in the whole world a Kingdom to be found more glorious more flourishing or more happy than that of France during the Reign of this mighty Prince Yet could not all this reputation abroad secure him from afflictions at home neither could his greatness and bounty exempt him from the power of Death who first exercising his cruelty upon some of his Family discharg'd in the end his whole rage and fury upon his own person The precedent year had ravish'd from him one of the Princes his Children and this depriv'd him of the Duke of Montpâ—nsier his Cousin a Prince for whom his Majesty had as great a kindness as for any whatsoever of his Blood as he made it appear by the true sorrow he manifested for his death but the Duke of Espernon was afflicted beyond all expression I have already given an accompt of the Alliance betwixt these two and of the particular Friendship that Alliance begot I shall now further say they were inseparable in their conversation their Interests went ever hand in hand with one another and it will be hard to find a Friendship so pure and constant betwixt two private persons as they ever preserved entire in the corruptions and revolutions of the Court Neither could the friendship of a Prince of his extraction and vertue be otherwise than of great importance to the Duke whose prosperity and advancement had procur'd him so much envy and consequently so many enemies yet was he constrain'd to submit to the inevitable necessity of death and to bear with patience a loss for which there was no other remedy This accident was yet follow'd by another the ensuing year at which the Duke was almost equally afflicted Pere Ange de Ioyeuse Father-in-law to the Duke of Montpensier had been return'd into the Order of Fathers Capuchins from the year 1599. from which time he had continued in the austerity of his Canon with so great zeal and sanctity that he was become a president of Vertue and Holy Living to all the Religious Men of his Order Yet did he not when returning to the observation of his Vow he threw off all worldly vanities and desires banish from his breast those true affections which Nature and Reason had planted in his heart but on the contrary had ever in his greatest retirement cherish'd the Duke's friendship as if he had been his true Brother in Blood as he was in Alliance and Affection Neither was the Duke on his part less sedulous to improve so vertuous an Interest ever honouring and loving him even in his penitential Sack-cloath at as high a rate as when he liv'd in the greatest Lustre in the most honourable employments and applying himself with greater diligence to the Interests of his House and to the advancement of his Daughter than when he himself liv'd upon the great Theatre of the busie world so that in different capacities of living their friendship continued still one and the same till death came to cut the knot which along had power to dissolve it This Holy man died at Rivoly in Piedmont in his return from Rome in great reputation of Sanctity and Vertue which has since by time been made more manifest to all The following year affords so little considerable to be said of the Duke of Espernon in particular the Court being at this time wrap'd in so great a calm and security that there is nothing of moment to be reported of any save the King himself that it might well enough be pass'd over in silence But having hitherto found out something or other to record in the foregoing years I had rather travel not out of my subject only but also out of the affairs of the Kingdom than to omit the most glorious proof his Majesty could possibly give of his Authority with all the Princes and States of Christendom in the conclusion of the Truce betwixt the Crown of Spain and the States of the United Provinces This great affair had been fruitlesly propos'd almost from the very first bustle of Arms in that Country neither had endeavours been wanting even in the heat of the most bloody executions that the fury of War has perhaps produc'd in any part of Europe for the effecting of so good a work Treaties of Accommodation having every year during those troubles been constantly by some or other set on foot but the animosity of Factions the difference of Religions and the variety of Events that had ever kept Affairs on both sides as it were in-equal balance had so exasperated the minds of men that scarce any proposition of Peace would be endur'd A work it seems reserv'd to be an additional Ray to the King's Glory whose reputation only could cut the knot of all those difficulties Spain had great need of Peace which having often without interessing the King in the Affair sought in vain he was in fine constrain'd to apply himself to him to procure it and wholly to submit all things to his Arbitration A task the King very well satisfied with so high and publick an acknowledgment of his power as readily undertook and to that purpose dispatch'd away President Ianin and the Sieur de Râ—issy to manage the Work by whose prudent conduct fortified by their Masters Reputation they effected that by the weight of Authority which perhaps their dexterity how great soever without great labour and expence of much time could not otherwise have brought to pass So that things were reduc'd to the point the parties concern'd could themselves desire from whence followed an universal Peace amongst all Christian Princes It was into this tranquille condition that the Affairs of Europe were first to be wrought before the King could begin to form it into the new mould he had long design'd for this great Prince born to reconcile Monarchy and Justice being unable to endure the proud Authority with which the Crown of Spain lorded it over all her Neighbours and more impatient that by the expansion of his Empire the Spaniard should reap advantages which he conceiv'd were more justly due to his Birth and Valour he resolv'd to clip the wings of this soaring greatness to make him give back those Territories he usurp'd from his Neighbours to restore the Republicks their ancient liberty and finally to reduce his power to the limits of his primitive possession This in short is all that can be said of the King's designs and all that such as conceiv'd they penetrated deepest into his most private thoughts could possibly divine it being most certain that he discover'd the bottom of his design to none which had it been communicated to any the Duke of Espernon would doubtless in this conjuncture have participated of the trust but as this great Prince would execute all things in his own person so did he here reserve to himself the secret of his resolutions insomuch that though his Army was all ready drawn into the Field that he himself was immediately to
other men usually give for their Follies in such cases will nevertheless serve perhaps to satisfie such as are kindest to me and who will not render themselves over-hard to be satisfied in a thing wherein I presume they would themselves be content to see me justified It was not therefore out of any ambition I had to be again in Print I having suffer'd too much that way already nor to be reputed a good Translator the best whereof sit in the lowest Form of Writers and no one can be proud of the meanest Company neither shall I pretend to be put upon it by my Friends for that would tacitly imply something of opinion they must have of my ability that way and I must be so just to 〈◊〉 my worthy Acquaintance as to decâ—â—re them men of better judgments than to be so deceiv'd besides the greater part of them being better Frenchmen than I pretend to be such as have read the Original could never wish to see it blemish'd by so unskilful a hand neither was I prompted to it by any design of advantage that consideration being ever very much below my thoughts nor to oblige the world that being as much above my expectation but having an incurable humour of scribling upon me I believ'd I could not choose a braver Subject for my Friends diversion and my own Entertainment than this wherein I thought at least I discover'd as much Variety of Revolution and accident as is any where in no larger a Volume to be found besides something of utility here being a general account of the most important Transactions of Europe for above threescore years together and in one continued series of Discourse which are otherwise only to be pick'd up out of several Authors and most of them â—mitted in all but that which gave me the greatest invitation besides the Character of Honour that continues throughout the whole thred of his Life was the great example of uncorrupted Loyalty the Duke of Espernon ever retain'd in all his Exigencies and Disgraces a Vertue which though none of the Nobility of this Kingdom for whom this is chiefly design'd need to be informed in 't is nevertheless a glorious Record and ought to be in History that succeeding times may see after what manner a good Subject â—ow powerful soever ought to behave himself how or how unkindly soever his Prince shall please to dispose of his Person and Fortune This consideration it was that after a first and second reading of this brave life though every year of it contains variety enough to furnish out a History which I must confess to have been the greatest temptation that decoy'd me into this undertaking especially when I reflected upon the times we our selves have too lately seen when Loyalty was not very much in fashion or not to be owned withouâ— manifest ruine And although I know very well we have Examples enow of Vertue Bravery Wisdom Fidelity and Honour in persons of our own Nation as well Kings as Subjects Princes of the Blood Generals Ecclesiasticks and Statesmen both of Former and the present Age and the meanest of those Lives sufficient to create as beautiful a Story yet of those the Dead are many of them already recorded beyond my imitation and to Write in Praise of the Living besides the danger of standing suspected either of Flattery or Design were to offend the modesty natural to all generous minds In the next place I am to acquaint my Reader that the Author of this History Monsieur Girard was Secretary to the Duke of Espernon and a very extraordinary person in himself as you will find in the Texture Disposition and Elegancy of the whole in despight of my ill handling by which advantages he must doubtless be able to give the best and truest account of any wâ—â—ever both of his Masters private Affairs and the general Transactions of that time he being especially in the Duke's later Years continually employ'd by him and the Duke himself being so eternally upon the Scene of Action that we shall seldom find him retir'd and alone in the whole course of his Life And although his dependence upon this great person may render his testimony suspected to some he is however so generally allow'd by the most Intelligent and such as are best read in the Affairs of that Kingdom for a faithful Historian that the truth of the Story ought to Balance any other defect of the work Lastly in the behalf of my Bookseller Mr. Brome to whose Kindness I owe more than I can pay him by this Impression I am to say that although I dare not answer how far this History may suffer by my Oversights or Mistakes or by the Faults escap'd the Press which I know not by what accident are very many and some of them very considerable yet I dare pronounce it one of the best things I have seen in that Language I do not mean for the Excellency or Harmony of the Stile which in the Original it self though the words there be very Significant Elegant and admirably well chosen is notwithstanding none of the smoothest I have read but for the importance of the Subject wherein you will find much of the Policy of that time not only of France it self but moreover of the Courts of England Rome Spain Savoy Germany Sweeden and the States of the United Provinces together with a Narrative of all the most celebrated Battles Skirmishes Rencounters Combats Sieges Assaults and Stratagems for above threescore years together with the Descriptions of the Strengths Situations and distances of Cities Towns Castles Cittadels Forts Rivers Countries Seigneuries Iurisdictions and Provinces and all this collected and deliver'd by a Iudicious and Impartial Hand an exâ—raordinary effect of a French Pen that Nation especially in Records that immediately concern their own Honour having been commonly observ'd to be very civil to themselves So that methinks the Dignity of the Subject and the Ingenuity of the Author consider'd a work how unhappily soever perform'd by me undertaken nevertheless meerly for the common benefit and delight ought not to be discountenanc'd nor very ill receiv'd Yet do I not though in the foregoing Paragraph I have discover'd something of the Charlatan in the behalf of my Bookseller hereby intend to beg any favour for my self or by these large promises to bribe my Reader into milder Censures neither do I think it fit to provoke him by a defiance for that were to be an ill Man as well as an ill Writer I therefore franckly and without condition expose my self to every mans Iudgment of which such as appear civil to me are my Friends and I shall owe them the same respect when it shall be my turn to Iudg as it is now to be censur'd Those who will not be so I shall threaten no further than to put them in mind that if ever they attempt any thing of the same nature they will then lie under the same disadvantage I now do and consequently may
cold in the business after he had reproach'd them with their unseasonable violence which he said had hinder'd him from bringing about by easie and infallible ways the utter extirpation of Heresie a thing he more earnestly desir'd than any of them he told them flatly that since by them this business was first set on foot it was reasonable that they who had been the promoters of it should likewise be at the charge of the War His Majesty thought by grasping thus at their purses to take off their edge of fighting and by representing to them the charge and incommodities of War he should at the same time imprint in them a hatred and aversion to it But what reasons can prevail with a pre-possess'd and exasperated multitude The people displeas'd at the difficulties the King laid before them and sufâ—ering themselves to be seduc'd by the malepert Preachers of the League who by their seditious Sermons had soon perswaded them into commotion impos'd upon the King a necessity of beginning the War and forgetting the respect due to the Majesty of their Prince gave him in plain terms to understand that he should not be safe in his own Louvre if he did not forthwith betake himself to Arms. The condition of the time and the conditions of the Treaty lately concluded with the League equally obliging the King to fall into speedy action and also to serve himself with some of the Heads of that Party in this Expedition his Majesty to comply with his own necessity and likewise to satisfie that Article dispatch'd the Duke of Mayenne into Guienne against the King of Navarre the Duke of Guise himself desiring to remain in his Government of Champagne to guard the Frontiers and that he might have in the other Armies He was also to set on foot such persons as he knew were faithful to him He sent the Mareschal de Biron into Xaintonge against the Prince of Condâ— and the Duke of Ioyeuse into Languedoc reserving for the Duke of Espernon as a Servant in whom he repos'd the greatest trust the Employment of Provence A Government which being a little before left vacant by the Death of the Grand Prior of France Bastard of Valois had been conferr'd upon him and a Province wherein of all other his Majesties Authority had the greatest need of support having formerly been much weakned by the two contrary Factions that divided the State Whereof one was commanded by the Sieur de Lesdiguieres Head of the Hugonot Party and the other by the Sieur de Vins the Kings Lieutenant there but a man very partial to the League His Majesty therefore desiring amidst the confusion that was made by these two Parties to secure the Countrey to himself sent thither the Duke of Espernon with a good Army appointing Mounsieur de la Valette his Brother for his Lieutenant in that Service neither was he deceiv'd in his choice for in less than four months time Province and Dauphiné were wholly settled in his obedience the only part almost of the Kingdom where his Majesty was effectively and truly serv'd and had he had many more such Servants to employ his Affairs had certainly and in a very little time chang'd their face and the Royal Authority been rescued from the Rebellious Insolence that trod it under foot in most Provinces of France The Office of Colonel General having given the Duke absolute Authority over the Infantry there was great contest amongst the old Regiments which should be preferr'd to follow him in this action in which he made shift to satisfie the ambition of the greatest part his Majesty who gave him absolute power in matters of greater difficulty being content that his best Souldiers should serve under his trustiest Captain so that he drew out a good part of the Regiment of Guards of that of Ficardy and Champagne with other Companies out of other Regiments to the number of ten thousand Foot to which was added twelve hundred Horse and twelve piece of Cannon with their Equipage The Duke having about the end of Summer led his Army into Provence put them immediately into vigorous Action Vins was the first he undertook who having before been worsted by Lesdiguieres was in no condition of making any great resisâ—ance and Lesdiguieres though victorious over the League finding yet himself too weak to oppose the King's Army conducted by so experienc'd Commanders by withdrawing into his own strength gave the two Brothers liberty to make themselves Masters of Seynes Breoules Chorges and many other Considerable places as well in Provence as Dauphiné with wonderful expedition so that by these successes the two Factions which had so long afflicted those two good Provinces being equally supprest the Duke had leisure to return to Court where his presence was not a little necessary to countermine such Practices of which Mounsieur de Villeroy says in his Mesmoires the Duke suspected him to be Author as were by his Enemies set on foot against him Neither did the Duke need to make any great difficulty of retiring from Provence considering the good posture he had brought Affairs into and that he left his second self upon the place not only in fidelity and zeal to the King's Service but also in valour and experience namely Mounsieur de la Valette his Brother a man whose Vertues had acquir'd so great a Reputation with all worthy men that he is never to be spoke of without very worthy mention and the highest Characters of Honour But the Duke had no sooner turn'd his back of Provence and taken back part of the Army with him than the contrary Factions encourag'd by this Division of the Army made head anew so that it was necessary to set another Army on foot to oppose them the care of which now wholly rested upon Valette nor did there need a more active and experienc'd Captain His principal Exploits were against the League to whose succour the Duke of Savoy came in person an ambitious Prince and one that watching all opportunities of enlarging his own Dominion had from the Leagues first taking Arms joyn'd himself with the Countess of Saut the Sieur dâ— Vins the Compte de Carses and other persons of Quality of that side neither has he what Treaties of Peace soever have been concluded with the League ever desisted from his first design of keeping that Countrey by force of Arms. But la Valette after having won from him the so celebrated Battel of Vignon did so uncessantly press upon him and in several other encounters obtain'd so many advantages over him that he forc'd him to retire beyond the Alpes and to let Provence alone Neither did Dauphiné escape his diligence for Lesdiguieres finding himself too weak to meet him in the Field gave him opportunity to withdraw Geyssens from the Cittadel of Valence which he held in the name of the League having been plac'd in that command by the Duke of Mayenne and to recover Gap into the King's Obedience
was busie about the preparation for these solemnities the Prince of Condé and the Count de Soissons suddenly withdrew from Court whose retirement together with some discontent those of the Religion made shew of at the same time gave great apprehension that matters were likely to come to a speedy rupture but the wisdom of the Queens Council having apply'd seasonable remedies to this disorder if they did not absolutely take away the effect of what they fear'd they at least deferr'd deferr'd it so that the publick Peace was for this time secur'd The Queen caus'd the Princes to be treated with who were at last content to return to Court and to sign the conditions of the Marriage and those of the Religion having by this little disorder procur'd some inconsiderable concessions referr'd to a fitter opportunity the design they had to interrupt the main work which they conceiv'd would be infinitely prejudicial to their Interest and Safety I cannot in this place forbear another digression from my Subject to speak of the acquisition the Duke made at this time of one of the principal Servants he ever had in his Family and one whose merit made him afterwards very eminent at Court where he obtain'd no little Favour and Esteem with the King himself and this was the Sieur de Marsillac a Gentleman of as great valour and as graceful a presence as any whatsoever of his time This man had formerly had a dependence upon Balagny call'd the Brave of the Court whom Balagny had taken out of the Regiment of Guards where he trail'd a Pike to put him upon one of the boldest and most honourable Actions a Gentleman of his condition could possibly undertake and that was to carry a Challenge to the Duke of Eguillon since Duke of Mayenne This business hapned in the Reign of Henry the great who did not condemn him for it and though it was the first of this nature that perhaps had ever been known in France gave notwithstanding the Duke of Mayenne his Father no satisfaction therein what complaints soever he could make I have heard Marsillac himself tell the story He adventur'd a poor younger Brother as he was to go execute his Commission even in the Duke d' Eguillon's own Bed-Chamber whose generosity and freedom he could never sufficiently commend he doing him the honour to go out with him alone to give his friend satisfaction without other caution than his own bare word though he could by no means prevail with him to let him be further concern'd in the Quarrel being resolute to end the dispute without a Second the only thing whereof he could complain in the Duke's behaviour towards him though he gave him at the same time as much reason to magnifie the extraordinary and noble care he took to conceal the action from the Duke of Mayenne his Fathers knowledge He was in the house when the Challenge was brought and has often been heard to say that had he known his temerity he would have caus'd Marsillac to have been tost out of the Windows to have taught him what it was to bring a Message of that nature to a Prince from a private Gentleman and doubtless he would have been as good as his word he was so highly incens'd at the affront which perhaps serv'd for an example shortly after to the Baron of Luz in his challenge to the Chevalier de Guise As for Marsillac after the death of Balagny who was kill'd in a Quarrel being entertain'd into the Duke of Espernon's Service he obtain'd under him in the command of his Guard which he bestowed upon him so high a reputation and esteem that he was at last desir'd by the King where his Majesty gave him a Company in his own Guards and his deserts were infallibly raising him to a much higher fortune if at the same time the King express'd the greatest esteem and affection for him he had not at the Siege of Privas receiv'd a Musquetâ—shot in his head which as it determin'd his hopes was also the reward of all his Service We here with a new year enter upon a new disorder of which the immoderate greatness of Conchini was either the effectual or at least the pretended cause and doubtless his favour and insolence were rais'd to that excess as rendred him intolerable either of which are sufficiently odious in whomsoever they happen to befound but being united in him pull'd upon him the hatred or â—nvy of all sorts of men The most part of the great ones seeing themselves excluded from all knowledge of Affairs neither is it possible to satisfie all who will pretend to that priviledge cast their eyes upon the Prince of Condé to interest him in their discontents and the Hugonot Faction not being able without great jealousie to see the Marriage accomplish'd was no less ready than those Grandees to break into open arms The one and the other then being in such a disposition had joyntly by the negotiation of the Duke of Boüillon recourse to the Prince of Condé perswading him to oppose himself to Conchini's greatness to demand punishment for those evils of which he had been the cause and a Reformation in the State the old and common pretense of all such as would infest the publick peace The Prince had ever since the death of the Count de Soissons been in high consideration not only by reason of his quality as first but also as it were sole Prince of the Blood to which his admirable endowments rendred him no less conspicuous than did the preeminence of his Birth He was knowing dexterous and intelligent in all sorts of business beyond what could be expected from his age notwithstanding all which great qualities something yet being wanting that some conceiv'd was requir'd in a person of his eminent condition they had not allow'd him that share in the management of Affairs he either merited or at least desir'd an injury that he very much resneting and moreover animated by the perswasions not of the Duke de Boüillon only but also by the Dukes of Longueville Mayenne Nevers and Luxeâ—bourg who had every one a particular pretext for his defection made him suddenly depart from Court and retire himself to Mezieres in Champagne from whence should he be smartly laid to he might conveniently retreat to Sedan To this place he was follow'd by all the other discontented Lords as for the Duke of Vendosme who had likewise promis'd to do the same not being able to get clear of the Court so soon as he intended having been detain'd prisoner in a Chamber of the Louvre he nevertheless finding means to deceive his Guards escap'd soon after to his Government of Bretagne where he did what he could to fortifie the Faction by the interest he had in that Province This great number of discontents put the Court into strange disorder the old Ministers of State who had seen nothing of a Civil War for many years apprehending this would
