt●e while in the House of M●ntmorency over the Head of his Father and Great Great Grandfather had not the Prince's Arm perform'd great Actions anow to bea● that Sword They pretend that the Demand was injurious to the Duke of Orleans and that it could not consist with the Quality of Lieutenant-General of the Armies and Provinces which was confer'd upon the Duke of Orleans and yet have we not seen the Constable's Sword in the hands of Monsieur de Montmorency at a time when the King of Navarre the Father of Henry IV. was Lieutenant General of the Armies and Provinces of France and both perform their Duties at the same Se●ges of Bourges Rouen and other places against the Rebels But not to trouble my self to justifie the whole Scrowl of the Prince's Accusations which are drawn from his Pretensions 't is sufficient to demonstrate that he did not desire these Employments to make an ill use of 'em and that he had no design to enlarge his Power to the prejudice of the Royal Authority tho' he has given the Queen cause to have unjust Mistrusts of his Power We cannot judge of his Designs but by his Actions nor can we tell what he meditated as to the future but by the Deeds which he perform'd When did he make use of his Power to lessen the Queen's have we seen the Provinces where he had any Credit in Uproar and Tumult like those of Guienne and Provence when did he ever foment Divisions If he had any Authority in the Army did he not make use of it for the King's Service So that if it were for this Princes Honour to have acquir'd so much Power in the Kingdom it was very advantagious to the Queen since he made no use of it but in obedience to her● and never concerning himself to make Laws he only took care to observe 'em when they were useful to the State Kings cannot act themselves through the whole extent of their Dominions● There is a necessity for 'em to put the Image of their Authority into the hands of those who have most merit and whom they see to be best affected toward the Government What reason then had the Queen to reproach the Prince with the Favours she had done him since she was oblig'd to bestow 'em upon so me persons and no body could receive 'em with more acknowledgment or more to her Advantage 'T is no Crime to be powerful but 't is a Crime to employ that Power to the overturning of the State Let 'em not then accuse the Prince of such great Crimes because he had great Pretensions● since that not having misemploy'd his Power to this very moment to the d●sservice of this Monarchy but rather to the establishment of it we have no reason to think that he intended to enlarge it on purpose to destroy it besides that the Queen her self had encourag'd him to aspire to the highest Employments when● desiring his protection for the Cardinal whom a Decree of your August Assembly menac'd with approaching Shipwrack she assur'd him that she would put
Bourdeaux being tir'd with the length and danger of the Siege likewise wish'd for a Peace the Court Cabals and the Duke d● Espernon us'd their utmost Endeavours to dispose the rest of the City to desire it also To this end the Parliament sent Deputies to Bourg where the Duke of Orleance's Deputies were arriv'd before to make Propositions of Peace He desir'd the Princess of Conde and the Dukes de Bouillon and de la Rochefoucault likewise to send theirs But whereas those Dukes design'd nothing but the Liberty of the Princes and could not consent to a Peace without that Condition they barely contented themselves with not opposing a thing which it was not in their Power to hinder and so refus'd to send any body in their Name They only desir'd the Deputies to be mindful of their Security and the Liberty of the Princess and the Duke d' Enguien as well as of all the others who had been engag'd in the Interest of the Princes together with the re-establishment of every one The Deputies went to Bourg and concluded a Peace without communicating the Articles of it either to the Princess or to the Dukes de Bouillon and de la Rochefoucault The Conditions of the Treaty were 1. That the King should be receiv'd in Bourdeaux in the same manner as he us'd to be receiv'd in the other Cities of his Kingdom 2 ly That the Forces which had defended the Town should march out of it and might safely go to joyn Monsieur de Turenne's Army 3 ly That all the Priviledges belonging to the City and Parliament should be maintain'd 4 ly That Chateau Trompette should remain demolish'd The Princess of Conde and the Duke d' Enguien were allow'd to go to Montrond where the King wou●d keep a small Garrison for their Safety which Garrison the Princess should chuse her self The Duke de Bouillon retir'd to Turenne and the Duke de la Rochefoucault to his Government of Poitou The Princess the Duke d' Enguien together with the Dukes de Bouillon and de la Rochefouc●ult departed at the same time from Bourdeaux for Contras The Marshal de la Meilleraye who was going to Bourdeaux met the Princess upon the Water and propos'd to her to see the King and Queen putting her in hopes that perhaps the King would grant to the Prayers and Tears of a Woman what he had thought himself oblig'd to refuse when demanded by Force of Arms. In fine notwithstanding this Princess's repugnancy to go to Court the Dukes of Bouillon and de la Rochefoucault prevail'd with her to follow the Duke de la Meillerays's Advice to the end that no body might Reproach her with having omitted any thing for the Liberty of her Husband The Dukes themselves in the sequel us'd their Endeavours to the same end They had great Conferences with Cardinal Mazarin in order to perswade him to put the Princes at Liberty They told him that the Princes would be so much the more oblig'd to him for it in that they were sensible that he could not be constrain'd to it by War That it would be very Glorious for him to make all Europe sensible that it had been in his Power to Ruine and to Re-establish the Prince of Conde at pleasure That the proceeding of the Frondeurs evidently shew'd that they intended to make themselves Masters of the Princes in order to ruin them to the end that they might afterwards ruin him the more easily or else to put them at Liberty thereby to engage them to joyn with them for the Queen's and his Ruin That the War was at an end in Guienne but that the desire of renewing it in the whole Kingdom would never end without the Princes being put at Liberty That he ought to credit them the more by reason that they made no scruple to tell him so while they were in his Power and had no Security but his Word That the Cabals were renewing on all parts in the Parliament of Paris and in all the other Parliaments of the Kingdom to procure the Liberty of the Princes and to 〈◊〉 them out of his hands That they declar'd to him● that they would favour whatever Designs tended to get them out of Prison and that all they could do for him was to wish they might be oblig'd to him fo it preferrably to any others This Discourse shook the Cardinal and rais'd some Jealousie in the Duke of Orleance and the Frondeurs when they heard of it the which enclin'd them to unite themselves again with the Princes Friends and to seek new means to ruin the Cardinal In the mean time the King and Court departed for Paris and the Cardinal passing through Blois began to express a great deal of discontent in relation to Madame de Chevreuse who seem'd to be so ●ar engag'd in the Coadjutor's Interest that she had desir'd him to procure a Cardinal's Cap for that Prelate After the Court was arriv'd at Fontainbleau Madame de Chevreuse notwithstanding this persisted in representing Viva Voce to his Eminency what she had propos'd to him in Writing concerning the Coadjutor but she could not avoid a Refusal However the Cardinal having afterwards reflected upon all the Reasons that had been propos'd to him by this Dutchess and moreover dreading her Active Spirit her Credit