and Laughter But the King afraid no doubt lest this should produce some effect that might hinder his main designs secretly chid him for what he had already done giving him caution for the future to forbear such railleries and to behave himself with more respect in occasions wherein he himself was so seriously concern'd Which sharp reproof giving Caumont sufficiently to understand that although the King did not as yet make publick profession of that Religion yet that he was notwithstanding so moderate and so lukewarm a Catholick that he only wanted a handsome opportunity to do it He resolv'd also to quit his service upon the first occasion that fairly presented it self An effect besides his own Devotion to the Church of a solemn Promise his Brother and he had joyntly made to their dying Father never to serve other than a Catholick Prince From thenceforward therefore he sought all opportunities civilly to disingage himself from the service of this King which soon after a light Indisposition of body gave him a handsome Pretense to do for finding himself not very well and continuing fome few dayes in the same distemper without any amendment he intreated leave to retire into the privacy and convenience of his own house for the recovery of his health which the King though he doubtless well enough understood the meaning of that request without any difficulty or the least shew of unkindness freely permitted him to do France began now to see it self threatned with the approaching troubles which the Duke of Alenson's and the King of Navarre's departure from Court happening much about the same time shortly after produc'd in the Kingdom neither could the Queen Mother notwithstanding her great vigilancy and care to prevent those disorders the discontents of these two Princes together with those of the Hugonot Faction were likely to bring upon the State with all her industry and prudence hinder men in that Crisis of Affairs from running into the tumult of Armes It was in this juncture of time that Caumont prepar'd himself for a second journey to Court He had had the honour to be known to the King first at the Siege of Rochelle and afterwards in his dependence upon the King of Navarre so that these preceding habitudes and acquaintance made him resolve to go and tye himself directly to his Majesties person and service Having therefore left his own house with this resolution he takes his journey to Burdeaux where the Marquess de Villars a great friend and an old companion in Armes of Mounsieur de la Valette his Father and now Governour of Guienne then resided and where he was not a little busie to provide against the disorders which at that time threatned that Province Caumont at his arrival gives him a visit acquaints him with the true design of his journey and withal offers his service if he had any to command him to Court Villars readily accepts his offer charges him with Letters of Credit to the King and the wayes betwixt Burdeaux and Poitiers being very difficult to pass by reason of the continual inroads of the Hugonot party he informs him of the particular state of the Countrey instructs him in the safest wayes he was to pass and finally gives him a full accompt of the posture wherein his Majesties Affairs then stood that he might thereupon receive new orders from the King and Council Caumont being glad to present himself to their Majesties with the advantage of so considerable a service departs throughly instructed in all the Affairs of Guienne from Burdeaux to Angoubesme where he further discourses about his Government with the Marquess of Rufee Governour of that Town and Countrey and by him findes matters there to be in no better a condition than those of Guienne Rufee had made a late denial of that place to the Heads of the Hugonot party to whom by the Treaty of Champigny made with the Duke of Alenson it should have been delivered up for a Cautionary Town He informs himself of the reasons of Rufees refusal in this case with other things that concern'd the Kings Service in that Countrey and continues his journey from thence to Poitiers by the houses of Gentlemen his acquaintance sometimes with Convoys but for the most part in the slender guard of his own inconsiderable train At last by short and wary journeys he arrives at Court which was then at Blois though with infinite difficulty and danger such was the disorder and confusion that rag'd in all the Provinces through which he was to pass I heard him a few dayes before his death relate all the particulars of this journey without omitting the least circumstance that befel him by the way not without admiration that a man after threescore and odde years should retain so perfect a memory of such petty accidents if such ought to be call'd so as gave a beginning to the establishment of so prodigious a Fortune Being come to Court he presented himself to the King deliver'd the several dispatches he had from Villars and Rufee giving his Majesty a particular account of all they had given him in charge The King immediately commanded him to address himself to the Queen Mother and to inform her fully of the same things being at this first Conference highly satisfied with his dexterity and judgement and mightily taken with his behaviour and the gracefulness he observ'd in whatever he said or did neither indeed could there be a more accomplisht Gentleman than he was at that age of two and twenty as I have heard men of great judgement say that very well knew him in those times His Conference with the Queen Mother prov'd no less to his advantage with her than that he had had with the King had done with him she was pleas'd to give him a gracious audience and to take a great liking to his Person so that the King coming as it was his constant custom in the evening to confer about business with her and asking her if she had seen Caumont and what her opinion was of him the Queen made answer That she had seen and discours'd with him and that it was upon men of his condition and merit that his Majesty ought to repose the Trust and Confidence of his most important Affairs which she said as not being unwilling to the end she might still keep her dominion over the Kings affections that Caumont though the King had many Favourties already should yet make one of that number that so his heart being divided amongst many might not too violently encline to one The King told her he was of her opinion and the approbation he found in her judgement having justified his own inclinations after he had entertain'd her some time with merits of the Father and the good qualities of the Son he from thenceforward took a resolution to receive him into a degree of favour and to place him near his own person Yet was it not immediately notwithstanding this
afterward Caumont and Ioyeuse were to solicit but without the least dispensation notwithstanding their Favour from the due and customary forms of Law where if any difficulty or opposition chanc'd to arise his Majesty ever interpos'd his Justice to over-rule them if justly they were to be over-ruled neither did they ever receive any Grace or Largess which did not either first pass the Seal the Chamber of Accounts or an Act of Parliament In these beginnings the two young Favourites were continually call'd to all the Councils not to give their advice from which by their immaturity and inexperience they were exempt but to inform and to inure themselves to business Which the better to exercise them in the King himself was pleas'd often in private to propose weighty questions to them and to make them debate them before him without exposing their early Opinions to the Experience of his graver Council initiating them with his own Precepts and forming them with his own hand and that rather with the tenderness and indulgence of a Father to his Children than with the authority of a Master over his Servants About this time as I have already observ'd the Order of the Holy Ghost was instituted and the first Ceremony was already past where although Caumont had no share by reason of his Youth but was deferred to the next Creation which happened a few years after yet his Majesty though he judg'd him too young to be admitted into that honourable Fraternity thought him notwithstanding sufficient to treat with Philibert D. of Savoy though he were one of the most discreet and most circumspect Princes of his time This Prince had rais'd a considerable Army which he intended to imploy against the Genoveses and the King who was oblig'd to protect them dispatch'd Caumont to the Duke to disswade him from that enterprize His negotiation in this Affair met with great difficulties and infinite oppositions both from the House of Austria the League and the Pope which nevertheless he overcame with that dexterity that having untied all those knots of State he obtain'd full satisfaction for the King his Master and acquir'd so much Reputation and Esteem with the Duke as at the same time to obtain a signal Favour and a timely assistance for himself The occasion this The Mareschal de Bellegarde his Uncle having for some time possest the Kings Favour was at last through the ill Offices of some fallen into disgrace and had thereupon retir'd himself into the Marquisate of Saluzzo of which Province he had the Government and whither being come he had chas'd Charles Birague the Kings Lieutenant in that Marquisate out of all the Places and strong holds he had formerly possest which he had taken upon him to do without any order from the King and indeed Bellegarde unsatisfied with the Court rather endeavour'd to fortifie himself and to secure his own interest than to stand upon the niceties and punctillio's of his duty This disorder gave a hot alarm to all Italy who knew not to what Bellegardes designs might tend and the Queen Mother desirous in time to prevent any ill consequence had her self taken a Journey to accommodate the business and had compos'd it to the Kings satisfaction and seemingly to the Mareschal's too who had receiv'd a ratification of whatever he had done but the Mareschal was no sooner return'd into his Government than he fell immediately sick and of so violent a distemper as in few dayes carried him away not without vehement suspicion of poison Many being perswaded that his turbulent spirit having given the Court an apprehension that a discontented man of his Courage would be hard to be continued in the due limits of his Obedience they thought it better at once to dispatch him out of the way than to be at the continual trouble would be necessary to contain him in his duty His Son whom he leâ—t very young and much unsettled in his Government soon found himself in danger to be turn'd out by the Faction of the People the whole Countrey in general favouring the Biragues Gentlemen of good quality and Natives of that Countrey whom doubtless they would have restor'd to the Government had not Caumont in the time of his Embassy in Savoy obtain'd some Troops from the Duke for his Kinsman's assistance with which he brought him so opportune and so effectual a succour that he soon supprest the Faction plac'd Bellegarde secure in his charge and left him strong enough to defend himself until the King whose interest requir'd a Minister of greater Experience in that Countrey call'd him from thence to place la Valette Caumont's elder Brother in his stead giving to Bellegarde in recompense the Governments of Xaintonge Angoumois and the Countrey of Auluis It was during the interim of this Voyage that the disgrace of St. Luc one of the Favourites was concluded D' Aubigné tell us that he learn'd the cause of this disgrace from St. Luc's own mouth and thereupon tells an impudent Story but they who well consider this malevolent Author's way of writing will easily judge it his own invention to bespatter the Kings reputation against whom besides the interest of his Party he had a particular spleen having been ill us'd and slighted upon many occasions Of which he himself cannot forbear to complain in his History and which confession in it self is sufficient to discredit all the calumnies he has forg'd against the Honour of this Prince Here then take the true reason of his disgrace The King falling in love with a Lady of great Quality had made Caumont and St. Luc the confidents of his Passion shortly after which Caumont was sent upon the Embassy of Savoy spoke of before and St. Luc in this interval of his absence discovers the secret of the King's love to his Wife who was of the Family of Brissac and his Wife immediately to the Queen who could not long dissemble her discontent to the King her Husband but reproach'd him with his Love and that with so many circumstances that in effect he could not much deny it The King infinitely concern'd at the infidelity of his Confidents to whose discretion he had only intrusted that secret falls upon St. Luc Caumont being out of the reach of his anger complains how basely he was betray'd and in fine reproaches him with the discovery St. Luc excuses himself and that he might do it with the better colour charges Caumont whose absence expos'd him to that ill office with the fault but the King who had before begun to distaste St. Luc ever since his Marriage with a Wife who was very partial to the House of Guise a Family whose designs were every day more and more suspected to him was still in his own Judgement more enclin'd to condemn him than Caumont of the Treachery Yet for the better clearing of the truth which he was impatient to know he addresses himself to the Queen pressing and conjuring her to tell him freely
his soul to hazard his own life that he might by an honourable way deliver his Master from the troubles and apprehensions with which the practices of this Duke perpetually afflicted him though his Majesty would never consent to it But Ioyeuse liv'd after another manner maintaining a greater intelligence with the House of Guise than ought to have been betwixt so oblig'd a Servant and his Master 's open and declared Enemies which doubtless was the chief cause of the diminution of his favour and in truth either prompted by the sole ambition of seeing himself Brother-in-law to the King to which honour he thought he could not arrive without the Duke of Guise's assistance or by the desire he had to secure his Fortune on all sides which is very often a ruinous maxim he ever industriously labor'd the friendship of that Family Some believe that he at first treated with them unknown to the King about his Marriage with a Princess of their House and Name Sister to the Queen 'T is true he had afterwards the King's permission and the overture being once made was prest by the King himself to a consummation of it but it was his part to have foreseen the inconveniences of this Alliance and to have consider'd the consequences before he had embark'd himself As one of the King 's chiefest cares was to keep such an equality towards his Favourites that they might have no occasion to trouble the delight he took in their conversation with complaints or differences so had he no sooner concluded the Marriage of his Sister-in-law to the Duke of Ioyeuse but that he would bestow another call'd Christina upon the Duke of Espernon I begin here to give him the title of Duke because he had it before although the thred of this discourse permits me not to speak of his promotion to this dignity till the following page A temptation delicate enough to flatter a mind so great and so ambitious as that of the Duke nevertheless he excus'd himself with a moderation highly to be commended in an occasion of this nature neither was his prudence less to be admir'd than his moderation and all the world have believ'd that amongst all the actions of his life this was of greatest importance to the conservation of his Fortune Upon this refusal of his divers Judgments were made all actions of great men especially Favorites never wanting interpreters such as were justest to the Duke highly approved his conduct that so prudently under the shadow of respect had rejected an advantage that in it self carried only noise and shew though otherwise it might render him capable of pretending to more solid things and at least make him rival the extraordinary honor the Duke of Ioyeuse had receiv'd others that would less favourably interpret him discommended his carriage as if by this refusal he intended tacitly to condemn the Duke of Ioyeuse his Vanity and Ambition and these confirm'd themselves in their opinion by the great disproportion they saw betwixt the moderate expense at the Marriage of the Duke's elder Brother and the prodigious profusion that was made at that of the Duke of Ioyeuse where the expense was so great as amounted to above two millions of Livers an immense summe in those days and especially at a time wherein the State was in great necessities This gave a great occasion of murmure not only to the well and ill dispos'd French but even to such strangers as were affectionate to the Crown of France whereas that of Mounsieur de la Valette which was solemnized at the same time with Anne de Batarnay was past over with very little noise not but that the King would also in this occasion have powr'd out his liberality but the two Brothers having discreetly avoided an unnecessary expense soberly husbanded their Masters purse to his and their own reputation From the time that his Majesty had determined to raise his two Favourites to the honour of his Alliance he honoured them both with the Dignity of Duke and Peer and purchas'd in Caumont's name the Manour of Espernon to the end he might bear that Title But his Letters Patents having been carried to the Parliament receiv'd at first some difficulty in their verification as it had before happened in the case of Ioyeuse which difficulty arose from the place the King had given in those Letters to the two new Dukes having there ranck'd them immediately after the Princes of the Blood which the other more ancient Dukes being highly displeas'd at oppos'd and had so wrought the Parliament to their Favour that the King was forc'd to send them a peremptory command to pass over all oppositions telling them amongst other terms of favour that having chosen Caumont and Ioyeuse for his Brothers-in-law and intending to place them by this Alliance so near his own person he could not endure they should make any difficulty of receiving them into the degree he had assign'd for them that Honour being far inferiour to what he had already conferr'd upon them by that choice Upon which there being no more contest the thing past according to his Majesties pleasure and was recorded without reservation Though the King seem'd to have his thoughts wholly taken up with these little domestick Affairs and to intend nothing but the advancement of his Favourites yet was he not even in this without a further end and design for perceiving himself too weak by fine force to crush the two powerful Factions that divided the whole Kingdom he try'd to accomplish that by policy which he could not effect by power in depriving both sides of all kind of authority and trust advancing on the contrary his Favourites and such as he had confidence in to all the Offices and Employments he possibly could neither was there any grace or favour to be obtain'd but for them or for such of their creatures as wholly relied upon their fortune Neither met this design of his with any opposition from the Hugonot Party who the more they were his open and declared Enemies the less were they in his way and gave him the less trouble For the Court being suspected to the King of Navarre the Prince of Condâ— and the other Chiefs of their party kept them at such a distance as depriv'd them of the means to sue for Governments Offices and commands of places nay it was a favour to let them enjoy those they already had so that living retir'd and at ease but without credit or consideration their interest by degrees mouldred away and grew weak of it self which was the posture the King would have them in But the heads of the League were in a far different condition they had for many years upheld their credit at Court had discharg'd successively from Father to Son the greatest Offices of the Crown were possest of many important Governments and very considerable places and by the greatness of their Birth and Services by the reputation of their
many several impressions in mens minds as their inclinations were different towards him But the King was afflicted beyond imagination though his Majesty was not long in that error For some of the company having immediately descended the precipice found the Horse who by good fortune fell plum upon his feet and bore the whole weight of the fall kill'd stone dead but the Duke miraculously escap'd with only a slight hurt in the Shoulder This accident set all the Court Wits on work neither was there any who did not write something upon this occasion but that which most pleas'd the Duke was an Emblem that was presented to him The body of the Emblem was a figure of the Duke himself hanging upon the brow of a precipice so as that he seem'd to be irrecoverably falling from that prodigious height when Fortune running to his succour withdrew him from the danger with this Motto in Italian the first words thereof expressing his name Eper non lasciarti mai A Motto the Duke at first took for a good Omen which time and his own good conduct after turn'd into a kind of Prophesie and causing it to be grav'd in a Cornelian and set in a Ring he wore it many years upon his Finger as a mark of his gratitude to Fortune or rather Providence which is effectually that we call Fortune to which he ever attributed all the successes of his life rather than to his own conduct By this accident the Kings affection to the Duke seem'd to be augmented at least it made a greater shew of tenderness than in former occasions his Majesty never almost departing his Chamber during the time he was constrain'd to keep his Bed and it was in this condition that he gave the King a full account of his Journey and Negotiation a thing that furnish'd the League with a sufficient pretense to decry the Kings actions neither did the Chiefs of that Faction fail to cause it proclaim'd in the Pulpits as it is usual to make Holy Places and Religious men the Scenes and Instruments to blemish the Actions of Princes that his Majesty was strictly united with Hereticks and that this slander might the better be believ'd the Duke of Espernon's Voyage whom they endeavour'd to render odious to the people by calling him the Abetter of that Party was first brought upon the stage they publish'd that Negotiation to be a conspiracy against the Catholick Religion which was no way to be oppos'd but with their Swords in their hands So that this was the first Pretense they made use of to colour their Rebellion But before they would proceed to the effects of so violent a Rupture the Duke of Guise who would have been glad to have won the Duke of Espernon to his Party by that means to remove those Obstacles which the Dukes Vigour and Fidelity ever had and were still likely to oppose to his Designs caus'd him to be treated with about a match with his Daughter since Princess of Conty a Princess that for the beauty of her person the vigour of her mind and many other endowments and excellent qualities had few rivals in the Kingdom neither was the Duke of Espernon so blind as not to see the honour he should receive by this alliance had it been propos'd in a more quiet time or had the Duke her Father been upon better terms with the King but knowing he must by such a match abandon his duty or at least be oblig'd to favour designs he could by no means approve the last consideration so absolutely prevail'd above the other that he scarce deliberated upon a thing that was likely to stagger his fidelity and how dangerous soever it were to declare himself an open enemy to the Duke of Guise which he must of necessity do by refusing his alliance he rather chose to run that hazard than to faulter in the least in the duty he ow'd to his Prince and Benefactor It is hard to judge what passions of grief and despite the Duke of Guise was possest withal to see his designs so frustrated and his offer so despis'd by this refusal which was in it self no light offense neither did he afterwards meditate any thing more than his revenge and how to destroy him he could neither by civilities nor by threats acquire unto him but his fury was rais'd to the height by a new Honour the Duke and conferr'd upon him which was the second Pretense the League took hold of to justifie their proceedings The King had some time before this bought the Duke of Mayenne out of his charge of Admiral of France which the Duke had the rather laid down in favour of the Duke of Ioyeuse and his Majesty desirous to conferre upon the Duke of Espernon also some Office of the Crown to continue the same equality he had ever observ'd in their Fortunes propos'd to the Duke of Guise a very advantageous recompense in lieu of his Office of Grand-Maistre to the Kings Houshold and it seem'd probable he would follow the example of his Brother the Duke of Mayenne who doubtless had not quitted so important a charge without his elder Brother's advice but the Duke of Guise notwithstanding would never comply with his Majesties desire and though the King would never permit him to exercise any function of his charge thereby to make him weary of it yet was he still more obstinately bent to keep it nor would ever consent as he said That his Enemy should possess any of those charges he had exerciz'd and been invested withal The King seeing him so obstinate and perhaps not more solicitous to advance the Fortune of his Favourite than willing to spite the Duke of Guise resolv'd with himself to erect purposely for the Duke of Espernon an Office so honourable and so great as should by its authority and power infinitely surpass all other the highest and most important employments both of the State and Crown and this was that of Colonel General of France an Office formerly divided into two on this side and on that side the Mountains of which Andelot had possest the one and Strozzi the other and after Andelot's death they were united in Strozzi who remain'd sole Colonel After Strozzi's decease the King having by an Edict re-united these two Offices into one made it an Office of the Crown under the Title of Colonel General of France caus'd that Edict to be ratified in Parliament attributing to it the absolute power to name in general Officers for all the vacant places in the French Militia without so much as excepting from this nomination that of Camp-Master to the Regiment of Guards He establish'd for the Colonel a Sovereign Court of Justice or Council of War to determine of the Lives and Honours of Military men without calling any other to it than his own Officers adding to it besides several Graunts Priviledges and Pensions and finally to sum up all his bounty his Majesty delivering the Commission
into the Dukes hands told him that nothing troubled him but that he knew not how to invest him into a more absolute Authority and that he could not adde a part of the Royal Dignity to his charge And it is certain that in giving the Duke the Governments of Metz Toul and Verdun his Majesty would have given them in Sovereignty and have demis'd to him the Title of the Crown but the Duke displeas'd with this proposition as an injury offer'd to his Obedience and Loyalty complain'd to the King that his Majesty honouring him with so noble an employment should go about to deprive him of the dearest Relation he had which was that of his Majesties most humble and obedient Subject an honour that in his soul he preferr'd before all titles of Sovereignty and all the advantages of Fortune his Majesty could prefer him to and thereupon receiv'd both the Governments and the charge of Colonel General under the Kings Authority From this new advancement the League as I have said before deriv'd their second pretense for the taking of Arms they look'd upon the Duke of Espernon's new Honour as an offence to their whole Party and the Duke of Guise took it for a particular injury to himself and thereupon openly publish'd That there were now no more Employments Riches or Honours save only for the Duke of Espernon and la Valette his Brother That the State was only impoverish'd by profusions made in their favour That they were the true causes of the peoples oppression That the Treasure set apart for the extirpation of Heresie was by them perverted to their own uses and particular profit That the greatest Dignities the most important Places and Governments of greatest concern were too many advantages for their ambition That whilst the Kings good Servants were neglected and kept under there were new Offices with unheard of Priviledges contriv'd and erected for them That if the power they had over the King were longer suffer'd they would equally ruine the State and Religion That the Duke of Espernon was therefore to be remov'd from Court if men desir'd to see an end of publick Miseries That his Majesty being deliver'd from his Counsels which were equally violent and interessed would doubtless for the future be more favourable to his good Subjects and better inclin'd to the Catholick Cause At the same time a Manifesto was publish'd by the Cardinal of Bourbon who was the declared Head of that Faction containing principally the foregoing complaints and immediately after follow'd the rising into Arms. The first design of the League was upon Metz as if they meant to strike at the heart of the Duke of Espernon's Fortune a place so considerable that the Duke had reason to look upon it as the surest foundation of his greatness neither did he in his latter years condescend to any thing with more unwillingness and reluctancy than to the surrender of that place that proposition seeming to him as though men were bent to the total ruine of his House nor could he ever have been perswaded to have stript himself of such a defense upon a less consideration than the investiture of his Son the Cardinal of la Valette into that Government who being younger by forty years than himself he might reasonably hope it would continue in his Family at least during his life but God was pleased to dispose it otherwise To make a right judgment of the importance of this place it will be necessary to consider its Site and condition and the share it has ever had in the Duke's Fortune does indeed require it should be something insisted upon Metz then is a City something bigger than Burdeaux or Orleans that is to say one of the greatest and the fairest in the Kingdom full of Inhabitants and those a rich and industrious people to whom the neighbourhood of Germany gives great facility to an advantageous Commerce She was in former times thought beautiful enough to be the Metropolis of Austrasia once the Inheritance of one of our Kings but when the Empire of Germany began to decline and that the Princes who were Subject to it began to withdraw themselves from their obedience every one being ambitious to be Sovereign in his own Dominions many Cities which were also in the same subjection allur'd by the tempting sound of Liberty follow'd the same example Of these Metz was one who for many years took leave to govern her self by her own Laws annually creating Sovereign Magistrates disposing absolutely of the Lives and Estates of her Subjects Coyning Money and in all things taking upon her the Authority of a Sovereign Jurisdiction in which condition she maintain'd her self till the Year 1552. that the Constable Montmorency passing with the King's Army that way totally freed her from all kind of Homage to the Empire and settled it under the Protection of the Crown of France 'T is true that King Henry the Second in whose Reign this Conquest was made continued to this City her ancient priviledges but withal to assure himself of his possession he did exceedingly fortifie it establishing a Governour of his own and causing a Citadel to be built which was mightily cryed up for one of the best and most exact of that time but this was before Sieges were turn'd into a Science and that the industry of man had left little to Fortune in this kind of War It does not now carry that Reputation and in this condition it was when the Duke entred upon his Government only with this difference that what it s own Laws had formerly perform'd by their own Virtue during its independency was now executed by his order under the Authority of the Royal Name the Duke as I have said before absolutely refusing to accept it upon other terms He annually appointed and created the Supreme Magistrate whom they call Maistre Eschevin and appointed him his Council and Judges who were to determine in Sovereignty upon the Lives Honours and Estates of all the Inhabitants but withal the Duke had Authority upon occasion to censure them had power to remove them from their Magistracy within their year if he saw cause or to continue them beyond their term if he thought fit It is then no wonder if he were infinitely respected in a place where all things so absolutely depended upon him but that which was indeed very rare and very commendable was that in so unlimited a power and in the course of above threescore years that this City continued in his Custody he behav'd himself with that Justice and Moderation that not so much as any one Citizen ever complain'd of his administration neither is there any now living that do not yet remember with a kind of delight the indulgence and sweetness of his Government Whilst the Duke stood seiz'd of a place of this consequence and so dispos'd to his service it was no easie matter to cut him off such a retirement being a sufficient refuge from all
mercy that there would afterwards remain the King of Navarre a powerful active and diligent Enemy back'd with great Forces within and ready to receive greater from without the Kingdom he conceiv'd it requisite to subdue him first that he might afterwards dispose of the Kings Affairs with less opposition so that he altogether fell from the extravagancy of his first demands and only insisted vpon the suppression of the King of Navarre which he call'd the extirpation of Heresie though it was in effect in order only to the establishment of his own Power The King had so openly declared himself an Enemy as effectively he was to this new Religion and it so much imported him to clear himself to his Subjects from those aspersions the League had cast upon him that he was now necessitated to declare against the King of Navarre in the most severe Form the League could themselves invent yet was it not without the greatest reluctancy imaginable that his Majesty was constrain'd to that extremity against a Prince whom as has been said before it was not his interest wholly to suppress but having lost the opportunity he once had whilst they were weak and inconsiderable of chastising the Heads of the League he saw himself now necessitated to grant them that he could no longer without apparent Ruine refuse His Wisdom then prompting him to submit to the necessity of Affairs he made a show of complying in all things with their desires and that he might with less difficulty encline the Duke of Espernon to consent to a resolution he had ever before been so much against he privately told him That he did not consent to those things that were exacted from him without very great Aversion but that he hop'd to reap from thence a signal effect and a very great advantage to his Affairs that the Party of the League was now too strong to be supprest by force that they had brought their Armies to the Gâ—tes of Paris and that Paris it self was corrupted in their Favour That he very well saw the time to chastise them was now past and that he now knew but too late what he had lost in letting the occasion slip wherein they might have been punish'd when he had advis'd him to it but that such an opportunity would certainly return again and that then his evil Counsellors should never disswade him from making better use of his time That in the mean time it was necessary to dissemble that they might the better look into their Enemies Interests to discover their weakness and to make use of that discovery to their ruine That there was no Party so strong that was not defective somewhere That it was necessary to discover where that defect lay and that it was impossible to make that discovery without engaging with and being interested in the cause they meant to overthrow That being Head of the League as they would have him declare himself to be he should be able to strew such difficulties in the way of their Designs as that they would find themselues perplex'd in every enterprize they should undertake Though the Duke of Espernon had much rather his Majesty would have defended his Honour and trampled Authority by the Arms of those few good Catholick Servants he had and to have joyn'd with the King of Navarre with whom he did not think an accommodation impossible and with such Foreign Forces as were affectionate to the Crown yet seeing it was now expedient to submit to the necessity of the time he humbly acquiesc'd in the good Pleasure of the King his Master In this posture of Affairs the King writ to the Queen his Mother that she might conclude the Treaty upon such Conditions as she thought fit and for a further testimony of his Candour and sincere intention herein sent the dispatch by the Duke of Espernon whom all the world knew to have the greatest power with him and the greatest Antipathy for the League to the end that the Lords of Guise might not in the least doubt the observance of a Treaty that was ratifi'd on his part by a person who liv'd in so eminent a degree of favour with him This employment of the Duke's though it was only intended to countenance the Queens Negotiation and to make it more easily succeed did nevertheless incense her in the highest degree against him She look'd upon his interposition as proceeding from a diffidence the King had in her and not daring to manifest her dissatisfaction to him she threw it wholly upon the Duke and took from thence a new occasion to augment the ill will she had formerly conceiv'd against him The Treaty was notwithstanding concluded at Nemours wherein the Lords of Guise had the full of their own demands whether against those of the Hugonot Party or in their own particular favour They were to command the Armies that should be set forth against the Hugonots and over and above the great and advantageous Governments they were already possest of the King delivered over twelve or fifteen of the best Cities in the Kingdom into their hands together with vast summes of money And then it was that men were undeceiv'd and that all men plainly saw they minded more their own private Interest and the establishment of their own greatness than they regarded the advancement of the Catholick Religion The Treaty then being concluded the Duke of Guise came to kiss the Kings Hands at St. Maur des â—aussez his Majesty so ordering it purposely to defeat the Duke of the Parisians applause from whence after the Ratification of the Articles the Duke return'd into his own Government of Champagne dismiss'd with some feign'd Demonstrations of Favour which was also on his part receiv'd with the same dissimulation From thence forward the King began with great artifice to spin out the violent designs of the League manifesting nevertheless such an animosity against the Hugonots and so firm a resolution vigorously to effect what had been concluded against them as he conceiv'd necessary to satisfie a people jealous of his sincerity and apt to take up new suspicions upon every instigation of their own corrupted fansie And in order thereunto he went to the Parliament in great Formality and State to cause an Edict to pass against those of the Reform'd Religion where after a revocation of the cautionary Towns of the Chambres Mi-parties of the liberty of Conscience and of other Concessions that had formerly been granted in their Favour they were prescrib'd by a day prefix'd either to abjure their Religion or to be declar'd enemies to the State and punishable to the last degree This first Act thus play'd his Majesty assembled the Provost des Marchands and the Eschevins of Paris to demand money of them for the prosecution of the War they had so ardently desir'd which he also propos'd to the Clergy who had shewed themselves no less zealous than they but finding both the one and the other equally
So that the two Factions that of the League and that of the Religion being equally weakned by his Valour and Conduct he then so establish'd those two Provinces in their duty that it was afterwards no hard matter for him to continue them in that posture of Obedience until the death of the King Whilst Mounsieur de la Valette was employ'd about these brave Services for the Crown Mounsieur de Villeroy a declar'd Enemy to the Duke his Brother was no less busie with all the ill Offices he could contrive to ruine both their Credits with the King Which though the Duke had long observ'd and as long forborn to take notice of yet could he at last no longer restrain himself from breaking out to a high and publick Rupture with him It was at St Aignan that it happened at the time the Army of Reiters were preparing to enter the Kingdom and that the King was consulting of the means to hinder their passage I have already given an account of the Animosities betwixt these two great Ministers and the Causes that produc'd them which perhaps I should not so punctually have done neither should I now do it had not D'Avila an Authour of great Repute for the History of that time enlarg'd himself more thatn ordinary upon this Difference as upon an accident very considerable and of great importance to the general Affairs that were then in agitation The Duke then and Villeroy being upon these ill terms the King at the especial instance of the Duke had assigned a summe of 20000 Crowns only for the entertainment of Mounsieur de la Valette's Army a proportion very inconsiderable for the great end to which it was design'd but very great considering the necessities the State was then in which mony Villeroy notwithstanding his Majesties Order having diverted to the Payment of the Grand Provost and his Archers the Duke discover'd it to the King in open Council complaining that a summe so disproportionable to the utility of his Brothers Services should be diverted to another use To which Complaint Villeroy who was present reply'd aloud in his Majesties Presence That what the Duke had said was not true It is easie to judge whether the Duke who was then rais'd to the highest degree of Favour were surpriz'd with so tart and so unexpected an Injury I have heard him say That in his whole life he was never so sensibly offended nevertheless he had so much power over himself as to forbear all kind of violence in the Kings Presence so much as from any extravagancy of words neither made he other reply to Mounsieur de Villeroy but this That the Presence of the King which had encourag'd him to give that Language oblig'd him to be Silent but that he should repent it The King both disquieted and displeas'd at this Quarrel and willing to interrupt them from proceeding further went immediately out of the Closet expecting the Duke should follow him but he staying behind and being now no longer aw'd by the Reverence due to his Majesties Person fell very severely upon Mounsieur de Villeroy for the words past some say he proceeded to high threats that he had his hand up to have strook him and that he gave him some very unhandsome language though I never heard the Duke confess so much in the many times he has discours'd of that business But Mounsieur de Villeroy immediately went and complain'd to the King of the Duke's Threats demanding Assurance and Protection from him where receiving no very satisfactory answer he waited time and opportunity by working his own revenge to procure his own Safety which happened not long after when we shall see the Duke's Valour frustrate all his Enemies Designs But let us in the mean time return to the general Business We have already observ'd that from the first insurrection of the League the King of Navarre not doubting but that all their preparations were chiefly intended against him had earnestly solicited all the Confederates of his Religion not only at home but in Foreign Parts to his aid but when he understood that by the mediation of the Queen Mother the Treaty of Nemours had been sign'd by the King himself at St. Maur he then foreseeing the storm that was ready to break upon him very well knew that he should infallibly be overwhelm'd without a speedy succour He therefore again press'd his Allies immediately to send their Forces if they desir'd to find him in a condition to receive the effects of their Assistance his Enemies so passionately precipitating his Ruine The German Princes spurr'd on by this new Solicitation and having yet been ancient Allies to the Crown of France would it should seem proceed with some shew of respect and thereupon concluded amongst themselves to send first an honourable Embassy to the King before they would engage in so important a Quarrel In this occurrence all the Court expected some Civil Remonstrance on the German Princes part but they soon found themselves deceiv'd for the Ambassadours either prevail'd upon by their Confederates in France or transported with their own Zeal to Religion and the passion they had for those of that Party having publickly reproach'd the King with his breach of Faith towards his Protestant Subjects it evidently appear'd that their design was not to mediate an Accommodation but to push things on to the decision of Arms by giving the King a premeditated Affront I have heard the Duke say that he was present at the delivery of this Oration and that the King justly nettled at so saucy an Embassy after having in the heat and apprehension of so great an injury spoken with greater eloquence than ever till that time he had heard him do he positively and for a final answer return'd the lye to whoever should reproach him with the breach of his Faith The Ambassadors dismiss'd after this manner fail'd not at their return home to exasperate their several Princes to the last degree who being before resolv'd upon a War made speedy and great Leavies and soon set such an Army on foot as they thought joyn'd to that the King of Novarre had already of his dependants should be able absolutely to subdue the Catholick Party in France The King as he very well foresaw what inconvenience the entry of such a multitude of strangers must of necessity bring upon his Kingdom so did he by all imaginable ways try to prevent their coming and seeing that nothing but satisfying the King of Navarre could possibly divert that mischief he once more try'd by the means of the Queen his Mother if possible to win him to a timely accommodation Which being by her undertaken after many delayes scruples and jealousies on both sides a Conference was at last concluded on at St. Brix a private house seated upon the Banks of Charente near Coynack but this Conference nevertheless being able to produce no good effect by reason of that invincible difficulty the difference of