Cunning and Revenge he judg'd it best to dissemble for some time and to give her some kind of hopes until he had caus'd the Princes to be remov'd in a secure and strong Place being at his disposal where neither the Coadjutor nor even the Duke of Orleance himself might be able to procure their Liberty He therefore caus'd some body to tell Madame de Chevreuse who was gone to Paris by the Queen's Order that indeed he foresaw great Inconveniencies in granting her Request but yet that he was resolv'd to satisfie her and that he would content her as soon as he cam● to Paris in case she advis'd him once more to p●●●u●e a Cardinal's Cap for the Coadjutor lest he ●●ould change Sides and joyn with those who desired the Liberty of the Princes In the mean time he dispos'd all things for their immediate removal to Havre in order to be soon in a condition to declare himself publickly and openly to refuse what was exacted from him To that end the Queen told the Duke of Orleance that the Princes were not in a safe place and propos'd to him to take them into his Custody and to put them in some Place of his own until the King's Minority Monsieur rejected the Proposition and resisting the Queen's Intreaties with all his might she added that since he refus'd to take them in charge himself she desir'd him at least to consent that the Princes might be remov'd in some place that were strong of it self in order to avoid the extraordinary Expences that were necessary to Guard them in so weak a place The Lord Keeper of the Great Seal and
Monsieur le Tellier said that the King's Coffers were so much exhausted that all Expences were to be avoided and that there were places in the Kingdom in which the Princes might be securely Guarded by the Garrison only Several were propos'd before Havre was mention'd but some Inconveniencies or other being found in all of them it was finally propos'd Monsieur opposed it violently by reason that he remembred that but three Months before when the Princes were to be remov'd from Vincennes elsewhere the Coadjutor and the Duke of Beaufort refused to consent to their being remov'd to that place and had protested to oppose it with all their might in case it were attempted The Cardinal seeing that Monsieur declar'd that he would not consent to their being carry'd to that place reply'd that the Queen who was to give him notice of her Designs was not oblig'd to follow his Sentiments Monsieur had much ado not to flye out to some Extremity against his Eminency The Queen assum'd the Discourse again immediately and press'd Monsieur anew either to take the Princes into his own Custody or to permit them to be remov'd to Havre assuring him that he should have as much Authority there as in Marcoussy and that the Princes should be guarded by the same Person who was engag'd not to deliver them unless by hers and his Orders and by a Command Sign'd by both To this the Queen added very earnest entreaties insomuch that Monsieur yielded to what she desir'd Within a few hours after this a Man of Quality representing to Monsieur the Importance and Consequences of that Removal and the Prejudice he would receive by it he immediately sent to Monsieur Le Tellier to Command him not to dispatch the said Orders But the Cardinal who dreaded this change of Mind had order'd Monsieur Le Tellier to remove from F●ntainbleau and not to return till Night during which time the Orders were dispatch'd to De Bar all things were disposd for the departure of the Princes and the Forces destin'd to Conduct them being arriv'd at Marcoussy put themselves on their March with them towards Havre Monsieur Le Tellier being return'd home was oblig'd to wait upon Monsieur who forbid him sending any Orders to De Bar. Monsieur Le Tellier answe●'d that the Princes went away in the Morning and were upon their March whereupon the Duke of Orleance express'd a great deal of Anger he sent immediately for the Lord-Keeper and after having express'd his Resentment to him he told him that he could not approve this Removal and that the Queen to whom he had not been able to refuse it should vanquish him by Reason and not by P●ayers The Queen made him some Reproaches about it at Night and Monsieur being unwilling to fall out with her the Princes were conducted to Havre on the fifteenth of November by Count d' Harcourt who by that Emyloyment so much below his Birth and Courage blasted the Lawrels of his most Famous Victories The Princes Friends and Servants were sensibly concern'd at this Removal especially because the Measures they had taken for their Rescue were thereby absolutely defeated They had for a considerable while cunningly establish'd a Correspondence with their Guards and had omitted nothing to gain them Moreover they had gain'd some of the Inferiour Officers who had made themselves sure of a certain number of Souldiers besides four of the seven Guards which commonly tarry'd in the Anti-chamber A Corps de Guard of Fourteen Men was kept under the Prince of Conde's Window upon a Terrass adjoyning to a Pond They had resolv'd to launch a Boat made of Leather into it which the Workman was to conduct close to the said Terrass The day being set the four Guards of the Anti-chamber who had been gain'd were to seize the Arms of the others and to dispatch them in case of Resistance Those of the Chamber were to be stab'd at the same time with Daggers that had been convey'd to the Prince who afterwards being favour'd by the Corps de Guard of the Terrass was to get out of his Window into the Boat and should have been drawn out of the Ditch by Arnauld and receiv'd by a Body of Horse commanded by the Duke of Nemours But unfortunately some of those who were most zealous for the Princes being heated with Wine or an inconsiderate Zeal declar'd publickly in Paris that those Illustrious unfortunate Princes ought to be rescu'd out of Marcoussy which the Duke of Orleance being acquainted with he immediately dispatch'd new Orders to de Bar to double his Guards because there was some Plot on foot This Man executed Monsieur's Orders and made use of his Advice● To the seven former Guards of the Anti-chamber he added three new ones whereby the Prince judging that the Plot was discover'd he immediately acquainted his Friends therewith desiring them at the same time not to put it in Execu●ion Some days after it de Bar no longer fearing any thing restor'd things to their former state and remov'd the three new Guards The Prince gave his Friends notice of it and as they were preparing to execute their Design the Order came to Marcoussy to carry the Princes to Havre After their being carry'd thither the Cardinal pull'd off his Mask and judging himself above any Cabals he directly refus'd to procure the Cardinal's Cap Madame de Chevreuse had so often requested of him for the Coadjutor This proceeding of the Cardinal 's extreamly exasperated both Madame de Chevreuse and the Coadjutor and disposed them to side with those who desired the Liberty of the Princes nay moreover to use their utmost Endeavours with Monsieur to incline him to do the same At that time the Garrison of Rhetel committing great Devastations in Champayne and those Devastations affording the Cardinal's Enemies an occasion to complain of his Conduct he departed on the first of October to besiege that place which Monsieur de Turenne had made himself Master of sometime before with the Army he commanded which was composed of the Spanish Forces those of Lorrain and of such of the Princes he had been abl● to preserve He was received in all the Cities of Champayne with such demonstrations of Honour and Respect as extreamly surpriz'd the Princes Friends He stay'd some days at Chalons in order to hasten all necessary Preparations while the Forces assembled which were to form an Army of Twelve Thousand Men to be Commanded by the Marshal Du Plessis Praslin When the said Army was assembled about Reims Monsieur de Turenne fatigu'd it by such frequent Skirmishes and by such vigorous Attacks that he forc'd it to Encamp within the City it self where it remain'd several days without the lea●● Action in expectation of the Cardinal As soon as he was arrived it was resolv'd to March strait to Rhetel and to Besiege it This succeeded sooner and better than they had believ'd The Treachery and Cowardice of Delli Ponti Governour of