to command which certainly he would never have done had his disgrace been really true and not meerly dissembled to satisfie the insolent demands of the League and to comply with the necessity of the time Things being thus dispos'd the Duke went to take his leave of the King and to receive his Majesties final Commands where his affection in so great an extremity suggesting to him the honest liberty a passionate and faithful Subject may justly take he freely told him That it was not without an extraordinary violence upon himself that he came to beg leave of his Majesty that he might retire into his Governments where he hop'd nevertheless to do his Majesty better service than if he should continue about his Person That to his extreme grief he saw of late his Majesties safest Determinations and the Counsels of his most faithful Servants perverted by the Artifices of those evil Ministers who had usurp'd a greater share in his Royal Trust and Confidence than was consistent with the prosperity of his Affairs That the Queen his Mother however an excellent and prudent Princess was notwithstanding abus'd as his Majesty himself was That seeing no cure for this evil he had rather chosen to deprive himself of the Honour of being near his Majesties Person than to be an unprofitable Spectator of those inconveniences into which his evil Counsellors were about to precipitate his Affairs That as to that hour no man could reproach him that any of his Actions had been contrary to his Majesties Service so he would not for the future by a toleration unworthy a good Subject and an honest Man draw any jealousie upon his Intentions That by an excess of bounty and oftentimes contrary to his own desire his Majesty had enrich'd him with so many Possessions Honours and Offices that he had nothing left to desire of Heaven but Moderation in a Prosperity rais'd so infinitely beyond his Hopes That having receiv'd these benefits to no other end than to employ them in his Majesties Service he should be ready to surrender all upon command if by his Spoils any advantage might accrue to his Majesties Affairs That for the sum of all Obligation and for a final Testimony of his Majesties good Inclinations towards him he had only two Requests to make the first That his Majesty would never confer any of his Offices upon any of the League and the other that so often as his Enemies should by their Malice seek to ruine him in his Majesties Favour he would please to recollect the infinite Obligations he had laid upon him which was the greatest pledge of Fidelity a good Servant and an honest Man as he pretended to be could in his absence possibly leave with so good a Master The King though already prepar'd for the Duke's departure yet touch'd with so sad a Farewel could not refrain from Tears and his friendship producing the usual effects that all true friendships ordinarily do in such occasions made him forget the conditions he was bound to perform and once more to reiterate all sorts of perswasion to make him stay In which importunities though some have believ'd there was more of dissimulation than real truth yet it is certain that his Majesty in this proceeded with a most sincere affection and that looking more narrowly into the condition of his Affairs and considering he was about to surrender his Person into the hands of his Enemies by whom he saw himself already environed he could have been content to have retain'd a Servant of so approved Valour and Fidelity about him But the Duke having so often try'd and so often found it impossible to settle the King's mind to such resolutions as were most proper to secure his Dignity with Honour could never deliberate to look on and see the continuation of those evils for which he could neither see nor hope for any possible Remedy Remaining then firm in his resolution to depart he made a voluntary surrender of his Government of Normandy into the King's hands which was as soon transferr'd to the Duke of Montpensier a Prince of the House of Bourbon very affectionate to the King's Service and Father to Henry of Bourbon likewise Duke of Montpensier the same who in succession of time came to be the Duke's Nephew by a Marriage with Catherine de Ioyeuse his Neece she who as we have said before is now Dutchess of Guise And this of all those Offices the Duke stood seiz'd of was the only resignation the King would consent to whatever D' Auila is pleas'd to say to the contrary He says that the King importun'd the Duke to make a surrender of all his Employments at once excepting his Government of Provence but that the Duke Who was a man of exceeding great understanding and bred up by the King himself in all the Stratagems of State rais'd so many difficulties and made so many exceptions against the persons of all those who were propos'd to succeed him that suddenly departing before any thing was concluded he dexterously disingag'd himself from so nice and so dangerous a Proposition It is certain notwithstanding that the Duke was never press'd to lay down any of his Offices and if he did surrender his Government of Normandy it was not only a voluntary act but founded upon mature deliberation and great judgment as a Province that was near neighbour to Paris separated many Leagues from all the rest of his Governments and in which his Enemies had so great Interest that his Presence would be necessary to secure it neither considering the strong Faction they had within was it certain to be secur'd So that not being able amongst so many persecutions as he saw prepar'd against him to maintain all his Charges at once he rather chose to part with that he was not likely to keep at least without exposing all the rest than to abandon the other strong Holds and Places in his Possession which though particularly consider'd they seem'd to promise less than so important a Government as that of Normandy yet that by their vicinity to one another were more likely to be kept and to be more serviceable to him Thus then parted the Duke of Espernon from Court in Iune 1588. and retir'd himself to Loches though far otherwise than in the equipage of a declining Minister or attended like a Favourite laps'd into disgrace but with a numerous train of above three hundred Gentlemen and those of so good Quality as that he employ'd the most of them for the raising of such Forces as he had order from his Majesty speedily to set on foot But that which rendred him every where more considerable than this outward shew of greatness was his brave and unbated Courage of which he had given so many signal testimonies in his Prosperity that there was nothing left but such a disgrace as this to give it the utmost test and the last tryal of a noble Constancy Being come to Lochis he presently set
and that bear the greatest sway in all Humane Designs The end of the Second Book THE HISTORY Of the LIFE of the Duke of Espernon The Third Book WHilst the Dukes Enemies exercis'd his Vertue with these continual troubles they were themselves no less afflicted with their own Ambition The Assembly of the Estates was held at Bloâ—s where all things in outward shew were dispos'd in favour of the Duke of Guise but still as he approach'd nearer to his Object the greater the height and the more difficult the access unto the place to which he aspir'd appear'd unto him That one remaining step he was to climb to reach the height of his desires seeming to rise still further from him as oft as he attempted to gain it So that tir'd out with so many present difficulties and apprehending yet more those which were to come 't is said he was often almost resolv'd to leave off his Designs and to rely upon the King's Word that had so often assur'd him the enjoyment of his present greatness wherein also he doubted not without any great difficulty to maintain himself The Duke of Mayenne either jealous as some have thought of his Brothers Greatness or else of a more moderate temper than the rest of his Family had often advis'd him to this Resolution but the Cardinal their Brother and the Archbishop of Lyons were the Incendiaries that rekindled his dying Ambition and that hurried him on to that precipice into which they themselves at last fell with him They represented to him by what infinite labours and industry they had plac'd him in that height to which he was already arriv'd That if he ever had resolv'd there to limit his desires and to content himself with a competent Fortune he ought never to have undertaken those pains nor to have undergone those dangers he had so gloriously and so fortunately overcome That the merit of his Ancestors had left him greatness enough to satisfie an ordinary Ambition but that if he ever had the thought of rising above them as doubtless he had the way was open to him and that he had already overcome the greatest difficulties That the greater part of France stood for him and that almost all Foreign Princes and States were favourable to him That God himself seem'd to take his part by giving him a negligent and voluptuous Prince whose nature being softned and unnerv'd by ease and sloth had laid him open to his Designs That it was an easie matter in the condition himself then was to make him sure That not suddenly to do it it was to be fear'd the King might recover from his Lethargy and looking into himself might re-assume his former vigour and recover his almost lost Authoriâ—y That the very fear the King then liv'd in ought to be highly suspected to him That no Counsels were so violent and dangerous as those that proceeded from apprehension or extream necessity That he infinitely deceiv'd himself if he thought there could be any safety for him what promises soever the King might make in that height to which he had already rais'd himself That the Fortune of a Subject was never more unstable and unsafe than when it rendred him suspected to his Prince That he must boldly therefore step out of the quality of a Subject if he would be out of the danger of a Sovereign They further remonstrated to him what Opinion all Europe who were joyn'd together in his Favour what all good Frenchmen who were passionate in his cause what all posterity to which he ought to have a greater regard than to the present could have of his courage if the Duke of Guise only should think himself unworthy of that Dignity to which all the world besides so passionately wish'd he might arrive That he ought then boldly to end what he had so generously begun and so gloriously pursu'd and that though death it self should follow which was not in the least to be doubted it were notwithstanding more honourable to perish in so brave a Design than to survive the shame of not daring to perform it The Duke of Guise whose ambitious and unquiet Spirit was apt enough to take fire at such Counsels as these haughty and mutinous Prelates were fit to give was soon perswaded to renew his former practice and as if he had only suspended the prosecution of his Designs to take a little breath that he might fall on with greater violence he presently sent new dispatches to Rome and into Spain still more and more to fortifie himself in the Authority of the one and Strength of the other assuring further to himself at the same time either by promises or threats by himself or by his Adherents almost all the suffrages of the several Deputies of the Assembly which the King to whom all these practices were very well known being enform'd of and then seeing the manifest danger he was in of losing both his Authority and his Crown he determined to prevent the Duke by Counsels as severe and bloody as his own were rash and mutinous and to cut him off before he should have time to effect what he had so politickly and so dangerously design'dâ— A resolution which â—eing soon agreed upon with some of the Nobility his Majesty knew most faithful to him had the execution of it without further delay committed to eight of the five and forty These five and forty were all of them Gentlemen of approved Valour and for whose fidelity they who had recommended them to the King stood themselves engag'd so that of this Company to which the number had given the name his Majesty made his most assured Guard the greatest part of his Domesticks being become suspected to him and as it were wholly entrusted the safety of his Person to their Fidelity and care They attended him where-ever he went they nightly kept Guard in his Anti-Chamber and as nothing is so powerful as benefits to win the hearts and affections of men there was not one of them who besides his Salary of an hundred Crowns of Gold a month which was very much in those times had not over and above either receiv'd or had not very good reason to expect great recompenses from his Royal bounty So that these men being absolutely ty'd to all his Majesties Interests it was no hard matter to induce them to make an attempt upon the Person of the Duke of Guise against whom the King had conceiv'd a violent and implacable Hatred I shall here say nothing of the manner and circumstances of the Death of this Duke nor of that of the Cardinal of Guise his Brother who at the same time came to the same violent end most of our Historians being particular in that Relation but I can bear testimony that the Duke of Espernon did neither then nor ever since approve of that execution and that although he had receiv'd very hard measure from the Duke in his life he notwithstanding had his great
qualities in high esteem after his death And indeed he had so often and so generously employ'd those rare Endowments for the safety and honour of the Kingdom that his Vertue could never have been too highly commended could he have added the qualities of a good Subject to those other excellencies which rendred him one of the greatest men of his time A little before the Duke of Guise's death the King had dismist from Court the High Chancellor Chiverny and the â—ieures de Believre and de Villeroy Secretaries of State upon considerations that were then variously interpreted though the King would have the Duke of Espernon believe that the chief cause of Mounsieur de Villeroy's disgrace was the business of Angoulesme which his Majesty wholly laid to his charge and that the Duke might the better be confirm'd in this opinion the Sieur de Révol a particular creature of the Dukes one that was under him Comptroller of the Exchequer of Provence and that had no interest at Court saving his Protection was receiv'd into his Place His Majesty had no sooner absolutely determin'd the Duke of Guise's Ruine than that foreseeing the consequences so bloody an execution was likely to draw after it he dispatch'd away Colonel Alphonso Corso afterwards Mareschal d'Ornano to seize upon the Duke of Mayenâ—e at Lyons where he then resided which if it could have been in time effected his Majesty had in all apparence been secur'd from the greatest part of those mischiefs which this action afterwards produc'd but the Duke having receiv'd the news of his Brothers Deaths some hours before Alphonso's arrival was already in great diligence got to Horse and fled out at one Gate of the City as Ornano entred at another to surprize him and by that means first recovered Dijon and afterwards Paris without any impediment Where he was no sooner arriv'd than that laying aside that moderation he had euer manifested during his Brother's Life he declar'd himself Head of that Party he had ever till then to his great Reputation seem'd to condemn and drawing together all the Forces of the League that lay scatter'd up and down in several places he of them without stirring from Paris made a very considerable Army His Majesty easily judg'd that this storm would suddenly break upon him and fail'd not out of that foresight to call all his principal Servants about him which nevertheless made up but an inconsiderable Body and such as could no ways secure him from any attempt of the Enemy So that he was advis'd to send once more to the King of Navarre to intreat him to advance with his Troops to his succour which notwithstanding the King not being able to perswade himself to do his regard to Religion and the 〈◊〉 he bore to the Pope opposing that Council he only at that time sent Orders to the Duke of Espernon who had then a considerable Force on Foot to come over to him though afterwards and after many deliberations being also dispos'd to call in the King of Navarâ—e he sent to the Duke that before he put himself upon his march he should first go to this Prince to make the first overtures of this business to him The Sieur de Beaujeu was purposely dispatch'd to the Duke with these Orders which were no sooner receiv'd by him than he departed from Angoulesme to go to St Iean d' Angely where the King of Navarre then was and where having found him well dispos'd and very ready to do his Majesty the Service he desired of his Person and Faction he immediately made himself ready to go to the King who seeing his Enemies now ready to fall upon him had sent a new and instant Express to the Duke in all haste to come and joyn with him which express Order to satisfie with the greatest diligence he rather chose to leave the Negotiation he had already so successfully begun with the King of Navarre to the Dutchess of Angoulesme who soon after brought it to effect than one moment to defer his attendance on his Master in so critical a time and on so urgent an occasion All these great transactions hapned at Court after the Duke of Espernon had retir'd himself from thence into his Governments Neither was he in his retirement or in his choice of the place he retir'd unto either unactive in himself or in a Scene improper for his Majesties Service for he was no sooner disingag'd from the enterprize of Angoulesme but that he put himself immediately into a condition to awe many of his ill Neighbours in the adjoyning Provinces so as either to continue them in or to make them return unto their duty For which purpose having increas'd his Forces the first occasion he had to employ them was against those of the Religion who having beâ—ieg'd Periguex and upon the point to make themselves Masters of the place at the Duke's approach rais'd the Siege in great disorder and retir'd not without some considerable loss The Duke was after this preparing himself for greater enterprizes when Beaujeu brought him those foremention'd Orders from the King by whom having understood the great preparations the Duke of Mayenne made to come first to Blois and from thence to Touâ—s whither the King had then retir'd himself and knowing his Majesty almost naked of all defense and as it were expos'd to the violence of his Enemies he thought it necessary upon the instant to move with all his Forces that way and at the same time by a Gentleman to give his Majesty notice of his motion that he might receive his Majesties Commands upon the way By which Gentleman the King sent him presently word that the most important service he could then do him was to put himself into Blois For the Duke of Mayenne having resolv'd to make his first attempt upon that place either by the ruine of the Castle to revenge in part the death of his two Brothers who there last their lives or to make that City which by its vicinity to Tours was very proper to watch all advantages against the King his seat of War his Majesty conceiv'd there would be little security for him in Tours should his Enemy possess himself of that Post and had therefore bent all his care and endeavour to preserve it out of the power of the League His Majesty would have put the Mareschal de Biron into that place and afterwards he having excus'd himself the Mareschal d' Aumont but both the one and the other having refus'd the danger of defending and with unequal Forces a place that being in it self open on all sides was not well to be defended and that was to expect the first fury of the League to be bent against it his Majesty turn'd his thoughts towards the Duke of Espernon and knowing that the difficulty of the undertaking would be no little motive to make the Duke embrace it his Majesty sent him word that the Mareschals de Biron and d'
their own times an injustice that descending upon the Duke not only in the usual forms of Calumny but in an extraordinary stile and with greater demonstrations of malice to him and his reputation than to any other of this or of almost any other time before him I thought it a duty to truth to him and to posterity now that time has laid open the falsity of those slanders that have been publish'd against him to discover the true causes and reasons why he so long persisted in the defence of his Government and as far as I am able at least to rescue those actions from obloquy which all disinterested and worthy men will upon mature deliberation think worthy of all commendation and honour A design which as I have impartially undertaken so have I not herein made use of my own Arguments but only made a faithful report of what I have learn'd from the most unsuspected testimony gather'd out of the best Historians or receiv'd from the Duke 's own mouth who must of necessity know the truth as well as any and much better than those who writ at random of affairs Neither do I apprehend why what he himself reported for the justification of those actions which were so unhappily interpreted should not be of as good authority for him as what was publish'd to his prejudice by men who were profestly haters of his Person and apparently emulous of his Name and Fortune The Duke of Espernon having as has been said rejected all propositions made him by those who were enemies to the King would accept of no other protection than what he expected from his Majesties Justice and Bounty however incens'd against him In which resolution having set up his rest he dispatch'd away Guez his principal Secretary to the King to carry him an assurance of his Fidelity and Obedience who being arriv'd at Court was presented to his Majesty by the Marquiss de Roquelaure a man who in the Duke's severest persecution and when the tongue of calumny was most bitter against him had ever preserv'd for him a most entire and constant Friendship and who had made no difficulty in his Majesties greatest Passions a time of all other the most dangerous to dispute with Princes to justifie and undertake for his Friends integrity and to uphold his interest with an admirable and never enough to be commended constancy Guez then was by him no sooner brought into the Kings presence than his Majesty with a stern look presently told him that if himself to whom he was sent had no greater a kindness for him than his Master had who had sent him he should that hour cause his head to be struck from his shoulders and that he much wonder'd a man of sense as he was durst come to him from the Duke of Espernon whom he himself knew very well to hold intelligence with his Enemies To which Guez who was very well assur'd of the contrary reply'd that he would willingly submit to the punishment his Majesty was pleas'd to threaten if the Duke was guilty of those things whereof he stood accus'd and that he came to his Majesty on the behalf of a Loyal Subject his most humble and faithful Servant who had rather chosen to depend upon his Majesties Grace and Favour and to throw himself at his feet without condition than to accept of the most advantageous offers could by his Majesties Enemies be propos'd unto him After which the King having ask'd him if he might rely upon his word and Guez having by many protestations confirm'd what he before had said his Majesty resolv'd to receive the Duke into his favour and a few days after dispatch'd away Mounsieur de Roquelaure himself the Duke's most intimate Friend to give him assurance that he might with all freedom come to Court where from his Majesty he should receive all the satisfaction he could expect or desire The Duke without insisting upon greater precaution or other security than what he found in his own Conscience took his journey to Court and that with so absolute a confidence in his Majesties Royal Word that he would not so much as open the Letters Mounsieur de Roquelaure brought him from the King but at his arrival restor'd them to his Majesty seal'd up as they were sent by which generous behaviour excuses and reasons having given his Majesty full satisfaction in all things he receiv'd him into an honourable degree of Favour and soon after gave him the Government of the higher and lower Limousin in recompense of that of Provence A charge in truth that held no proportion with the other but that nevertheless bordering upon Xaintonge Angoumois and the Country of Aulins which the Duke already had lay very convenient for him and besides by being newly conferr'd upon him gave the world to see that his Majesty did not look upon him as a Rebel The King gave him moreover 100000 Crowns to defray part of the expense he had been at in Provence by which his Majesty seem'd to acknowledge it had been there well employ'd and it was assign'd him upon the Convoy of Bourdeaux Thus did the Duke quit all his pretenses in Provence and remain'd at Court with the King I could here speak of the enterprize of Marselles without danger of digression it having been executed by the Duke of Guise whilst the Duke of Espernon was yet in Provence and the rather because the Sieges of St. Tropés and Oriol which were then in his possession serv'd much to palliate the Duke of Guise's Design but having no need to seek elsewhere than in the particular actions of the Duke of Espernon himself to swell the bulk of my History I shall how great and shining soever that action was forbear to make a further mention of it the Historians of that time having given accompts of it at large And yet whilst I omit the main thing so pertinent to my Story I cannot forbear to mention a remarkable circumstance which I have from a very good hand and that I doubt not will be acceptable to my Reader though it be utterly from the matter of my Subject After the Duke of Guise had put an end to his enterprize a success of the greatest glory to himself and importance to the State that could possibly have hapned at that time he thought it but reasonable to enjoy the fruits of his Victory by giving himself a vacation from the hardships of War to the softer delights of Liberty and Ease which made him seek out all the Diversions the Town could afford that any way suited with the appetite of his youth and pleasure The chiefest of which was the frequentation of a Gentlewoman in the City of but moderate beauty but of so admirable a wit as gave her for a distinction of excellency above the other women of the City the name of the Marselles This Lady had formerly been a Mistriss of the Duke of Espernon's and was at this time highly courted by the
remain'd was content to expect some happy opportunity that might re-establish him in the possession of a place so important to his fortune and whereof he saw himself at present absolutely depriv'd During his Majesties abode at Metz the Provincial of the Fathers Jesuits was by the Duke of Espernon presented to him where the proposition preferr'd by the Provincial for the re-establishment of his fraternity in France was so promoted by the Duke's mediation that it was concluded on to his great satisfaction Neither was this the first good office the Duke had done them nor the sole testimony he had given of his affection and respect to that Society he having ever been one of their most constant and most powerful Protectors in the time of their persecution as he was one of their principal benefactors after their re-establishment Metz that ever till then had made many and almost invincible difficulties of ever admitting them into their Corporation receiv'd them upon the Duke 's single accompt as he also procur'd their admission into Angoulesme before he left that Government Their Colledge of Xaints has no other foundation than what he bestow'd upon it of four thousand Livers a year in two fair Benefices which put all together have rendred him one of the principal Benefactors of that Society by the acknowledgment and testimony of the most ancient and most eminent men of the Order The variety of accidents and business that had befallen the King in these last years were yet too few to take him wholly up he still found leisure enough for his delights and although he himself took a particular accompt of all Affairs and was ever the main director in all things yet his abilities which nothing was too big for rendred him so excellent at dispatch that he still made way for his vacation and pleasure The Peace concluded with all his Neighbours and his domestick troubles extinguish'd either by the punishment of the offenders or by the excess of his own clemency gave him now sufficient leisure to look after the reformation of such abuses as were crept into the state during the licence of War an employment which how becoming soever his Royal care and how profitable soever to the Kingdom took up but a very inconsiderable part of his time the rest being dedicated to the Chace to play and to the diversions of Love entertainments that as the passions and humours of Princes who are the great examples of their people do easily insinuate themselveâ—â—nto their Subjects Affections or at least their imitation were grown so much in fashion at Court that there was scarce any talk of any other thing and if they had during this Voyage to Metz suffer'd a little intermission they were at the return of the Court to Paris more than ever set on foot It has been believ'd that though the King in his hunting and his Mistrisses altogether follow'd the proâ—â—ivity of his own nature yet that for what concern'd play he had in that as much design at least as inclination I have already told you that his Majesty having set down the bringing low the great men of his Kingdom by imperceptible ways to render them more obedient for a Maxime of State had put them upon the humour of Building to drain their purses and doubtless his engaging them in play was in order to the same design amongst whom the Duke of Espernon who already felt the smart of the first and that very well understood his Majesties meaning in the latter refus'd not nevertheless to make one for his Master's satisfaction but if he did it at first meerly out of compliance his ill fortune at last made it become his revenge and enclin'd him so passionately to it that he found himself in the end engag'd in so extraordinary losses as were no little inconvenience to him His Majesty would often do him the honour to play at his house ever inviting him to all his Matches And whether he retir'd to Zamet or to any other place to evade the tumult of Majesty and Greatness the Duke of Espernon was always the first invited so that although he was not in favour he was nevertheless in great esteem of which one of the most signal testimonies he could receive was the honour the King did him in permitting him to enter the Louvre in his Coach a favour till this time reserv'd only for the Princes of the Blood exclusively to all other persons of the Kingdom the Duke being the first that unlock'd this Priviledge for the Dukes and Peers though he enjoy'd it alone during the King's life his Majesty though oâ—ten importun'd by others of the same quality for the same honour never consenting to have it drawn into example 'T is true that after the King's death the Queen Regent to accommodate her self to the time was content to abate much of the Royal State and allow'd the Dukes and Peers and Officers of the Crown the same Priviledge but the respect to the Duke's person was that which first procur'd them that indulgence A famous Gamester call'd Pimentel an Italian came at this time into France whose dexterity in gulling the Court was such that I cannot forbear to mention him in this place 'T is said and it is perfectly true that this Cavalier hearing what an humour of play reign'd at the French Court caus'd great number of false Dice to be made of which he himselâ— only knew the high and the low runners hiring men to carry them into France where after they had bought up and convey'd away all that were in Paris he supply'd all the Shops with his own By which means having subjected the spirit of Play and ty'd the hands of Fortune he arriv'd at last in France where insinuating himself into the Court he was by some of his own Nation who had great interest there soon brought acquainted with the King Some have believ'd his Majesty understood the man well enough and was content to admit him for a Gamester the better to bring about his own design of impoverishing the Lords of his Court whose Riches grew suspected to him The Duke of Espernon was one from whom he drew the most considerable summes who after having got all his ready mony and many of his Jewels he moreover won of him a piece of Ambergris to the value of 20000. Crowns the greatest that ever was seen in Europe and which the Republick of Venice to whom it was after sold preserve to this day in their Treasure for a great rarity The Duke had not long been Master of it a Country fellow that had found it upon the Coast of Medoc having but a little before brought it to him as a thing due to the House of Candale of which the Duke was now the head This Ancient and illustrious Family are possessors of many goodly Mannors in Guienne and principally in the Country of Medoc with as ample priviledges as belong to any of the greatest Territories of the Kingdom
out with the continual disorders the excess of his clemency begat every day in his Kingdom he was resolv'd to take order once for all and by a severe and exemplary punishment to quiet the Rebellion some of Mounsieur de Boüillons Servants openly maintain'd after his departure out of the Kingdom in Perigord Quercy and Limousin The Mareschal de Boüillon was seiz'd of many very fair possessions and had many Friends and Servants in those Provinces where the Nobility Gentry and Commons being also naturally inclin'd to Arms it was no hard matter to perswade them into commotion The King had been given to understand that under the pretense of seeking protection only from the Protestant Princes of Germany and the Swisse Cantons the Mareschal endeavour'd to interest them in the Quarrel of those of the Religion in France by possessing them as it was said that since the King's Conversion their usage was far different from what it had formerly been and the liberty of Conscience far more restrain'd than it us'd to be Neither did his Majesty doubt but that all of his opinion in his Kingdom would easily be induc'd to follow the Duke of Boüillon's discontent who had acquir'd an absolute reputation among them He farther saw that many Catholicks made no scruple to joyn with him to the end they might re-enjoy the licence of War which would by no means be allow'd them in the better times of Peace He knew that great summes of mony were distributed for the raising of men which mony was suspected to come from Spain from whence all the intestine broils of his Kingdom had ever been countenanc'd and promoted Evil dispositions that being all joyn'd together were sufficient to produce great disorders in the State and to reduce the King in spite of his heart to the necessity of a Civil War His Majesty therefore thinking it very convenient to prevent all these disorders and to suffocate them in their Birth resolv'd to go in person to Limousin either by his Presence to appease or by his Authority to suppress the begun Commotions but to dispose them to their obedience if possible before his arrival to chastise some Offenders without drawing the Odium immediately upon himself and to reduce every one to his Duty he order'd the Duke of Espernon to go before with six Companies only of his Regiment of Guards and four Troops of Horse not doubting but with this little Body together with the Duke's Interest which was very considerable in those parts of which some places were under his own Government he would be able to give a better accompt of his Expedition than another perhaps could do with greater Forces And to the end that his Justice might accompany his Arms he joyn'd to the Duke Iean Iaques de Mesmes Segnieur de Roissy Master of Requests with Commission of Oyer and Terminer to sit upon the Life and Death of the Offenders This was he so famous for his Integrity and Valour that was afterwards Doyen to the Council of State where though the esteem every one had of his Vertue was very great yet was it no more than was due to his merit although afterwards in the progress of a long life he had this honour added to the rest he enjoy'd to see his name illustrated by a noble Posterity not any man scarce of his condition in the Kingdom having supply'd the State with so great and able Ministers The Duke having taken his leave of the King advanc'd into Limousin where he would have Crequy Camp-Master to the Regiment of Guards to command in person the Forces he took along with him and where the most turbulent spirits at his unexpected arrival which by his diligence had almost got the start of any intelligence of his coming mediâ—ated nothing less than their defense some of the most advis'd fearing to have to do with the Duke or de Roissy appeal'd to his Majesties mercy and by the acknowledgement of their offense obtain'd their Pardon others retir'd themselves to the Duke de Boüillon to Sedan the most imprudent or the most unfortunate only falling into the hands of Justice Of which five or six suffer'd death though many others were punish'd by more moderate ways so that before the King's arrival at Limoges all those Countries that before breath'd nothing but Sedition and Disorder were now so calm and still that his Majesty had nothing to do but by his Clemency to settle Rebels newly reclaim'd from their Disobedience in their Duty and to reward his faithful Subjects by the demonstrations of his Grace and Favour The end of the Fifth Book THE HISTORY Of the LIFE of the Duke of Espernon The Sixth Book THE Affairs of Limousin that had taken up the Duke of Espernon the whole year having been compos'd with the facility you have heard the King return'd again to Paris attended by the Duke who had now nothing left to do behind The antiquated enmity that so many years had been nourish'd betwixt the House of Guise and him continued still which was ready to discover it self upon every light occasion and almost as oft as they met to come to a bustle betwixt them In all which disputes the Duke notwithstanding that that Illustrious Family by the greatness of their Birth and by their Offices in the State by their vast possessions in the Kingdom and above all by the great number of generous Princes of which it was compos'd as also by the potency of their Alliances made up a great part of the Court would never give them the least ground but ever sustein'd their power with great Spirit and Vigour neither did he want such a number of Relations and Servants as might secure him from the apprehension of the greatness of any He had sometime before this had a brisk dispute with the Duke of Guise the King being at Lyons which proceeded so far that the Duke of Espernon by the hands of la Pierre one of the Duke's Gentlemen receiv'd a Challenge from him though the Quarrel had been so publick and the Duke of Guise was so narrowly watch'd by his Friends that he could not get out into the Field wherein the Duke of Espernon was better serv'd by his who permitted him to go out of the City with Gohas whom he took with him for his second but being call'd back by the King's Command who would himself compose their difference that Quarrel was soon at an end There hapned at this time another betwixt the Duke of Espernon and the Prince of Ioinville now Duke of Chevreuse and Brother to the Duke of Guise for this Prince having staid the Coach of a Woman of Quality at the outer Gate of the Louvre one night that the King had appointed a great Dancing at Court and the Duke coming out with the Duke of Montensier to go home the Ladies Coach so stopt the Gate that the Duke's could not possibly pass wherefore he commanded the Coachman to make way But the Duke of
till then receiv'd from his Royal bounty and that if he had a thousand lives he would willingly lay them all at his feet to express his gratitude for so signal a favour That he did humbly beseech their Majesties to retain that favourable opinion of him and to conclude him the most unworthy of all their Subjects and the worst of all men if he ever fail'd in the least part of his Duty After this the King told him he could not leave him at present with the Queen having occasion for him to command the Vant-Guard of his Army till the Prince of Orange should come up to him for whom he had reserv'd that employment A thing the Duke knew before as also that the King intended him the honour of that important command in the mean time But the election of his person in that great employment of sitting at the Helm did not a little displease and increase the envy of many of the greatest men of the Kingdom who had long look'd a squint upon the Duke's Prosperity and Favour though his Majesty having maturely and upon very good grounds proceeded to that choice was not for any consideration or by any arguments whatsoever to be disswaded from that resolution I know not how some who envy the Duke's name and memory may entertain a relation so much to his advantage though were I put to prove the truth of what I report I could bring a great many persons of Honour and Quality to attest it the Queen Mother in the first Letter she writ to the King after her escape from Blois makes particular mention of it than whom no one could be better inform'd in this Affair and has also several times since declar'd by word of mouth what she then publish'd in writing neither was it a secret at that time no more than I hope it will be suspected in this where so many persons are living of Reputation enough to give it Authority should it be contradicted by any who perhaps are not so well inform'd The King having as has been said taken order to secure all things that were likely in his absence to disturb the peace of his Kingdom prepar'd himself to be gone The Queen had been Crown'd at St. Dennis the thirteenth of May and her entry into Paris was design'd to have been on Sunday the sixteenth and on the seventeenth his Majesty intended without further delay to set out towards the Army Nothing was now to be seen in Paris but great preparations of joy and triumph to honour the remaining Ceremony of the Queens Coronation nothing but demonstrations of the Kings Magnificence and of the felicity of his Reign himself being most diligent in giving the Orders necessary for the state of that Solemnity when this Great and Illustrious Prince the terror of his Enemies and the love and delight of his people going abroad upon the fourteenth of the same month to view the preparation of those Magnificences was in a stop he 〈◊〉 upon the way in the street de la Ferronnerie by Saint Innocents Church with three stabs of a Villain 's Knife laid dead in his Coach The Duke of Espernon had the honour to be seated by the King in the hinder part of the Coach upon whom his Majesty was leaning to whisper something in his ear the Duke of Monbazon with the Mareschal de la Vardin was in one of the Booâ—s and other persons of great Quality took up the rest at the first stab the King cried out I am hurt at which the Duke of Espernon who saw the next blow coming holding up his arm to divert it receiv'd part of it in the sleeve of his Doublet that was strook through though the King's Destiny would not suffer him to receive it all nor permit that at the peril of his own life he should save that of his Master as with all his soul he would have done The cursed Parricide proceeded yet to a third stab of which the two last were mortal and with the second the King tumbled dead upon the Duke who receiv'd him in his Arms his blood boiling in great quantities out of his mouth After this execrable act the cursed Assassinate was soon discover'd against whom those who attended the King and amongst them Saint Michel one of his Gentlemen in ordinary prompted by a just fury had already drawn his Sword to dispatch him when the Duke calling to mind how much those Gentlemen had been condemn'd who kill'd Iaques Clement upon the Murther of Henry the III. by whose imprudent zeal a further discovery from the wretches own mouth of the Authors of that abominable Treason was prevented he cried out to Saint Michel and to the Footmen who had drawn their Swords to the same purpose to hold and upon pain of death not to kill him but only to seize kis person that he might be deliver'd into the hands of Iustice. A caution that serv'd not a little to the vindication of an infinite number of worthy men on whom without all doubt the various Factions that after broke out in the Kingdom would according to their several Animosities have laid the blame of that detested Fact to serve for a pretense to their Insurrection The Duke having given this first order commanded the Coach man to turn back to the Louvre and having spied in the King's Train the Marquis de Monferrant his particular Friend and Servant he intreated him to go before and from him to command the Foot Companies that were upon the Guard before the Louvre to stand immediately to their Arms and to secure all the Gates to prevent any disorder in the King's Houshold In the execution of which command and in the distraction the sight of so horrid and so unexpected an accident might reasonably put him into Monferrant met the Chancellour de Sillery then going to Council in the Louvre who asking him the reason of that hurly burly and of the Souldiers running to their Arms Monferrant told him the King was dead at which the Chancellour amaz'd and in suspense how to believe it grasping him by the arm and saying how 's that Mounsieur de Monferrant do you know what you say the Coach arriv'd with the Curtains drawn out of which the King without any motion was carried up in a Cloak and laid upon the Bed in his Wardrobe The Duke after he had paid this last Office to his dead Master though surpriz'd to the degree may be imagin'd at so tragical an accident was not long nevertheless before he recollected himself when considering that the greatest testimony he could give of his gratitude to his dead Prince was to serve those he had left to succeed him he began to pay the Queen those services he had but a few days before in the King's Closet engag'd himself to perform though the Orders he there receiv'd were not intended to have been executed so soon nor upon so fatal an occasion The rumout of the King's death
there to confer with President Seguier without whose advice he resolv'd to proceed no further This man whose integrity judgment and affection the Duke had in equal esteem had ever even in the time of his Favour and in the greatest difficulties of his Affairs been with his Counsel assisting to him neither didt he Duke at this time or since resolve almost upon any thing whether of general or particular concern without first communicating the business to him and consulting his Advice There was at this time none of the Princes of the Blood at Court for the Prince of Condâ— had some time before the King's death retir'd into Flanders and was at this time at Milan and the Count de Soissons was at his house at Champigny so that no body being at Court considerable enough to make a party the Duke at his going out of the Louvre found almost all the Lords and Gentlemen who were then in Paris and whom the suddenness and great concern of that bloody Accident had assembled together at the Gate ready to attend him Being upon the way with this great Train he had not gone far before he met with the Duke of Guise whom he found also very well accompanied though with a Train far inferiour to his own These two Dukes nor their Families were not as yet so well united the paternal hatred having been rather fomented by the quarrels the Duke had lately had with both the Sons notwithstanding his Majesties endeavour to reconcile them but that there was greater expectation this meeting should beget some new disorder than that men so disunited betwixt themselves should concur so suddenly and happily in the publick Service insomuch that their followers on both sides seem'd only to expect a signal from their Leaders to fall to blows when the Duke of Guise having with great civility saluted the Duke ask'd him how that sad misfortune had hapned to whom the Duke in short related the manner of the King's death with what had after pass'd betwixt the Queen and him and the Order he was by her Majesties Command going to take to prevent any tumult in the City Whereupon the Duke of Guise asking him if there were not something for him to do in the Queens Service also the Duke reply'd That since he ask'd his advice he conceiv'd he might do both the Queen and the Kingdom a signal Service by only shewing himself in the streets of Paris Thâ—t the people aw'd within their duty by the presence of a man of his condition would be less apt to be seduc'd into commotion and that by the calm which would by that means be preserv'd in the City they might doubtless more effectually proceed to the establishment of such good orders as would for the future secure the peace of the whole Kingdom A counsel the Duke of Guise as readily follow'd and the good Fortune of France having upon the instant extiguish'd all particular Animosities betwixt these two great Persons so as to make them beyond all expectation joyn in the common Service of the State This happy union and concurrence was of no little importance to the conservation of the Peace in that mutinous City The Duke after continued his way to the President 's House to whom having communicated his designs he found them to be generally approv'd by him insomuch that before they parted it was concluded betwixt them that that very day and as soon as it was possible the Parliament should be intreated to Assemble the management of which being undertaken by the President the Duke went in the mean time to provide for the rest He began with the Hostel de Ville where having found the Prevost des Marchands the Eschevins and Burgesses met together after he had first given them an accompt in brief of the sad Accident had hapned he proceeded to exhort them To confirm to his Majesties Successors the Love and Obedience they had paid to him during his happy Reign He told them that by persevering in their Duty they might secure their own Lives and Estates which would otherwise be certainly expos'd to the violence and licence of Seditious men That the least disorder of this nature that should happen in the City would put the whole Kingdom into Confusion That he therefore intreated them to cause all their Gates to be shut to the end that no one might be permitted either to go out or to come in who were either thought able or likely to breed any disturbance in the publick peace to give order to the Capains of the Train'd-Bands to have their Companies in readiness upon any occasion might happen and to walk themselves the round of the City the better by their Presence and Authority to keep every one in his Duty He further gave them notice that he had already caus'd the Regiment of Guards both French and Swisse to stand to their Arms on purpose to suppress those who should first make the least shew of Insurrection but that he hop'd their wisdoms would prevent a confusion which would not so easily be compos'd if once grown to a head as it might be suppress'd in the beginning A Remonstrance that being deliver'd with great plainness and vigour wrought so good an effect that all the Magistrates unanimously engag'd to do their utmost endeavours for the conservation of the publick Peace as they accordingly did which was none of the weakest links that curb'd the head-strong multitude of that unruly City From the Hostel de Ville the Duke went to the Augustins where that Session of Parliament had by the King been appointed to be kept the Palace having been before furnish'd for the Ceremony of the Queens Coronation and where by the diligence of President Segnier he found them already Assembled The Regiment of Guards had already possess'd themselves of the Pont-Neuf and stood in order all along the Rüe Dauphine to guard according to the Duke's command all the passes round about the Convent des Augustins a precaution which though by the Duke meerly intended for the Parliaments security was nevertheless misinterpreted by some to be rather design'd to compel them to execute his own particular Counsels than that every man at greater liberty might have freedom to deliver his own Opinion neither were the most prudent and best dispos'd sorry as has been said that the world should conceive there was some necessity upon them of a speedy resolution in the present juncture of Affairs forasmuch also as some who were prepossess'd in their judgments would be oblig'd to concur with them and disappointed either from opposing or deferring to declare the Queen Mother Regent during the King's Minority which was the only thing then to be debated The Duke being come into the Hall where the Parliament was set with his Sword in his hand though not drawn and in some disorder both in his Cloaths and Countenance began his Speech with some excuses For appearing in that honourable Assembly in so undecent a