the Weakness of a Minority a Tumultuous Regency a Council expos●d to Intrigues and Cabals Seeds of Division Great Malecontents the Agitation of the Court and the Exhausting of the People made Spain conceive approaching hopes of the total Ruin of France The Valour of the Prince of Conde at that time Duke of Enguien apply'd a Remedy to all those Evils by the gain of a Battle on which the Safety or Ruin of the State depended By this Victory he effectually sav'd the Realm he calm'd it he encourag●d it and as it were gave it new Life he became the Support of the Monarchy and strengthen'd the dawning Authority of the Young Monarch That memorable Day was follow'd with a Torrent of Prosperity for France of Conquests Battels gain'd Cities taken c. All the Campains that succeeded this by the Singularity of the Enterprizes that were form'd and executed by the Duke d' Enguien equall'd or surpass'd the most surprizing things we meet with in History The Battels of Fribourg and Nortlingue so celebrated through the obstinate Resistance of the Enemies and the Invincible Difficulties that oppos'd the attacking of them Those Battles which may very well be compar'd to those of Arbella and Pharsalia alarm'd and terrify'd the very Hea●t of the Empire and finally forc'd Germany to desire a Peace on such Conditions as France was pleas'd to allow it The Battle of Lens yet more Glorious and Triumphant placing the Prince of Conde in the just and indisputable possession of being the Hero of his Age ●ais'd at the same time the great and signal Obligations he had laid upon the Court to the highest degree which after that Battle committed a world of Faults without him and was only sav'd by him in the War of Paris And yet notwithstanding all this at a time when all his Designs all his Vertues and all his Actions only tended to the King's Service and the Grandeur of the Kingdom of which he was the chief Ornament he was Imprison'd because his Conduct in some Occasions had not appear'd sufficiently Respectful towards the Queen and that he had not all the Complaisance for the Cardinal which that Minister desi●'d whom he had the misfo●tune to displease by the impetuosity of his Temper which he could not Master the which a● most could only be look'd upon as Court Faults and not Crimes of State capable of obliterating the Important Services rendred by a first Prince of the Blood Therefore it is no wonder that after his being put at Liberty again and return'd to Paris the People express'd their Joy and receiv'd him in Triumph as if he had been newly return'd from gaining the Battles of Rocroy Fribourg Nortlingue and Lens But unfortunately his Glory which had appear'd with such a Lustre in so many different manners was afterwards tarnish'd by a very blameable Conduct For finally he excited a Civil War and took up Arms against his Soveraign Mo●eover be acted with so much Imprudence in that War and committed so many Capital Faults that thereby he fell infinitely short of those Great Men who by a wise Conduct and well-contriv'd Measures archiev'd the highest and most difficult Ente●prizes Not but at the same time the Court also committed very considerable Faults and that both Parties maintain'd themselves more through the Faults of each other than by any good Conduct on their side● But that does not justifie the Prince especially if we consider that thereby he ruin'd his own Party and made the Court Triumph It is most certain that had the Prince been endu'd with all Caesar's Qualifications he should have succeeded in all his Enterprizes Caesar had a consuminated Prudence all his steps were measur'd in so much that he never did any thing without mature deliberation managing his Zeal and being more affected with the Solid than the Exterior part being very caut●ous in all difficult Affairs and never wanting a Remedy in the most troublesome Conjunctures Few Persons have ever been known with so much Equality in their Life so much Moderation in their Fortune and so much Clemency when injur'd He gain'd the Affection of all People by his Goodness and Mildness Those who were Familiar with him and did espouse his Interests neither dreaded his Anger or Capricio's He was Liberal and Magnificent towards the People towards his Friends and even towards his very Enemies He compass'd his Ends by Mild Insinuating Cunning Secret means The Prince of Conde did not possess those Qualities He was of an unequal Temper he was Rough Difficult and Haughty and an Enemy to Precaution He could not moderate himself in his Prosperity or Fortune He was Passionate and Revengeful He did not acknowledge considerable Services and when he did there was no certainty of the continuation of his Gratitude He was not very sincere to his Friends not even to those tha● were most Illustrious and most necessary to him He made Treaties without them he often neglected their most considerable Interests and only minded his own Neither was he very Liberal or Magnificent He did not consult or manage the Temper of the People and took no great care to gain their Love He could not Dissemble neither could he Act in great Affairs with Cunning and Secrecy In short he rely'd too much upon his own Valour Merit Reputation and Quality and neglected other things that 〈◊〉 ●●cessary for the execution of great Undertaki●● 〈◊〉 I shall not mention the Errors he committed in this place the Reader will sufficiently observe them in the faithful orderly recital I shall make of the principal Actions and Events But before I proceed any farther because I am now to treat about the most considerable Point of this History and that by reason of the partiality of those who have left us Memoirs about it it is very difficult to distinguish the real Sentiments of the Prince whose Life we are now writing I will set down as a necessary Foundation that the Prince of Conde came out of Prison with Sentiments of Vengeance not only against Cardinal Mazarin Madame de Chevreuse and against the Frondeurs who had only promoted his Liberty upon disobliging Considerations and very hard Conditions but also against the Queen and against the King I do not think any body can blame me for what I advance since the Prince himself after the Civil War was ended and he receiv'd into Favour again condemning his Conduct and former Sentiments declar'd with Candor to some Persons of Honour and Credit That he was the most Innocent man alive when put into Prison and the most Guilty at his coming out of it Alas pursu'd he with grief Before that unhappy Prison I a●m'd at nothing but the King's Service and the Grandeur of the State In so much that the Valour Activity and Imperious Humour together with all the extraordinary Qualifications the Prince was endu'd with were like unto those matters from which Exhalations are form'd which matters serve for co●siderable uses but being