That to procure their consents there was no way so plausible and consonant to Law as therein to interest all the Parliaments of France by prevailing with that of Paris whose whose Act would be a kind of Warranty to the rest That should they have staid the coming of the Count de Soissons he would by his presence infallibly have sway'd all things according to his inclination That the Prince of Condé coming after would have been impatient at his younger Brother's getting the start of him in an Affair where the priority of Vote in the Election was in him by which means the variety of their interests not permitting them to concur in an Act wherein each of them would be ambitious to precede a fraction betwixt them must of necessity ensue That for that reason he had us'd all diligence in pressing the Parliament to a speedy resolution in favour of the Queen In the carrying on of which Affair it is in my opinion something hard to determine whether the Stars of France or the Duke's Prudence did most prevail It is not to be denied but that both the one and the other contributed very much to the happy performance of this great work But it is likewise most certain that the business had never been so fortunately effected if the Duke had less prudently foreseen what was likely to ensue or had proceeded with less diligence and vigour to the establishment of this Election to the general benefit of the Kingdom wherein if he perform'd a signal Service to the State he did no less for the Prince who would have met with no little impediments to his rising greatness had he at his return found the Count de Soissons settled as it were a Co-partner in the Government by being possess'd of some of the most important Employments of the Kingdom Thus was this business carried on France being from the highest step of her Glory precipitated into the greatest extream of her Misfortune and the King's Triumphs being in a moment overcast with the Funeral Black of his Obsequies but the re-establishment of the State overthrown by so great and so tragick a Revolution and the publick happiness in an instant secur'd without one drop of Blood was it not an afternoons work of the Duke of Espernon and can so great a success without injustice be attributed to any thing but to his prudent Conduct In the Narrative whereof I have not added one syllable more than the truth and doubtless there are many yet alive that can justifie all I have said I know very well that the Historians of that time have not mention'd all the particularities I have as material to my purpose insisted upon and that those who have been most exact have recorded but very few in their Relations which is in part the reason why I have more willingly enlarg'd my self in this discourse that I might impartially render what is so justly due to Truth and Virtue The sad accident of the King's Death was so suddenly spread all over Europe that it seem'd as if his person rais'd to the highest pitch of Honour to which man can arrive had fall'n in the sight of all the world The Prince of Condé who as has been said resided then at Milan receiv'd the first news of it from the Condé de Fuentes which was immediately after confirm'd by a Courrier dispatch'd purposely to him from the Queen Regent to invite him back into France The Count de Soissons who was but two little days journey from Paris was much sooner inform'd and at the same instant in all diligence repair'd thither to see what this accident might produce where he arriv'd the sixteenth of May two days only after the King's Death but late enough notwithstanding to find all things dispatch'd to his hand So that matters being already concluded the Queens Authority establish'd the Parliament People Souldiery and whole City settled in their Duty and nothing lest for him to do but to approve what was already done and which he could no ways hope to overthrow had he dislik'd it he was fain whether sincerely or otherwise to concur in the Election and thereupon went to present himself to the Queen where he assur'd her Majesty of his Faith and absolute Obedience The Count at his arrival at Court observing the Duke of Espernon to be seated in that degree of Favour and Reputation to which by his signal and recent Services to the Queen he might justly pretend he forthwith resolv'd to contract a strict connexion with him as accordingly by making him a tender of his Friendship and assistance against all whomsoever he endeavour'd to do neither did he do it but upon very good consideration for foreseeing that the Prince of Condé returning to Court as he soon after did would infallibly take upon him the preeminence and degree due to his Quality and Birth he would by that means labour so to establish himself before his arrival that it should not be in the Princes Power to shake him To which end he could pitch upon none so proper to support his Interest as the Duke of Espernon who was at that time the most considerable person in the Kingdom The Queen had appointed him Lodgings in the Louvre not conceiving her self secure as she was pleas'd to say but under his Vigilancy and Valour all dispatches were communicated to him his Orders and Advice were in all things follow'd and observ'd so that would he have stretch'd his Authority to the utmost or had he been ambitious of favour he might doubtless with great facility have made himself sole Master of Affairs but so far was he from desiring to appear necessary though effectually so to the excluding those who had right to the Council that on the contrary he entreated the Queen to call and admit into it all such as either by the priviledge of their Birth or by the repute of their capacities might reasonably pretend to that Honour coveting no greater advantage than to have a concurrence with worthy men for the publick Safety and seeing he could not without drawing great envy upon himself possess alone that preeminence in the Administration to which the King had design'd him he was content with the rest to share that part which could not equitably be denied to his approv'd Fidelity and Wisdom Though the Count de Soissons had the foremention'd reasons to seek the Duke of Espernon's friendship he had yet therein a further and a more important design and that was by the Duke's assistance to procure a Match betwixt Madamoiselle â—de Montpenâ—ier the Duke's Niece and his own Son Lewis of Bourbon since Count de Soissons neither was the Duke so ill read in this Princes intention that he did not very well perceive at what part he took his aim which made him though he receiv'd the offer of his friendship with the respect due to a Prince of the Blood nevertheless accept it with such a gravity and reservation as
who by the Correspondence he had maintain'd with Zaâ—et Bandiny Cenamy and some other active men of that Nation who in those times play'd their game so wisely as to keep in with all parties of the Kingdom had made himself a Fortune in France Amongst other advantages he had there made to himself he had got the possession of several Abbeys arising in all to a Revenue of above ten thousand Crowns a year amongst which that of Signy in Champaigne not far from Sedan was most considerable His eldest Son which was he of whom I am now speaking as most eldest Sons of the best Families of Itlay that education making them capable of the greatest Dignities of the Court of Rome was bred up to the Church neither had he been wanting in his industry to acquire all those qualities that were most likely to recommend him to the highest Preferment He had studied much and particularly been diligent to learn to speak and write accurately in his own Language wherein he succeeded so well that his own fine parts together with the plentiful Fortune he was Master of he having no less in Secular Revenue than in Spiritual Entertainment procur'd him so great a Reputation in the Court of Rome that he there obtain'd the Office of Clerk of the Chamber Pope Paul the Fifth under whose Papacy he was there admitted look'd upon him with a very gracious eye and though a young man intrusted his discretion with many secrets of State not seldom making use of his Pen in Affairs of greatest importance and often saying by way of favour that he discover'd something in him of Signior de la Casa his great Uncle All which favours having possess'd the Cardinal-Nephews with a great jealousie towards Rucellay as himself said or he perhaps having fail'd on his part in a fit complacency to oblige them he was by them persecuted to that degree that he was forc'd to quit the Court of Rome and to retire into France A good part of his Estate lay in that Country the Mareschal d' Encre a Florentine as he was commanded all there and those of his own Nation having ever been well receiv'd in that Kingdom it appear'd he could not make choice of a safer nor a more honourable retreat He was thirty years of age or thereabouts when he arriv'd in France where he was at first very kindly receiv'd by the Mareschal d' Encre and soon after in great esteem with the whole Court where with twenty thousand Crowns a year that he had coming in he liv'd in so extraordinary a degree of splendor as equall'd if not out-went the greatest Nobility of the Kingdom no Table was so neatly serv'd nor so plentifully furnish'd as his no man more nobly nor more handsomly attended than he to which the presents he continually made of all the Curiosities wherewith Italy so abounds as by her overflow to oblige all other Nations were so many and so considerable as that single way of expense seem'd alone to exceed his Revenue Neither did he win less upon the Ladies by his liberalities and extraordinary fine fashion than he did upon the men by his more considerable qualities insomuch that he obtain'd the favour and applause of all And although the Mareschal d' Encre had not as yet fix'd him in any settled employment in the management of Affairs yet was he with him in so eminent a degree of favour as was a fair step in the height the Court Favourite then stood to the greatest Offices of the Kingdom The death of the Mareschal therefore as it had put a period to all Rucellay's future hopes so did it possess him with such a grief as was not to be comforted but by the last effects of an implacable animosity he had conceiv'd against those who had been the instruments of his ruine And this spirit of Revenge it was that prompted him to be one of those who animated the Queen against the new Favourites though such Counsels were not necessary to her who of her self was sensible enough the particular injuries she had receiv'd having already incens'd her to such a height that she was very easily dispos'd to employ him in a Treaty with the Duke de Boüillon on her behalf In this Journy Rucellay was to undergo much trouble and very great danger he never daring to Travel but by night and in disguise for the most part alone and always without any Equipage for how circumspect soever he had been in his intelligencies to the Queen he could not however send them in so secret a manner but that she being continually and narrowly watch'd on all sides by spies set over her by Luines to that purpose some of his practices had been discover'd insomuch that I have heard him say he had notice given him that several of his Pictures were sent to the Magistrates and other inferiour Officers that they might know and apprehend him in any of their respective Jurisdictions Yet could not all these difficulties fright him from undertaking this Negotiation and if he had before given several testimonies of his wit and bravery upon other occasions he manifested no less in this of the constancy of his Courage his Wisdom and Fidelity which were very eminent and of great use in the conduct of this Affair The main thing he apprehended in this undertaking was the infirmity of his own tender and delicate constitution who whilst he had liv'd in the calms of peace the delights of Rome or the effeminacies of the Courts of France had ever been so impatient of the Sun and Evenings Dew Heat and Cold that the least intemperance of the Air would usually cause strange alterations in his health which notwithstanding he was no sooner in Action but that he found those little inconveniencies left behind as if he had had no leisure to be sick Whether it were that the Favourites only guess'd at the Queen Mothers discontents by the offense they had given her or that they had some more certain knowledge thereof than meer conjecture they were however very vigilant to frustrate her Designs To which purpose soon after her Majesties arrival at Blois and the Banishment of the Bishop of Luçon they had sent to her Mounsieur de Roissy under colour of a Council for the management of her Affairs A man that in truth at another season would have been acceptable enough but in this juncture of time and preferr'd to her by her enemies could not but stand highly suspected to her Neither had he without great reluctancy taken upon him an employment of that nature the principal end of his Commission being as it was to discover the Queens practices and designs though neither his unwillingness could excuse him from going nor all his art and observation hinder the Queen from conferring sometimes in private with those of her Servants in whose fidelity she repos'd the greatest trust when he was there Of which Luines being advertis'd and willing not only to give himself
by him sent to make the first overtures to the Duke presuming his own person might not be so acceptable to him but that he had seen the Duke of Boüillon and treated with him That Vincentio had given him an accompt of all he had done at Metz and had deliver'd a Cypher to him That he knew very well that he le Plessis in the Canting of that Cypher was call'd Floze the Duke by another name and his Sons by others After which explanation he desir'd him to consider whether a man so well inform'd in and able ot give so good an accompt of the business was fit to be laid aside That he could not but wonder the Duke of Espernon should continue to use him so ill who had never given him any offense but on the contrary had been highly offended by him and his that having so many and just inducements to revenge those injuries he had now sufficient means to do it were not his honour far dearer than his ill usage was sensible to him but that he would tread all those considerations under foot to preserve his Fidelity to the Queen his Mistriss provided he should not be urg'd on to the last extremes This Declaration though something high from an Enemy and very rough from a man that pretended he came to Treat carried nevertheless so much sting with it and threatned so much to the ruine of the design in hand that the Duke saw it necessary either to admit him into the Council or to dispatch him out of the way the latter of which being too cruel for him to consent unto and on the other side it appearing of better advantage to treat with a man of the Quality Rucellay was than with Vincentio who could do nothing but as he receiv'd Orders from him the Duke resolv'd upon the first So that Rucellay being upon these terms admitted into the negotiation he came by night to Metz and in disguise as he always went was conducted to the Haute Pierre where he had a Chamber made ready for him in the Duke 's own Lodgings out of which he never stirr'd for a whole month togetherâ— Being there receiv'd he had Cadillac appointed to attend him as also one of the Duke 's own Valet's de Chambre whom he knew was to be trusted order'd to bring him all necessaries from the Kitchin and other Offices without any bodies being able to guess who this person might be that was so carefully and diligently attended The Duke went almost every day to see him his Sons very often and le Plessis ofter than them all by which regular visits in the Duke and by the great care was taken to seek out the best water for Rucellay drank nothing else and was very delicate in that it was suspected some Woman of Pleasure was kept private in the house A suspicion that perhaps contributed something to his better concealment and to the restraint of a further curiosity in such as possibly otherwise would have been more inquisitive into the truth of the business had they not entertain'd this mistake for the truth it self During this time of Rucellay's stay at Metz things were fully concluded amongst them where above all things it was though necessary that a strict League should be contracted betwixt the two Dukes of Espernon and Boüillon that things might the better succeed There had indeed some former Jealousies hapned to the discomposure of these two great men but such as had rather begot a coldness than any disaffection betwixt them which Rucellay undertook to reconcile as by the assistance of the Vicount de Sardiny a very particular Servant to the Duke of Boüillon and a man absolutely devoted to the Queen he afterwards did though it wrought not that good effect was expected from it as shall in its due place be made to appear The Queen having heard no news of Rucellay during his abode at Metz though she had taken care to send to him and in such an impatience to know how her Affairs succeeded as may be imagin'd in the condition she then was writ a Letter to the Duke in a borrowed hand I think Chanteloube's he being then the only man of trust about her and in a â—ustian style the Queen here taking upon her the quality of a Merchants Wife of Saverne absent from her Husband of which these were the words Sir since the Sieur Artus meaning Rucellay parted hence to seek you out I have heard no news either of him or you which so much afflicts me that I must entreat you to write to me by this bearer who I am told by a friend of mine will soon be back he being to ride post upon some business of a Gentlemans whose name I have forgot If no accident have befallen Sieur Artus he is much to blame to leave me so long in suspense without giving me some accompt whether he have paid you the mony I deliver'd him or no which though it be no great summe I should be very sorry you had not receiv'd Oblige me therefore so far as to send me word what the matter is as also of the state of your health which I wish may be such as you your self desire I forgot to tell you that the Armourer meaning the Duke de Luines with whom we have the business you know of has sought to me for an Agreement though I know not what to say to it without my Husbands advice for whom I have so much respect as to do nothing but what he shall think fit if he refer it to me to do what I think best I shall make no agreement with him The Iudges who are to determine our controversie will I doubt not very well understand who has the wrong and that our cause is good God also being always for the right I hope we shall have as good an issue as we can desire I shall troâ—â—le you no further than to conjure you to write me word when I may hope to be so happy as to see you if your Affairs would permit I could wish you were ready to begin your Iourney to morrow however I shall refer that to your discretion humbly entreating you to believe that I shall honour you all the days of my life as I ought to do and shall pray to God to keep you in his Holy Protection and preserve you as long in health as I desire Sir Your humble and very obedient Wife and Servant Sign'd X. It appears by this Letter that Affairs were now in a very good forwardness some mony having been sent by the Queen to Metz which as it was the most important place of her Party and wherein the Duke had resolv'd to leave the Marquis de la Valette his Son he would not he should be left without some mony in his greatest necessity to assist him He very well foresaw that after the Queens escape he should be the first assaulted and expos'd as he afterwards was to the fury of
establish the order which for the future was to be observ'd in reference to this work the Duke was upon the matter oblig'd to make a Journey to Paris to examine the Accompts of his Agents there he therefore sent to the King to entreat his Majesty whilst the peace of the Kingdom and the good condition he had settled his Government in rendred his presence less necessary there to give him leave so to do His request was easily granted and he accordingly departed from Bordeaux in the latter end of November 1623. and came to Paris about the end of December following Some have suppos'd he did not so much desire this Journey for any thing that concern'd his Domestick Affairs as to see if any benefit was to be made of the Queen Mothers good inclinations towards him and to try the grateful return she made him to expect for the signal Services he had done her in the time of her disgrace She was of late years become all in all at Court and many of her Servants that had not so well merited from her as the Duke had done had receiv'd very great rewards but he could not perceive the same dispositions towards him nor discover the gratitude she had promis'd him when she was in the worst condition to express it on the contrary as if with her Fortune she had chang'd her Nature and as if by being become happy and powerful she had been no more the same Princess the Duke had so well serv'd when she was under persecution and had no power at all she no more remembred him she was oblig'd to have recompens'd by all sorts of benefit and favour The Duke came to Paris so well attended that of many years before there had not been seen any person of his condition enter the City with so numerous a Train Many persons of very eminent quality went out as far as Chastre to meet him and his coming was very remarkable by the solitude was observ'd in the Louvre where there scarce remain'd any save the King 's own Domestick Servants A thing his Majesty very well observ'd and was nothing displeas'd at it but on the contrary having that day taken notice of some Gentlemen in the Presence who had dependence upon the Duke he merrily said to them How comes it to pass you are not gone out to meet the Duke of Espernon he 'l talk with you for this when he comes So ready his Majesty was to cause that honour to be paid him that was justly his due He was receiv'd at his coming by the King and the Queens with very great kindness and falling to his business presently after his arrival Mauroy a Councellor of State and one of his Agents a man of great vertue and very good at business gave him up his Accompts exactly just and right but Valliech his old Secretary having employ'd some people under him who had either been not very careful or not very honest fell short above fifty thousand Livers which this good Master franckly forgave him his noble nature it should seem not being able to conâ—ent that even so great a fault as his negligence should ruine the Affairs of his own Family All his Accompts and the other Affairs that most requir'd his presence at Paris were in less than four months dispatch'd so that towards the latter end of April he began to think of his return into Guienne The Court was then at Compiegne whither the Duke went to receive the King's Commands supposing this should be the last leave he was to take and not expecting that his Age which was now very far advanc'd he being at this time near upon threescore and ten years old would permit him to make another Journey eight years after as he did in a marvellous health and vigour Whilst the Duke staid at Compiegne the King who would have been very glad to have the mis-understanding betwixt him and the Parliament compos'd caus'd d' Herbaut Secretary of State to treat with him about it wherein the Duke express'd himself very willing to an Accommodation and so far as to consent to the Act about the Couriers which was in his own presence by the Council determin'd in the Parliaments favour He was moreover satisfied with the Order the King sent to suspend the Election of the Maire of Libourne which was another main thing in dispute till his return into the Province But the first President was not so well dispos'd to peace he conceiv'd this Accommodation would infinitely lessen the Authority he had got amongst his Brethren during these controversies and therefore without any regard either to the King's Command or the Duke's Order precipitated the Election of the Maire whom the Duke found establish'd at his arrival from whence arose a new and higher quarrel than before So that if in truth the Duke was herein to be condemn'd for having in the beginning prosecuted things with too much heat the President cannot in my opinion be excus'd for thus urging them to the last extremes without ever yielding to such a reconciliation as might being timely apply'd have prevented the ensuing mischiefs The Duke having thus settled those of his Domestick Affairs that requir'd his presence at Paris and done his part to provide as well for the future quiet of his Government departed first from Compiegne and soon after from Paris to return into Guienne He would in this Journey take Espernon in his way that he might touch at Chartres in order to some Devotions Whither Cartier whom he had left at Court to solicit his Affairs in the place of Valliech dispatch'd an express Courier to him to let him know that Cardinal Richelieu was since his departure created prime Minister of State I was present when the Duke receiv'd this news at which he was the more surpriz'd forasmuch as he had discover'd nothing of that design in the time of his being at Court though he had been very frequent with the Queen Mother who had also constrain'd her self to dissemble a little forc'd shew of particularity and confidence in him by which he evidently saw he was not upon so good terms with her as they had a mind to make him believe he was he notwithstanding said no more at present but this That the Cardinal was indeed a man of great dexterity but that he would very much change the face of Affairs should he long continue at the Helme Upon the instant he according to his custom sent him a Complement upon his new promotion which doubtless was not very acceptable to the Cardinal there being scarce any space left at the top of the Letter and nothing more than Your very humble Servant subscrib'd at the bottom a style that he continued a great while and perhaps too long for the interest of his Affairs though it was indeed no other than what he ever us'd to all other Cardinals After having dispatch'd this Complement he continued his Journey towards Guienne
well us'd by the Governour many Decrees by reason of the dissention betwixt the two parties remain'd unexecuted for not being justified by Power which gives life to Justice Such as were the most moderate and best dispos'd of the Company could not without great grief behold these confusions but those were not the prevailing part so that things being every day more and more exasperated it was infinitely to be fear'd they would in the end shoot up to the last extreme though they were already grown to a sufficient height The King inform'd of this strange confusion dispatch'd away Leon Brulart one of the Council of State and a man who having manifested his prudence in many great employments had acquir'd himself a great reputation both within and without the Kingdom to oppose his Royal Authority to the Torrent of these disorders This man arriv'd at Bordeaux in the month of Iune and labour'd with great sincerity and diligence betwixt the parties till September following but all in vain his dexterity that had unravell'd many great intricacies and overcome the greatest difficulties in his former employments could not be so successful here the Animosities were too great and the parties too stiff to admit of any Reconciliation yet did he well enough discover that the greatest aversions to it were not in the Duke as he satisfied the Court at his return to which both parties at last were forc'd to appeal and to submit unto a severe and definitive Determination after they had rejected all rational and moderate ways This Quarrel was on both sides carried on with extraordinary heat the first President himself was deputed by the Parliament to maintain their cause before the Council to whom President du Bernett a man of great esteem and approved wisdom and then thought very worthy one day to possess the first place in that Company as he afterwards did was also joyn'd The Duke also on his part dispatch'd away first le Plessis and after him Magnac his Kinsman a Gentleman of great Courage of an excellent Wit and very great Learning All these Deputies were several times heard in open Council where after having long and with great reverence pour'd out themselves in eloquent Orations a Regulation ensu'd at which both parties were equally displeas'd And then it was that all the world plainly saw and chiefly those who were immediately concern'd that they were not sorry at Court at the continuation of these dissentions and that the design being already laid to diminish all the Authorities of the Kingdom to unite them in one single person they were glad to see them insensibly put their own hands to their own destruction These little disorders were not yet fully compos'd when another of much greater importance began to disclose it self at Court which occasion'd the death of Chalais and the imprisonment of the Duke and the Grand Prior of Vandosme They would also have involv'd the Duke de la Valette who at this time retir'd to Metz in this Affair and to that end tempted him by la Louviere the Confident of Chalais to receive the Duke of Orleans into that City but they had to do with a man so well fortified in his Duty to his Prince that all la Louviere could obtain of the Duke was only a civil repulse in these terms That the place was none of his That he was only a substitute to the Duke his Father That he was therefore to apply himself to him and that for his part he should do whatever his Father would please to command him He could not have serv'd the King more faithfully than by retaining this respect to the Duke his Father whose principles he knew to be perfectly Loyal and himself inseparably ty'd to his Majesties Service yet was not the Court satisfied with this proceeding but the Duke who had also been tamper'd withal from the same part through the Negotiation of the Abbot d' Aubazine by the candour of his deportment so clearly justified their common intentions that both the one and the other had all the satisfaction they could themselves desire Yet was this satisfaction in words only and the Duke was notwithstanding very ill us'd in several occasions of which ill usage he could not forbear highly to complain neither in his complaints were the Queen Mother as powerful as she was nor the Cardinal himself excepted The hard measure he receiv'd under their Administration being so much the more sensible to him by how much he had infinite reasons as may be gather'd out of the former passages to expect they should have been altogether partial to his Interests but though his great and advantageous services had been so lately perform'd the memory of them was notwithstanding totally worn out and the Cardinal was already exasperated though by occasions of so little moment as scarce ought to have been taken notice of Neither doubtless would they have been had he been in another condition but as great Authorities are usually very tender in the great height of State and Power he then stood they carried in his opinion the quality of most high injuries which thenceforward dispos'd his heart to those strange Animosities which we shall see in time break out After the death of Chalais and the removal of such of the Monsieur 's Creatures as were suspected by their evil Counsels to debauch his good Nature and to alienate the affection he had to the King and the prosperity of the Kingdom it was no hard matter to dispose him to a Marriage with Madamoiselle Marie de Bourbon Dutchess of Montpensier This match had been thought worthy of him by Henry the Great his Father and the Duke of Espernon who had the honour to be great Uncle to this Princess prepossess'd with the hopes of so great a Fortune for his Niece and so great an honour both to himself and his whole Family had made no difficulty to expose himself to the hatred of the late Count de Soissons in refusing him as you may have observ'd before this Lady in Marriage for Lewis his Son And truly what rubs soever had hapned in the way of this Match the Duke notwithstanding never lost the hope nor the ambition to see it one day brought to effect It is not therefore to be doubted but that the accomplishment of a thing by him so ardently coveted must be highly pleasing to him The first news he heard of the consummation of these Nuptials was by a Gentleman dispatch'd away purposely to him by Madame the day after her Marriage wherein the high Dignity to which she was arriv'd nothing hindred her from paying the Duke the respect that decency and proximity exacted from her she writ to him therefore with her own hand and the express words of the Letter were these Uncle I doubt not but you will receive as much joy and satisfaction as any person at the happy accomplishment of my Marriage the news whereof I would no longer
desire he come to us to the end we may be fully inform'd of the truth of what has pass'd purposing in the mean time to send one of our Council to our said City of Bordeaux to enquire into and to bring Us thence a perfect Accompt of the business The rest we refer to the said Sieur de Varennes to communicate to you whom you are in all things to believe praying God Cousin c. At St. Germain en Laye this 18 th of November 1633. Sign'd Lovis And below Philipeaux The Duke of Espernon's Friends at Court being inform'd of the severe contents of this Dispatch were not a little in doubt after what manner he would receive it They fear'd his great Spirit full of those generous Maxims which had for so many years and in so many froward occurrences supported his Reputation and Fortune would with great difficulty submit to Laws so different from what they had been in former times Amongst these the Cardinal de la Valette a man as well read in the Court as any whatever of his time upon this occasion laid aside the complacency of a Son to assume the austerity of a faithful Adviser and writ to him to this effect That he did beseech him to look upon this Affair as one of the greatest Difficulty and Importance he had met withal in the whole course of his life That to avoid any inconveniences might befal him he must immediately submit to the King's Pleasure and Command and refer the business wholly and without reservation to the Cardinal which was the only way to put a good end to this Dispute Monsieur de Seguier Garde des Sceaux the Duke 's intimate friend and a man that appeared more for his Interest than the condition of the time seem'd conveniently to permit did the same writing him word That a prompt and absolute Obedience was the only way whereby a cause his Enemies Favour rendred generally disapprov'd might be brought to a successful issue but that without that it was utterly impossible for his Friends and Servants to do him those Offices were necessary for the bringing of matters to any tolerable conclusion All the Duke 's other Friends having confirm'd the same thing he evidently saw that he must of necessity obey yet was it not withour an incredible violence upon his own Humour and great Spirit He had at other times resisted the greatest powers of the State when arm'd against him with the King's Authority and Forces whereas now he saw himself reduc'd to submit to four lines of Paper they made him indeed to depart out of his Government And though it be true that in these latter Times the Royal Authority was rais'd to a more illustrious height than formerly it had ever been yet I do not know that any one has observ'd a greater example of his Power than upon this occasion All France acknowledg'd the Duke for the eminent qualities he was master of to be a man of the greatest Reputation of his Age he was possess'd of the greatest and most important Governments of the Kingdom powerful in Riches Commands Places Servants and much more in his Children His three Sons had all of them great Offices and great Employments and yet with all these advantages he was not able to resist four words and then it was that he plainly saw a Subject had no way to support himself in his Fortune and Reputation but by Obedience and that the Power of a King manag'd as it ought to be can meet no difficulties nor impediments it cannot easily master and overcome He had seen a time when by making a shew of Resolution or Discontent men had sometimes obtain'd part of what they desir'd or at least defended themselves from what they had not a mind to do Under the Reign of Henry the III the diversity of Factions which then divided the State had so weakened the Authority of the Sovereign that he durst scarce pretend to more than a voluntary Submission from his People And Henry the Great his Successor by an excess of Bounty and good Nature had continued to do what the other had been constrain'd to by inevitable Necessity This Mighty Prince was of so noble a Disposition that he would destroy none so that excepting the Mareschal de Biron who would have no compassion of himself almost all the great men of the Kingdom were either actually Rebels or highly Disobedient without ever feeling either the Sword or so much as the Hand of Justice The Regency of Queen Mary de Medici was equally moderate and gentle and the Tempests that arose in her time being appeas'd with money men did not only offend securely but made moreover a profit of their Crimes The Mareschald ' Encre try'd to change those milder into rougher Maxims but he lost himself in the practice of this premature severity In the Ministry of the Duke de Luines there was no more of violence than in the preceding Reigns the good success notwithstanding the Royal Arms always had in all Enterprizes during the time of his favour made it plain that there was nothing his Majesty could not with great facility effect in his own Kingdom He had with great ease supprest the Queen Mothers Insurrection he had invaded the Party of the Religion with very great success wherein having found their weakness by their disunion amongst themselves he was by that discovery encourag'd to undertake their total ruine and the Cardinal entring into the Ministry in so favourable a juncture of Affairs press'd the declining Faction so home that in a very short time he remov'd all Obstacles which could any ways oppose the Royal Authority or impede the establishment of his own The Party of the Religion was totally suppress'd the House of Austria infinitely weakened all the other Princes who were ill affected to the Crown reduc'd to a necessity of complying with whatsoever was impos'd upon them and those of the Nobility who were so bold as to oppose the King's will had been so roughly handled that not a man durst any more expose himself to the punishment they all knew would inevitably follow the least forfeiture of their Duty It had been but of very late years that this new form of Government had been introduc'd into the Kingdom and the Duke was grown old in the practice of other Maxims It is not then to be doubted but that it must needs be with great repugnancy and unwillingness that he could Accommodate himself to a thing so unusual and severe he did notwithstanding do it and without delaying time or spending any more than was requisite for the making of some few Visits and taking leave of his Friends he departed out of his Government suspended from his Functions Excommunicated from the Church and reduc'd to the conversation of his own Domesticks only Though in a condition so different from what it had formerly been and so contrary to his ordinary way of living he could not but be very much afflicted
indeed fell out At this time every one despair'd of his Life and the report of his Death that was spread in all parts follow'd a few days after with the certain news of his Recovery having astonish'd all the world that now scarce pass'd any longer for raillery which had so pleasantly been said That he had out-liv'd the Age of dying In truth all Forein Parts having for the space of threescore and eight or threescore and ten years been continually full of the great Name of Espernon finding him still in their Gazetts one while taking Towns another in the head of Armies now Triumphing and again in Disgrace but ever in some great and illustrious Occasion Strangers conceiv'd of him that this must be the Grand-child of that Duke of Espernon who had been the Favourite of Henry the III. of France and could not perswade themselves that the lives of two men could furnish this History with so many important Actions The Duke whilst he was yet sick and even in the worst of his Sickness had an inckling of some designs the Spaniard had upon several Frontiers of this Kingdom and particularly upon those of his own Government of which to be better assur'd he was careful to send thither such persons as were capable of discovery and as he durst trust to bring him true intelligence of what pass'd amongst our Neighbours abroad By these Spies he understood that all the Frontiers of Arragon Biscay Guipuscoa and other finitimous Provinces of Spain had order to make Preparation of Arms and were to set out a certain number of Souldiers by an appointed day That to these Provincial Forces they would moreover adde several standing Regiments and of both together to make up a considerable Body Of all which the Duke was so precisely inform'd that he did not only know the number of men but even the names of all the Captains who were to Command them Neither did he fail to send the King an Account of the Intelligence he had receiv'd but our great Ministers were so taken up with other nearer and more immediate Affairs that they were not much concern'd at a danger two hundred Leagues from Paris They therefore contented themselves with writing to the duke that he should cause Bayonne the place that was principally threatned to be fortified at the Charge of the Inhabitants and as to the rest that he was by his Wisdom and Interest to provide for all things within the Precincts of his Command These Orders so general and of so vast a Latitude had formerly been the fullest Commissions the Romans were wont to give their Generals in the greatest necessities of Publick Danger but they were in our times the narrowest and the most limited that could possibly be granted who had the King's Interest committed to their Trust. There were already others establish'd by Law which no one without being Criminal was to exceed and those were That no one should make Leavies either of Men or Mony without Order by Letters Patents from the Council That no one should mount Artillery or take necessary Arms out of the Arsenals without special Order so to do So that all the Power of the Kingdom residing in the persons of the Prime Ministers no Governour could make use of his own without incurring the danger of Censure The Duke knowing that in the evil disposition the Court then was as towards him this was only a device to make him run into some error that might draw the King's Indignation upon him wisely fear'd to be involv'd in those Calamities under which for Causes light enough in themselves he had seen men of great Quality and Merit to perish was not easie to be trap'd that way He therefore again writ to the King for more precise Orders in occurrences that might happen and in those dangers he had humbly represented to him and in the end with much importunity obtain'd Order to send an Engineer to Bayonne to see it fortified as far as forty thousand Livers would extend the one half whereof was to be rais'd out of his Majesties Revenue and the other upon the Inhabitants of the place The Duke seeing he could obtain no more did as he was commanded and began some Fortifications which the want of money caus'd to be left imperfect and by that means the Town left in a weaker condition than if nothing had been done at all This Affair which at this time was the only one of moment in the Province being put into this forwardness the Duke conceiv'd he had now leisure to look a little after the recovery of his own health which that he might do at better convenience and greater vacancy from the perpetual distraction of the Affairs of the Province he humbly intreated the King to give him leave for a few days to retire himself to Plassac to the end he might at greater liberty make use of those remedies that were proper for his Disease The King without any difficulty and in very favourable terms granted his so just request whereupon he accordingly in the beginning of May came to his House of Plassac but it was to make a very short stay he being scarcely there arriv'd but that he receiv'd Order to return speedily into Guienne to look after the Affairs that very much requir'd his Presence there The great Preparations that were every where making by the Enemies of France to invade it obliging him to provide also for his defence as he did and that so well as in the end turn'd all their designs to their own confusion There never perhaps in this Kingdom had been more to do for the great men of it than at this time and as the Government of Guienne by its vast extent made up one of the most important and considerable Members of the State so did it consequently produce for its Governour so many and so various Affairs that it is to be wondred at a man of so extreme an Age could undergo so many and so continual labours The first thing the Duke did after his return into the Province which was in the latter end of May was to execute an Express Commission had been directed to him from the King for the enrolling the Edict de Crâ—e newly pass'd by his Majesty for the addition of one President and twelve Counsellors to the Parliament of Bordeaux This Affair could not pass without encountring several Difficulties all the other Parliaments of France were charg'd with the same Augmentations proportionably to the extent of their several Jurisdictions this being therefore a common interest amongst so many men of condition it begat also a great correspondency amonst them to oppose it The King having foreseen and expected all these obstacles from the Parliament of Bordeaux thought fit to invest the Duke with as much Authority as he could himself desire to overcome them wherein his Majesty and those of his Council doubted not but that he would with great alacrity put all his