their Revol● That she could no longer dissemble the Prince's Ill Designs who himself inclin'd the disaffected to a Revolt by his publick want of Respect to the King's Person not having seen him above once and as it were only out of Ceremony in above a Month's time since his being in Paris That he continually spread Libels against the Government in order to make the People Rise and to lead them from their Allegiance That he had already laid in Stores and fortify'd the Garrisons that were in his Power rais'd Forces in the Provinces he had gain'd and dispos'd all things so well towards a Revolt that the Factious only expected his Orders to take Arms. That to that end he had a continual Commerce at Br●ssels with the Spaniards and that far from performing the chief Condition on which he was set at Liberty which was to remove the Garrison the Enemies of the State had plac'd in Stenay he kept it still there by their Advice in order still to have that Post at his Command during the War he design'd to kindle in the heart of France That the Forces he had assembled at Marle acknowledg'd no Superiour but his Highness and had no Discipline besides a cruel License of Pillaging Picardy and Champagne as an Enemy's Country to the dishonour and prejudice of the King's Army which was daily observ'd to diminish considerably by the great number of Deserters that License brought over into the Prince's The Queen concluded saying that those dismal pressing Extremities deserv'd to be taken into Consideration by the House in order to apply proper Remedies thereunto by declaring themselves absolutely against the Authors thereof and that if they had still the least Affection and Kindness for the King they could never approve it better than at that time now His Majesty was going to enter into his Majority at which time according to Law they were to give him an Account of the Government After the Reading of this Paper a general Silence reign'd in the House none offering to express their thoughts about it excepting the Prince of Conty who declar'd pretty coldly That all this was only a vain Artifice of his Brother's Enemies and that he would find means to destroy and confound them● However at that time there was a great deal of reason to fear the contrary by reason of the then disposition of the Parliament But an Incident interven'd which soon alter'd the Dispositions of that August Assembly which enabled the Prince happily to execute what the Prince of Conty had so boldly advanc'd in his favour against the Complaints of the Court. And thus it happen'd As the Parliament was going to deliberate upon these Complaints News was brought that the Duke of Mercoeur was privately retir'd to Cologne to the Cardinal and moreover that he had marry'd his Niece of Manciny to which the Queen had secretly given her Consent Upon which the Parliament who together with the Prince had already sufficiently declar'd their dislike of the said Match express'd a great deal of Resentment against it and judg'd that his Highness was not altogether so much to blame as was imagin'd in complaining still against Mazarin after his retreat out of France and look'd upon that Match as an undeniable Proof of the excessive Power wherewith that Cardinal still rul'd the Court. Therefore The Prince looking upon this as a very favourable Conjuncture to clear himself from the Aspersions that had been cast upon him presented a Declaration to the Parliament written by the hand of Monsieur the King's Uncle wherein he declar'd That the Forces the Prince had at Marle were kept there by his Royal Highnesses Approbation That it was by his Order they tarry'd there in a Body and moreover that he had sent le Sieur Valons to Command them joyntly with his own in the room of la Ferté Sennetterre who was a perfect Mazarin That as to the Foreign Garrison that was in Stenay he was satisfy'd that the Prince had us●d his utmost Endeavours to remove them from thence either by Force or Composition That in a word he though● himself oblig'd to Testifie for his Highness that he had ever known him to be a Person of an Upright Generous Soul entirely devoted to the King and State And that therefore he declar'd he had not the least hand in the precipitated Resolution of the Court to have him Impeach'd of High Treason for pretended Correspondencies with the Enemies of the Crown The Prince had no need of any further Apology after this Declaration of the Duke of Orleance Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom especially since the Parliament was sufficiently inclin'd to believe him Innocent Nevertheless the more to confound his Enemies and to hinder them from doing of him any prejudice by their Accusations he added a kind of Mani●esto to his Royal Highnesses Declaration in Answer to all the Heads of their Accusations against him He declar'd in the said Manifesto that he possess'd no other Estate in France than what his Father the late Prince of Conde had left him That the Cities of Stenay and Clermont had been given him in compensation for the Place of Lord Admiral which was to be his by Right of Succession after the Decease of Marshal de Breze his Father-in-law That after having undergone an Imprisonment of Thirteen Months without a Cause his being put at Liberty should not have been call'd an Act of Grace but a piece of Justice That a Prince of the Blood whose Father had been declar'd Head of the Council by the late King's Testament could not be excluded from it That it was very well known that he had no Strong Holds in the Kingdom to Second his pretended Designs of a Revolt whereas Mazarin was still in possession of them all by his Creatures That the Court was to blame to envy those few Men he had at Marle since France was particularly indebted to them for the best part of its last Victories and that besides they were only assembled there by his Royal Highnesses Order who was the Absolute Master thereof That the only Reason for which he had desir'd the Court to exchange his Government of Burgundy for Guienne was to Relieve that poor Province from the Misery it was reduc'd to under the proud and violent Domination of the Duke d' Espernon whose Excesses were but too well known in the World That if he had reserv'd any Places in Burgundy it was because they were his the late Prince his Father having bought them by His Majesty's Leave and Approbation and that for that Reason he had a Right to keep them especially since no others had been given him in exchange in Guienne That it was true that he had abstain'd for some time from seeing the King and from assisting at the Council but that no Man of Sense could blame him for it since his most inveterate Foes being most in Her Majesty's favour he had reason to suspect them and to avoid
since And being moreover very much sollicited by his Friends to abandon the Prince's Party he was glad to meet the Occasion I have related and embrac'd it with Joy The Prince having heard those words of Tavannes I have mention'd quitted that Count abruptly and told him with some Anger that he ought to think more than once on what he was going to do And when the said Count persisting still in his Resolution came to take his leave of his Highness Well Monsieur de Tavannes said the Prince to him you are then resolvd not to suffer a Companion to Command my Forces with me and that Pretence makes you run after the fair hopes which call you back to the Act of Grace Go then and give Mazarin the Satisfaction of having snatch'd my Right Arm from me to employ it against my self Count de Tavannes was calld at Paris The Prince's Right Arm. I find by what your Highness tells me reply'd the Count that you know me ill for the time I have had the Honour to serve you Is it possible that having seen me abandon all and sacrifice my Interest to that Honour only you should think my Heart base enough at present to suffer my self to be govern'd by the Passion of Interest I find by that that I am only your Right Arm because I am not on the side of your Heart But to ●ndeceive your Highness who thinks Interest capable to make me court the Friendship of that Minister I Protest and engage my Word to you that I will neither appear at Court or take any Employment until I have the Satisfaction of b●holding your Highness there in possession of the 〈◊〉 that is due to you Count T●vannes having made this Generous Pro●●●●●tion took his leave of the Prince and retir'd 〈◊〉 his Estate of Pailly near Langres where he ●●●ain'd ever since without any Employment 〈◊〉 the Court and without Gratitude from the Prince Whereas the King had only consented to Cardinal Mazarin's Absence in order to remove all P●●tences of continuing the Civil War and to re-establish Peace in his Kingdom he recall'd him as soon as the state of his Affairs did permit him This Minister who kept at no great distance and who did not cease to Act for His Majesty's Interests had no sooner deliver'd Picardy from the Ex●●rsions of the Enemies but he return'd to Court He arriv'd at Paris on the 3 d. of February with as much Pomp and as many Acclamations as if he had never quitted the Kingdom for the Reasons above mention'd The remembrance of all that was past seem'd to be bury'd or that it was design'd to brave the Prince of Conde's Absence The King went to meet the Cardinal and receiv'd him in the most obliging manner that could be As soon as Cardinal Mazarin found himself absolutely restor'd he apply'd his Mind to strengthen his Power by Considerable Alliances And being sensible that the Prince of Conty had no inclination to lead a Church-Life though he was design'd for i● he propos'd one of his Nieces to him Daughter to a Gentleman of Rome Beautiful and endow'd with all manner of Vertues The Marriage was concluded to the Satisfaction of all those that were concern'd While Paris and the Court was employ'd about Marriage and Divertisements Burgundy and Guienne persisted in their Revolt but that Rebellion did not last long The City of Bellegarde was the only one in all Burgundy that persis●●d in the Prince's Party The Duke d' Espernon who was Governour of that Province besieg'd it and made himself Master of it after a brave and obstinate Resistance by Count Boutteville who Commanded there Marshal de la Ferté Senneterre Governour of Lorrain being inform'd that the Prince of Conde's Forces were not far from him attack'd them near Varennes and defeated them absolutely After which that Marshal Invested the Castle of Orne in the Verdunois the which surrender'd at the approach of Canon The Reduction of that Castle was● follow'd by that of Sorbec At first the Governour refus'd to surrender but when he saw that the Canon advanc'd he offer'd to Capitulate but the Marshal de la Ferté Senneterre refus'd to give him Quarter and caus'd him to be hang'd at the Gate This Example of Severity terrify'd the Governours of the other Places to that degree that they submitted all without expecting a Siege After this the Marshal de la Ferté went to joyn Marshal de Turenne and they march'd together towards Champayne in order to quiet that Province and to reduce those Towns that held the Prince of Conde's Party They besieg'd Rhetel which was Commanded by the Marquess de Persan and having taken the Out-works they oblig'd that Governour to Surrender Count de Brinon who Commanded the King's Forces in Lorrain besieg'd Commercy the taking of which seem'd very difficult by reason of the Fortifications the Enemies had made there But the Governour 's Absence and the Vigour wherewith the Siege was carry'd on oblig'd the besieg'd to Capitulate 〈◊〉 the Reduction of those Places there was ●●●son ●o believe that the Rebels would soon re 〈…〉 their Allegiance And indeed the Revolt 〈◊〉 no where considerably but in Guienne 〈◊〉 Du●e of Candal● was sent to Command the King's A●my there He immediately took the Cas●le o● Poujols and then made himself Master o● ●guillon and Marmande after which he defeated the Forces Marsin sent to the Mount of Marsan ●here to take their Winter Quarters Whereby he dissip●●ed the most considerable part of the Factions that subsisted still Several Cities of Limousin and 〈◊〉 were at that time powerfully sollicited to a R●vol● but some of them return'd of thems●lv●●●o the peaceable Domination of their Law●ul Soveraign and the others were constrain'd to it by force of Arms and absolutely to abandon the Prince of Conde's Party The City of Bordeaux was the only one that persisted in the Rebellion That Faction which was call'd L' Hormes was still very busie and was in hopes of Considerable Succours by Sea from Engl●nd and from Spain In order to hinder them ●●om receiving the Succours they expected the D●ke of Vend●me High Admiral was order'd to approach with his Ships and to raise a Naval Army● The Duke having brought his Ships near c●us'd two Forts to be built upon the Garonne in order to make himself Master of that River He likewise seiz'd several Towns that stood upon the Bo●ders thereof and landed some Forces to joyn to those of the Duke of Candale The Citizens of Bordeaux who were well affe●ted look'd with Grief upon the Continuation of the Revolt But whereas the Number of the Factious exceeded theirs they durst nor resist them Nevertheless when they beheld the King's Forces they form'd the Design of stifling the Rebellion absolutely To that end they assembled at the Town-House to conclude a General Peace They wo●e white Ribbons and fix'd Standards of the same colour on the top of their
any other foreign Kings Potentates or Princes or any other persons whatever both within and out of the Kingdom of France with promise never to take or receive for the future from the said foreign Kings and Potentates any Pensions Establishments or Favours obliging him to have a dependency on them nor any Engagements to any King or Potentate besides His Majesty his Soveraign Lord on pain in case of Contravention to the said Writing of forfeiting from that moment the Re-habilitation and Re-establishment that is granted him by the present Treaty and to return to the same condition he was in on the 1 st day of March of the present year 4. Thirdly That the said Prince in performance of what has been before agreed upon between the said Lord-Kings shall really and in Fact deliver into his Most Christian Majesty's Hands the Cities of Rocroy Le Cha●elet and Linchamp at the time and day hereafter mention'd in another Article of this said Treaty 5. The Premisses being perform'd as abovesaid his most Christian Majesty in contemplation of the Peace and in consideration of his Catholick Majesty's Mediation making use of his Royal Clemency will sincerely and heartily receive the said Prince in his Favour and will with the same Sincerity forget whatever he has done or undertaken for the time past against his Service either within or out of the Kingdom and will allow his Return not only into France but even at his Majesty's Court. After which his Majesty will restore the said Prince in Reality and Fact to the free possession and enjoyment of all the Estates Honours D●gnities and Priviledges belonging to the first Prince of the Blood Provided still that as to what relates to the said Estates of whatever Nature they be the said Prince shall never pretend any thing for the time past towards the Restitution of the Income or Use of the said Estates whatever persons may have enjoy'd them by His Majesty's Orders nor to the payment or restitution of his Pensions Sallaries or other Rents and Revenues he had upon the Demains Farms or General Receipts of the said Lord King nor yet upon the Account or pretence of what he might pretend to be due to him by His Majesty before his going out of the Kingdom nor for the Demolitions Degradations or Damages done by His Majesty's Orders or otherwise in any manner whatever in his Estate Cities Places fortify'd or not fortify'd Lordships Chastellenies Lands and Houses of the said Prince 6. And as to what relates to the Garrisons Governments of Provinces or Places the said Prince enjoy'd and possess'd before his going out of France his Most Christian Majesty did for a long while constantly refuse to restore them to him until his being mov'd by the proceeding and Submission of the said Prince above-mention'd when he did fully resign his Interests to his pleasure and disposition without the least Pretensions together with whatever was offer'd him by his Catholick Majesty to indemnifie him His said Most Christian