Father receiv'd his Dispatches from Court wherein he had order and express power to serve himself with the King's money and strength of the Province and moreover to lay what Impositions they should together think fit upon the people for the execution of his Majesties Designs The Duke of Espernon very well judg'd what was to be expected from these kind of Leavies he knew with what difficulties and delays the King 's own Revenue was gather'd in He was also not ignorant of the little kindness they had for him at Court He knew very well that his Obedience herein might be converted to a Crime all Leavies of money being expressly forbidden excepting such Taxes as should be impos'd by the King himself all which being duly consider'd by him made him resolve to write to his Majesty That both himself and his Son were very ready franckly to expose their Lives for the execution of his Majesties Commands provided something of what was necessary might be added to their Endeavours that they might attempt to execute his Orders with some possibility of success but that he should ever impose a Tax upon his Majesties Subjects he most humbly beg'd to be dispens'd from any such Employment and that his Majesty would be pleas'd since hitherto he had kept his hands clean from any thing of that kind he might still preserve his Reputation without exposing it to the Clamour of his miserable Subjects whose Necessities were to him already too well known These last words wrought the most dangerous effect imaginable against him the Court perswading themselves that he affected Popularity and sought this way to ingratiate himself with the people to the end that he might by their assistance be able to maintain himself in his Government and was in effect the principal Cause if not the only Motive that caus'd him to be remov'd from thence the ensuing year Whilst the Duke of Espernon was engag'd in these troublesome Disputes with the Court the Duke de la Valette continued the War with the Enemy after the same manner he had begun keeping them close mew'd up in their Trenches without permitting them to receive any relief from the Country or so much as to taste of the Air of the Field where they never presented themselves without some notable disadvantage This way of making War having continued for two whole months together had reduc'd the Spaniard to Necessities were no longer to be endur'd they were necessitated to have all their Provisions out of their own Country and those to be brought to them by Sea with infinite hazard and inconvenience and at an intolerable expence The Duke de la Valette was very well inform'd of the ill condition to which they were reduc'd their Necessities had bred an infinite number of Diseases in their Camp and the number of six thousand men which they were at first was diminish'd to that degree that not above half of them were left alive In this condition he prepar'd to make some attempt upon them and to that end caus'd those Forces which by reason of the late Commotions he had been oblig'd to leave in the Lower Gascony to advance toward the Frontier not doubting but at this time to effect that which they would have had him some time before have attempted with almost certain and apparent ruine but the Enemy inform'd of his resolution by a shameful and precipitous flight which was the highest acknowledgment of their weakness he could possibly desire prevented his design They embark'd therefore all their Artillery their Equipage and their Sick by night the Port of Socoa which they were Masters of affording them conveniency so to do by the same way and with so little noise drawing off the rest of their Forces that their design was not discover'd till they were all aboard The Duke de la Valette was no sooner inform'd of their flight but that he drew up to the Fort which was surrendred to him without resistance But it is not to be imagin'd how many several Objects of Misery were to be seen in their Camp nor to what extremities by his long perseverance they had been reduc'd They then quitted him their Forts giving him thereby the most absolute and most happy Victory could possibly be desir'd so that he had the good fortune almost without men at least with Forces not half so great as the Enemies without money having never touch'd a peny of the King's almost without Victuals having had none save what by the industry and providence of Vertamont Intendant de la Iustice had been convey'd to the Frontier and without the loss of any one man of note to ruine an entire Army of an invading Enemy to make them spend ten months time in vain to consume Provisions sufficient for the plentiful subsistence of the greatest Army and to leave three thousand of their men behind them for a testimony of their Defeat Yet how great and of what utility soever this Victory might be to the Kingdoms Honour and Safety the Court was notwithstanding dissatisfied with the success who seeing he had done more than any one durst propose to himself and outstrip'd the hopes and expectation of those who were emulous of his Vertue and would have been glad some disaster had befall'n him were by no means satisfied with this performance as if he had not done enough in doing so much with so little means and with so great safety and reputation to his own Person and Name Had he been at this time in a state of Favour what recompence might he not reasonably have expected for two Services of so high importance and both perform'd in one Campagne Which though he fail'd of through the ill Offices of some that blinded by Animosity could not discern his Merit yet such as will make a right Judgment of things must maugre the ingratitude and injustice of the Age set a right Value upon them I know very well without mentioning the Defeat of the Spanish Army which speaks sufficiently for it self that the other exploit has been highly magnified by disinterested persons that had at that time the principal Command of Poictou and Xaintonge who have declar'd that all the Provinces on this side the River Loire had run an extreme danger had the general disorder to which the people were apparently and absolutely enclin'd not been suppress'd by the vigour and celerity wherewith the Duke acted upon this occasion If the King's Affairs had the good success you have heard under the Conduct of the Duke de la Valette in Guienne they succeeded no less fortunately upon the Frontier of Picardy under the command of the Duke de Candale and the Cardinal de la Valette his Brothers These two Generals joyntly commanded the King's Army in those parts and so well that they had in a short time retaken the Castle of Cambresis Maugbeuge and Lendrecies in the end That which was most remarkable in the Siege of this last place was that they
himself to his House Plassac of which Request though the pretence was to enter into a course of Physick for the recovery of his Health yet the true reason was that he might be out of the way of having any Disputes with the Prince about the Affairs of his Government which he could not without great grief have seen afflicted with those miseries wherewith it was threatned nor perhaps without expressing such a dislike of that harsh way of proceeding as might have given him Offence A thing which all the Friends and Servants he had at Court having foreseen they had advis'd him to this course his Sons who were best acquainted with his tickle and impatient humour were of this advice but there is great apparence that the first thoughts of retiring were inspir'd by the Prince himself who having in other Employments where the Duke and he had serv'd together had tryal enough of his difficult humour would no more be subject to those contrarieties he had formerly endur'd and had therefore doubtless prompted him with that resolution The Duke's Request therefore being so conformable to the Princes desires and to the sence of the Court it was no hard matter for him to obtain that in the quality of a favour which had doubtless been enjoyn'd him as a punishment had he not by speaking first prevented a Command from the King to the same effect for it had been from that time forward as it has been evident since been resolv'd upon to withdraw him from his Government and to suspend him from all the Functions of his Command Nevertheless having lighted so pat upon the humour of the great Ministers by the advice of his Friends he was very civilly treated in his Majesties Answer which was couch'd in these terms Cousin Having found by your Letter of the eigteenth instant and moreover understood by the mouth of the Sieur de Lavrilliere the Secretary of my Dispatches that in order to your Health by the change of Air and the use of some Remedies have been prescrib'd you by your Physicians you desire for some time to retire your self to your House of Plassac I send you this to let you know that any thing which may either concern your health or satisfaction being very pleasing to me I do willingly grant you the liberty you desire to go to your said House assuring my self that even from thence you will have a vigilant eye to whatsoever may concern the good of my Service within the precincts of your Government In the mean time I shall pray to God Cousin to have you in his Holy Protection From St. Germains en Laye the 28 th day of March 1638. The Duke very well satisfied with this answer began to make himself ready to begin his Journey so soon as the Prince should be arriv'd in Guienne where whilst he waited in expectation of his coming he pass'd away the time with the Duke de Candalé his eldest Son entertaining him with greater familiarity and freedom than till that time he had ever done whose complacency and fine Behaviour made at this time so great an impression upon the Duke his Father that certainly this Son had never been so dear to him as when he was upon the point to lose him in somuch that his present joy was no little disposition to augment the approaching grief soon after occasion'd by his unexpected Death The Duke de la Valette had in the interim of these Dispatches from the King and the Prince of Condé been oblig'd to make a Journey to Court to which he had been engag'd contrary both to his Majesties express Order and also his own resolution He knew very well the ill Offices had been done him to the Cardinal since the business of Corbie glanc'd at in the preceding Discourse he was moreover very well acquainted with the implacable nature of the person who conceiv'd himself so highly offended by him to which his power was no less known to him than his malice considerations that altogether had made him positively determine not to put himself into his hands that he might not add to the number of those who had already tasted the utmost effects of his Indignation choosing rather to live in his Government in safety though in disgrace than to expose himself to the almost inevitable dangers he was to wade through to a faint and dissembled Reconciliation But how determinate soever he had been in that resolution it was impossible for him to keep it for those who had imprudently engag'd his Majesty in a War with Spain as maliciously made the Cardinal some overtures of Accommodation as a thing solicited by the Duke de la Valette himself who desir'd nothing less exposing him by that means to the greatest hazard he perhaps ever ran in the whole time of his Life The Treaty however being thus set on Foot the Duke seeing himself reduc'd to a necessity either of breaking openly with the Cardinal or of going immediately to him chose in truth the most dangerous course but withal that by which he could at that time alone secure the Fortune of his Family and the repose of the Duke his Father which he ever preferr'd before his own particular safety This last consideration therefore prevail'd with him to undertake this Journey so that he went to Court and had some Conference with the Cardinal who because he would make all the use of him he could before he would destroy him thinking fit to spare him at that time with a dissimulation peculiar to himself receiv'd him at the greatest rate of kindness and feeedom could possibly be put on protesting an absolute Oblivion of all former discontents and making the King to give him the same assurance which being done he dismiss'd him much more satisfied that he had escap'd the present danger than any ways secure of his good intention for the time to come At his return from this Voyage he found the Prince of Condé already arriv'd in Guienne The Duke his Father had receiv'd him at Bordeaux with all imaginable Honours wherein though doubtless there was a great deal due to his Quality as being a Prince of the Blood yet it is most certain that in this unusual complacency the Duke had an equal regard to his Person His respect proceeded so far that not content to pay him all the deference and submission he was capable of in his own person he would moreover extend his civility further by employing his Authority and interest with the Parliament of that City for his full satisfaction The Prince would that at their coming to visit him they should Complement him by the title of Monseigneur and the Company insisted upon the contrary as a term at that time not in use but the Duke interposing thereupon the Interest he had in the Deputies of that Assembly prevail'd with them so far that the Ceremony pass'd in the end according to the Princes desire All these Civilities paid by way
himself to be transported into any action unbecoming his Gravity and Wisdom The Table being taken away and he having retir'd himself into his Chamber sooner than he ordinarily us'd to do he caus'd his Secretary to be call'd in his behalf to write to Messieurs de Ioinville de Turenne de Thou and de Fontravilles to recommend to them the care of his Sons health to whom all humane help was already fruitless and vain writing moreover to him himself some few lines under his own hand One of his Gentlemen who had lately been sent on the same errand was now ready to depart with this new Dispatch when the Duke overcome with the violent agitations of his mind was constrain'd to cast himself upon his Bed where calling his Secretary to him he said to him these words I do not know why you should all dally with me thus long nor to what end you should conceal from me the Death of the Cardinal my Son is it that you imagine me so weak I have not fortitude enough to support the News Do not you deceive me as the rest have done but tell me the naked truth which also cannot long be conceal'd from me At which words the poor Gentleman who for four or five days had had the power to govern his Tongue had not now the same command over his Eyes so that his Tears having whether he would or no betray'd him to be the Messenger of the ill news he had hitherto so faithfully conceal'd he proceeded by word of mouth to interpret what was before but too legible in his tears and told his Master That what he had prophesied the first hour he heard of his Sons Sickness was but too true That the news of his Death had been brought four days ago but that his people apprehending left so great a blow of mishap might ruine his health had address'd themselves to Monsieur de Saint Papoul to fortifie him with his Consolation in acquainting him with the fatal News At which words he lift up his hands to Heaven and after a profound Sigh cried out aloud O Lord since thou hast reserv'd my old Age to survive the loss of my three Children be pleas'd withal to give me strength wherewith to support the severity of thy Judgments Hereupon the Bishop of Saint Papoul was presently call'd in to him who after having highly commended his resignation of himself and his Affairs to the Will of God made him a Learned Discourse infinitely full of such admirable Arguments and Examples both Christian and Moral as were proper for his disconsolate condition And then it was that they presented him with the relations of the Sickness and Death of the Cardinal his Son wherein was observ'd so many testimonies of Piety and Resignation so firm a confidence in the Divine Mercy and so little concern for Humane Life that every one concluded him infinitely happy to have take his leave of it in so good and so holy a disposition and it was also from thence that the Duke deriv'd his chiefest Consolations After this he requested some respite from his Friends wherein to satisfie the resentments of Nature and in private to pay some tears to his Affliction His Curtains were therefore drawn when his tears which he had hitherto with so great violence to his sorrow suppress'd having now liberty to â—ally out flow'd in so great abundance that those about him began to fear his immoderate passion might endanger his health but having remain'd two hours in this condition he himself at last rows'd up his spirits so long overcharg'd with grief and was heard to say That Tears were to be left to women and that it would be a shame a man could not allay his grief but by so poor and effeminate a Remedy That he would live perhaps to survive his Enemies When starting from his Bed he had so great a power over himself as the same day again to appear in publick He entreated the Bishop of Papoul to bear him company where he walk'd with him above two hours on foot entertaining him all the while either with Discourses of Piety or the state of his present Fortune and that with a constancy this good Prelate could never sufficiently magnifie and admire It must nevertheless be confess'd that amongst all these afflictions which were many and extreme the Duke likewise receiv'd very many and great Consolations or at least what were intended for such there being few persons of any eminent condition in France who did not manifest the part they shar'd with him in his grief The King did him the Honour to write very obligingly to him he receiv'd the same Favour from the Queen the Monsieur all the Princes Cardinal Richelieu and almost all who were any ways considerable either in Birth or Dignity in the Kingdom gave him testimonies either of their Affection or Esteem upon this sad occasion But if out of all these Complements he did extract any real Consolation it was chiefly from the gracious manifestations of the Queens Royal Favour to him which took so much the deeper impression upon his mind by how much he knew they proceeded from the heart of this excellent Princess He had ever made her the object of all his Services neither was there any he would not have been very ready to have perform'd for her even in this moment of his greatest Adversity An inclination that as it gave him a legitimate Title to her Grace and Favour so was he the man of all the other Great Ones of the Kingdom that had the highest place in her Esteem but the condition of the time not permitting her to manifest it to that degree her Majesty could have desir'd she did upon this occasion all she had the liberty to do which was to send him a very obliging Letter written with her own hand of which the Contents were these Cousin I can here neither fully express nor altogether conceal the sorrow I share with you for the loss you have sustain'd in the person of my Cousin the Cardinal de la Valette your Son the sence whereof being too great to be express'd by words I shall only entreat you to believe that I partake in it equally with any person living And since it is from God alone that you are to hope for a true Consolation I do from my heart beseech him of his Divine Goodness to fortifie your mind against the severity of this accident and to pour his Blessings upon you in the abundance that is heartily wish'd by her whom you know really to be Your very good Cousin Anne From St. Germains en Laye the 12 th of Octob. 1639. Cardinal Richelieu also would not upon such an occasion be wanting in the Ceremony of a Complement but it signified no more than so and these were the words My Lord I can not sufficiently manifest to you the extreme sorrow I sustain for the Death of Monsieur the Cardinal de la Valette and
Bed has left me in a very weak condition I shall notwithstanding chearfully expose my little remainder of Life to this long and troublesome Journey in obedience to your Majesties good pleasure and shall think my self exceeding happy if I may conclude it in manifesting my Zeal and Passion as I have ever done my Obedience and inviolate Fidelity c. From Plassac this 20 th of Iune 1641 Neither in this answer nor in his Discourse to Varennes had he made any Reply to that part of the King's Letter which mention'd the intelligence his Majesty had receiv'd out of Guienne forasmuch as he was as yet totally ignorant of the business of Socoa but having sometime after understood that his name had been made use of in that Affair he conceiv'd it very necessary for him to address himself to the Mareschal de Scomberg to request that he would penetrate into the bottom of that Imposture that so he might be able to inform his Majesty of the truth of the Story This Mareschal had been withdrawn from his Government of Languedoc as well as the Duke of Espernon had been out of that of Guienne but being it had been done without any visible mark of Disgrace and only out of deferenee to the Prince who was impatient of the least contradiction from any of the Governours of the Provinces where he had any thing to do he had been dismiss'd with an honourable Commission into Guienne to Command as the Kings Lieutenant in that Province His carriage there towards the Duke of Espernon was very different from that of those who had preceded him in that Employment he highly and publickly declaring that he shar'd in the feeling an honest man ought to have of the ill usage had been inflicted upon a man of that eminent Quality and who had ever behav'd himself without all manner of reproach Neither was this the only testimony of his Friendship he proceeding from these favourable expressions to effects of a much more obliging nature They had propos'd to him the Government of Guienne in recompence of that of Languedoc with the privation of which he had also been tacitly threatned but all those offers and menaces could never prevail upon him he professing that he had much rather choose to be without any Employment at all than to be invested with the spoils of two persons of that eminent condition yet living and with whom he was not convinc'd that any fault could justly be found exercising moreover the Commission he had there with so great tenderness and respect to them that though he had thereby as ample Authority as he could himself desire he would notwithstanding never come to execute any of his Functions at Bordeaux the Capital City of that Province He would not so much as come near it but contented himself to stay at Agen which he made the seat of his residence till his return into Languedoc and whereas others who had commanded there before him had carried themselves very rudely to the Duke's Friends and Servants there the Mareschal on the contrary took them into his especial Trust and Favour conceiving he could not make a better choice than of such men as had pass'd the tryal of his late Adversity This noble way af proceeding had so highly oblig'd the Duke that he made no difficulâ—y to solicite his Favour a thing he had never done to any since his persecution he writ to him therefore before he departed from Plassac intreating him to cause the Impostor by whom he had been accus'd to be throughly sifted that he might be able to satisfie the Court of what could be discover'd from his Examination The Mareschal upon this Letter did the Duke all the good Offices could be expected from his generous and noble Nature and writ so favourably to the Council in his behalf as from des Noyers Secretary of State to obtain this answer a Copy whereof he sent to the Duke For what concerns the Fellow that is detain'd Prisoner at Socoa I could have wish'd that Monsieur du Bourg had better examined the business before he had acquainted the King with it and brought so great an inconvenience upon persons of that condition Monsieur de Lauzon who is at Bayonne will in two hours time be able to clear all doubts observing the Order I have sent him according to your desire In effect the business was perfectly clear'd and the Dukes Innocence sufficiently manifest but notwithstanding the resolutions that had been taken against him were nothing alter'd neither indeed did he solicit any thing of that kind nor would address himself to any other saving the Mareschal de Scomberg only his design being only to secure his Reputation and not to receive any the least favour from his Enemies Yet whatever he had said to Varennes or whatsoever he had writ to the King concerning the diligence he would use to put himself upon his way he did not for all that make so much haste that three weeks at least were not laps'd before he began his Journy He spun out the preparation of his Equipage in great length and although he at first manifested an absolute and franck disposition to depart either the tenderness and apprehension of his Friends or his own doubts and diffidences had possess'd him with so great a jealousie that he could not easily perswade himself to perform a thing he saw was nevertheless by no means to be avoided Some who would seem to be most solicitous of his Person and Safety had often represented to him That the Castle of Loches was a Prison of State That it had already been made use of in that nature upon very considerable occasions That it being situate in the heart of the Kingdom his Captivity would be the more severe by how much there was no possibility of an escape and that so soon as he should be come thither it would be in the power of any one of the Exempts-des Guardes to charge the Garrison and to make himself Master of the Gate to engage his Liberty for ever It was no hard matter to foresee that all these inconveniences might possibly arrive but being his forbearing to go would inevitably convince him of the highest disobedience the discreeter sort of men concluded it the safest for him to try if he could not avoid the utmost extremes by an entire confidence in his Majesties Justice and in outward shew to perform that with great alacrity and freedom which in effect there was a necessity upon him he must however do The Duke saw clearly enough into the truth of this last advice yet could he not without great repugnancy and unwillingness follow that Counsel and the natural desire of the Liberty he believ'd ready to be ravish'd from him or that at best depended only upon his Enemies Capricio possess'd him with so great a disquiet of mind as fail'd little of endangering his health by a new relapse He nevertheless by his constancy once more overcame