Majesty did at last condescend to grant him what followeth upon certain Conditions hereafter specify'd which the said Lord Kings have agreed upon and thus granted viz. That provided his Catholick Majesty on his part instead of what he design'd to give the said Prince to Indemnifie him shall draw out the Spanish Garrison which lyes in the City Fort and Citadel of Juliers to leave the said place and Citadel free from the said Garrison to the Duke of Newburg on the Conditions and in the manner that shall be specify'd hereafter in one of the Articles of the present Treaty A● also provided that his said Catholick Majesty besides the removal of the Spanish Garrison out of the City and Citadel of Juliers shall deliver to his Most Christian Majesty the City of Avennes situate between the Sambre and the Meuse with the Appurtenances Dependencies Annexations and Demains thereof in the manner his said Catholick Majesty has engag'd above by an Article of the said present Treaty the which place of Avennes his said Majesty likewise design'd among other things to give to the said Prince In Consideration of which as above-mention'd that is in Compensation of the delivery and yielding of one of the said places to the Most Christian King to be united and for ever annexed to the Crown of France and the removal of the Spanish Garrison out of the other in favour of a Prince who is a Friend and Ally to his Most Christian Majesty who is desirous to Oblige him by vertue of the said Treaty of Alliance His said most Christian Majesty for all things whatever in general that may relate to the Places and Governments the said Prince had possess'd or might reasonably be expected by those that belong'd to him without excepting any will give to the said Prince the Government of the Province of Burgundy and Bresse under which are compriz'd the Countries of Bugey Gex and Veromey As also the particular Governments of the Castle of Dijon and of the City of St. John de Laune And to the Duke of Enguien his Son the place of Lord High Steward of the Kingdom and Houshold together with Brev●ats of Assurance to the said Prince to preserve it in case the said Duke of Enguien should dye before him 7. His said Majesty shall grant a full Pardon by his Letters Patent in d●e form for whatever the said Prince his Relations Creatures Friends Adherents and Servants either Church-men or Lay-men have or may have done or undertaken for the time past against his Service in so much that it may never hurt or prejudice him or them at any time nor their Heirs Successors Administrators or Assigns as if the thing had never been Neither shall his said Majesty at any time make any Enquiry in relation to the said Prince his Relations Creatures Friends Adherents and Servants whether Ecclesiasticks or Lay-men about the Money he or they have taken out of the general or particular Receits or out of the Audits of his Farms And shall not oblige them to make any Restitution of the said Money or Sums nor of all the Levies or Gatherings Contributions Impositions Exactions impos'd upon the people or Acts of Hostility committed in France in any wise whatever Which shall be explain'd more at large in the said Pardon or Letters Patent for the entire Security of the said Prince and of those that have follow'd him in order that they may never be prosecuted troubled or molested about it 8. That as soon as the said Prince shall have perform'd on his part what is contain'd in the three Articles 2.3 4. of this present Treaty all Dutchies Counties Lands Lordships and Demains even those of Clermont Stenay and Dun as he enjoy'd them before his going out of France and that of Jamets also in case he did enjoy it the which heretofore belong'd to the said Prince Together with all and every his other Estates Moveables or Immoveables of any kind whatever in the manner
abovesaid shall be really and truly return'd to him or to those the said Prince being in France shall Commit and Depute to take in his Name the Possession of the said Estates c. and to serve him in the administration or management of the same As also that Restitution shall be made to him or his said Deputies of all the Titles Instruments and other Writings left by him at the time of his going out 〈…〉 Ki●●dom in the Houses belonging to the said 〈◊〉 and Lordships or elsewhere And that the ●aid 〈◊〉 shall ●e r●stor'd to the true and real Possession and 〈◊〉 of his said Dutchies Counti●s Lands Lord●●●● a●d Demains with such Rights Authorities 〈◊〉 Presidial Seats Royal Cases Pre 〈…〉 and conferring of Benefices Nominations of 〈◊〉 Favours and Preheminences or Prerogatives ●●ich ●e and his Predecessors did enjoy as he enjoy'd 〈◊〉 before his going out of the Kingdom But that 〈◊〉 ●●●ll leav● Bellegarde and Montrond in the same Co●dition they are at present For the performing of 〈◊〉 ●ll His Majesty's Letters Patent thereunto necess●●● shall be granted him in as good a form as he shall r●●●ire or desire without his being lyable to be disturb'd ●●●●●cuted or troubled in the said Possession and En●●●●ent by the said Lord King his Heirs Successors 〈◊〉 O●ficers directly or indirectly any Donations or Gifts 〈◊〉 or I●corporations that may have been made of the said Dutchies Counties Lands Lordships and De●ai●s Estates Honours Dignities and Prerogatives of first Prince of the Blood notwithstanding or what●●er derogatory Clauses Constitutions or Ordinances co●trary th●reunto Neither shall the said Prince his He●r● and S●ccessors by reason of what he may have 〈◊〉 either in France before his going from thence or 〈◊〉 of the Kingdom after his departure from thence 〈◊〉 ●or any Treaties Correspondencies by him made and 〈◊〉 with any Princes or persons of any Condition or Quali●y soever be lyable to be molested troubled or 〈◊〉 But that all Proceedings Decrees even that of the Parliament of Paris bearing date the 27th of March o● the Year 1654. Iudgments Sentences and other Acts which are already past against the said Prince ei●her in Civil or Criminal Cases unless he has volun●arily contested in a Civil Suit shall remain void and of no Effect and shall never be prosecuted as if they had never been And as to what relates to the Demain of Albret which the said Prince enjoyed before his going out of France the which His Majesty has since otherwise disposed of he will in lieu thereof give the said ●rince the Demain of Bourbonnois on the same Conditions the Exchange of the said two Demains had already been adjusted before the said Prince's going out of the Kingdom 9. As to the Relations Friends Creatures Adherents or Domesticks of the said Prince either Ecclesiasticks or Lay-men that have followed his Party they may by Vertue of the Pardons and Indemnities heretofore mentioned in the 7th Article return into France with the said Prince and fix their abode in what place they shall think fit And shall be restored like the other Subjects of the two Kings to the peaceable possession and enjoyment of their Estates Honours and Dignities excepting the Places Offices and Governments they possessed before their going out of the Kingdom the said Estates Honours and Dignities to be by them enjoyed● in the same manner they held and did possess them But still without pretending to any Restitution of the Enjoyments thereof for the time past either from those on whom His Majesty shall have bestowed them o● in any other manner whatever As also they shall be restored to their Rights Names Dues Actions or Pl●as Successions Inheritances fallen to them or to the Children or Widows of the deceased during their absence out of the Kingdom and their Goods shall be returned them if still in Being And his Majesty in Consideration of the Peace declares all Proceedings and Decrees Void and of no Effect excepting what relates to their said Places Offices and Governments even ●hat of the Parliament of Paris bearing date the 27 th of March 1654. as well as all Sentences Iudgments Adjudications Donations Incorporations and other Acts that may have been given against them or their Heirs for their having followed the Party of the said Prince 〈◊〉 that as well in Civil as Criminal Cases unless in 〈◊〉 Civil matters as they have voluntarily contested 〈◊〉 that neither they nor their Heirs shall ●ver be 〈◊〉 to be prosecuted disturbed or troubled for the 〈◊〉 For the performance of all which Premisses His 〈◊〉 Christian Majesty will cause all necessary Letters 〈◊〉 to be expedited both for the said Prince his Rela●ions Friends Creatures Adherents and Dome 〈…〉 whether Ecclesiasticks or Lay-men containing 〈◊〉 Premises in secure and due form Which Letters 〈◊〉 shall be delivered to them as soon as the said Prince on his part shall have performed the Contents of 〈◊〉 three Articles 2 3 4 of this present Treaty 10. In performance of what is contained in the Sixth Article of this present Treaty by which His Most Chri●●●● Majesty is obliged to give unto the said Prince of Conde and to the said Duke of Enguien his Son the Governments and the Place therein specified and his Catholick Majesty promises and obliges himself on his 〈◊〉 upon the Faith and Word of a King to remove 〈◊〉 of the City Citadel or Castle of Juliers the Spa●●sh Garrison which lyes in the said City Citadel or 〈◊〉 and whatever other Forces have lately been put 〈◊〉 them or might again be sent thither in order to Reinforce the Garrison Leaving in the said City and Citadel all the Artillery that is mark'd with the Arms 〈◊〉 the House of Cleves or Juliers or that has belonged 〈◊〉 them And as for the remainder of the said Artillery 〈◊〉 ●unition and Instruments of War his said ●ajesty has in the said City and Castle of Juliers it ●●●ll ●e free for him to remove them Leaving the said 〈◊〉 C●tadel or Castle of Juliers to the possession of 〈◊〉 said Duke of Newburg or such as shall be appointed by him to receive it in the same Quality as he possesses the State of Juliers The said Duke first de●●●●●ing unto his Catholick Majesty a Writing in due form signed by his own Hand to the Satisfaction of his said Catholick Majesty whereby he obliges himself not to Sell Alienate or Engage the said City Citadel or Castle to any one or any other Princes or private Persons And that he shall neither put or establish any Garrison there but of his own Forces As also to grant his said Catholick Majesty when ever he shall have occasion for it a p●ssage for his Forces either through the said City or through the State of Juliers his said Majesty paying at his own Cost and Charges the Expence of the passage of the said Forces which shall be performed by regulated Days and reasonable Marches without being allowed to sojourn or remain in
remained in his Camp insomuch that Montecuculi thought of nothing farther than to fortifie himself in Alsatia where he made some small Conquests However in order ●o raise some Jealousie in the Prince of Conde he caused Savern● to be besieged but the Prince was no wise moved at it knowing that the place was very well fortified and that the Governor would make a brave Defence And indeed they were oblig'd to raise the Siege The Marquess of Bade Dourlak who commanded the Siege after the raising of it march'd into the Country of Brisgaw which obliged 4000 Horse the Prince of Conde had sent thither to make a Diversion to re●ire to the main Army Thus ended the Campaign of 1675. in Germany and all those of the Prince of Conde The loss of Monsieur de Turenne was exceeding sensible to the King of France for several Reasons But had it only been for the Good of the Kingdom he could never regret that General too much And indeed there were so few persons capable of filling up his place that when the King had examin'd i● he could hardly fix upon one among all the Princes and Marshals of France The Prince of Conde was generally the only man whose Valour and Merit was known to every body but Mons. de Louvois was not his Friend and the King did nothing without the Advice of that Minister No body can imagine what reason Mons. de Louvoi● had to complain of the Prince but yet it is most certain that he did not love him and that he disswaded the King as much as in him lay from giving him the Command of the Army in Germany He acknowledged indeed that the Prince of Conde was one of the greatest Cap●ains of the Age and that no body could deny him a Glory he had acquir'd by an infinite number of Battels he had won but at the same time he said that he was too fiery and too undertaking that it was evident by the Battel of Senef● that he preferred his own Glory to the Good of the Kingdom that a wiser General would have gain'd an entire Victory and preserved those Forces which he lost by his own Fault after the first Advantages he had obtain'd over the Enemies and that he durst not answer that that Prince was as well affected as he had promis'd to be● when he made his Peace with his Ma●esty Whatever Monsieur de Louvois could say to oblige the King not to give the Command of his Army to the Prince of Conde that Monarch was so well perswaded of his Capacity Prudence and Gallantry as well as of the Fidelity he had pro●is●d him that at that time he had no regard to h●● Ministers Remonstrances But the Prince de●●red himself of that Command which was offered him by the Conditions he would make with t●e King He desired the Duke d' Engui●is might ●●●mand the Army jointly with him promising ●●at he should do nothing without his Order and tha● it was only to have the satisfaction to see his Son whom he lov'd entirely in a condition to acquire Glory But the King who had no great ●indness for the Duke d' Enguiris being moreover of a temper to bestow his Favours freely without compulsion would not hearken to that Proposition Insomuch that the Marquess of Luovois taking the advantage of that Conjuncture propos'd the Duke of Luxemburg who was accepted that very moment As soon as the Duke of Luxemburg had receiv'd his Orders he went away for Alsatia which was the Rendezvous of the Army which had never been so ●ine nor so numerous But all the Officers soon found that the King had given him an Employment he was not capable of and that the Prince of Conde was the only man fit to discharge that Command with Honour in that conjuncture of Affairs The Proof of this soon appear'd when the Du●e of Lorrain besieg'd Philipsburg That Place h●ld out four months and yet the Duke of L●xemb●rg was not in a Condition to relieve it tho' at the head of an Army of 50000 men The King was v●ry much troubled when the news of the taking of that place was brought him that he had not sent the Prince of Conde to command in Germany but there was no Remedy However he ask'd him what should have been done to save that place Sir answer'd the Prince the Duke of Luxemburg should have hinder'd the Duke of Lorrain from besieging it and since ●e ●ad committed that fault he should have ventur'd the Army and have gone to force the Enemy in his Retrenchments to the hazard of a thousand lives if he had had as many That was the only way Altho' the War continued and that with all the Vigour imaginable Conferences were held at Nimnegen for a Peace the which was concluded in the manner every body knows MEMOIRS OF THE Prince of Conde BOOK VII AFter the Peace of Nimwegen the Prince of Conde resolv'd to desire the King's Leave to retire to Chantilly He told the King in a submissive respectful manner That his Age and Indispositions oblig'd him to entreat his Majesty to consent to that Retirement The King having granted it the Prince quitted the Court and repaired to that House there to lead a private life Divers Reasonings were us'd upon the Motives that had induc'd so great a Prince to lead a life so contrary to his Rank in a Country House Some imagin'd that his Indispositions had put him upon that Resolution and that it had made him apprehensive not only that his Health would still be more impair'd in the Agitations of the Court but also that as it might hinder him from making his Court to the King regularly his Majesty mi●ht impute that sometimes to a want of Consideration and Respect which only proceeded from Infirmity Others conceiving no other Idea's of the motives of that Hero's Retreat but such as were noble and sublime said That after having acquir'd so so much Glory in Motion and in Action he was willing to acquire a new sort of Glory in Rest and Solitude That after so many Battels and the tumult of Arms he was desirous to taste those peaceable Virtues and that q●iet Glory that is neither ●o be shar'd with the Souldiers nor with Fortune in which all is charming and nothing dazzles which is beheld without being troubled with the sound of Trumpets or with the noise of Guns nor by the Cries of the Wounded in which a Hero reduc'd to himself and possessing himself appears as great and is as much respected as when he commands Armies when all moves at his nod when he combats and gains Victories Others alledg'd that the Prince of Conde receiv'd from time to time at Court Malifications from the King● who remembring what he had done formerly gave him sometimes marks of a secret Resentment and of an Aversion that had never been absolu●ely remov'd That the Prince of Conde being very sensible of it had wisely resolv'd to remove an
a way to dye well In the mean time the Duke and Dutchess as well as the Prince of Conty begg'd his leave to see him once more to which he consented on Condition they should retire immediately They withdrew immediately having seen him but he was not long without thinking on them For within half an hour he desired a Jesuit to go to them from him to bid them a last Farewel After which Monsieur de Marege who belongs to the Prince of Conty being come into his Chamber he received him in that obliging manner he was wont to receive every body especially those he loved and esteemed as he did that Gentleman He told him You have always served your Master 〈…〉 well Continue so to do and never do any●●ing ●erogatory to the Honour you have of belonging to 〈◊〉 He confides in you You may tell him from me 〈…〉 present more sensible of than ever I was● ●hat ● man must be Iust and Good during his Life and that there is nothing else solid After which he remain'd for some time silent But then resuming ●he Discourse again and giving some new Orders a Divine venturing to tell him that he lived like a Great Man and that he ought to dye in the same manner but especially like a good Christian he took him by the Hand and said You praise me and I do now deserve it From that moment he did nothing singular and expir'd so quietly that it was hardly observed Thus dyed that great Prince on the Eleventh of December 1686. after having lived Sixty Five Years Three Months and Three Days While the Prince of Conde lay a Dying at Fontainebleau the King caus'd that Great Man's Letter to be read at Versailles Those who observed the three Tenses of his Letter how slightly he pass'd over his Services at the beginning and at the end of his Life and how sincere an Acknowledgment he made of his Faults about the middle were extreamly mov'd by his Modesty and the King himself could not refrain Tears saying That he lost a great Prince these were his own words And when that part of the Letter was read where the Prince return'd his Thanks and declar'd that he dyed Contented and too Happy since he had so much Life left as to express his Gratitude his Devotion and if he might say so his Tenderness to the King every body did him the Justice to say that he had Written sincerely That very day the Duke wrote three Lines to the King to ●●quaint him with the Prince his Father's Death The Duke went to Versailles on the 15 th of December to pay his Respects to the King who received him with all the Kindness imaginable And His Majesty express'd to him on the Occasion the Obliging Sentiments he preserved for him and for his Father He had taken the Prince of Conty along with him whom he presented to the King who made him sensible by his Reception that he did not repent the Pardon he had granted him three days before out of Respect to the Prince and at the Intreaty of the Duke The Duke did not tarry long at Versailles and return'd soon to Paris He received sufficient Testimonies both at Court and in the City that the Prince his Father's Death had made a deep Impression in the Hearts and Minds of all People In the mean time the Order that had been given for carrying the Prince's Body to Valery were put in execution All things being ready the Duke went away before any body on the 21 st of December and tarry'd at Fontainebleau for the Prince of Conty who came thither from the King The Princ's Body was carry'd to Valery on the 22 th and his Heart to the Church of the Professed House of the Jes●its at Paris on the 24 th being Christmas-Eve This Ceremony was perform'd with great Magnificence And the Duke who appeared in every thing omitted none of the Duties his Good Nature and Gratitude exacted from him After which the most Eloquent Persons in the Kingdom were employ'd in making Funeral Orations in the Praise and Honour of the Prince of Conde The King having mourn'd the loss of that great Prince and often declar'd in the middle of the Court sighing that he had lost the greatest Man of his Kingdom assembled the greatest Persons of his Kingdom in Notre Dame of Paris on the ●● th of March there to pay in P●blick what was ●ue to the Memory of that Prince● and Ordered the Bishop of Meaux to speak the Funeral Oration That Oration is very fine and worthy its Author and the Prince in honour of whom it was spoken The 26th of Aprill Father Bourdaloüe who about three Years and a half before had spoken in the Church of the Professors House of his Society in presence of the Prince the Funeral Elogy of Henry of Bourbon his Father spoke a Funeral Ora●ion in the said Church in Praise of that great Prince whose Memoirs I am finishing That Oration is very Elegant and most Magnificent especially that part of it where Father Bourdaloüe speaks without Dissimulation and at large upon the Prince of Conde's behaviour in the Civil War is incomparable Never was so skilful and so happy a boldness known And that kind of daring in an Orator if I may use the Expression seems to revive in our Minds that Bravery and Heroick Fierceness the Prince of Conde used to shew in Battles and in the greatest Perils the which was follow'd with so much Success The Abbot du Iarry likewise spoke a Funeral Oration in Honour of the said Prince in the Church of Maubuisson before the Princess Palatine who was Abbess of that Religious House whom we have mention'd several times in the●e Memoirs There are Master-strokes in this last Funeral Elogy Several other Orations were made in several Provinces of the Kingdom But whereas in those kind of Discourses i● is usual to insist upon the Vertues of those for whom they are spoken and that commonly tho nothing it said in them but what really is yet many things are omitted by reason that those things are suppress'd which deserve no Praise and that those things are disguised which cannot be conceal'd and that by a false Light in which the Orator's skill knows how to place his Hero's dress with cunning he covers and pa●●es slightly over those Parts that are defective It is necessary to have recourse to History to be fully instructed of every thing and that to a faithful History like unto this I am now going to draw the Prince of Cond●'s Picture with the same Fidelity I have observ'd throughout this Work Lew of Bourbon second of the Name first Prince of the Blood Duke of Bourbon of Chateaurex of Montmorency and Bellegarte Governour of Burgundy and Bresse first Peer Lord High Steward of France Count of Clermont Stenay Dun and Iamets Knight of the Holy Ghost and General of the King's Armies was Tall