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diff --git a/old/53024-0.txt b/old/53024-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 2044364..0000000 --- a/old/53024-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11914 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's A Gallant of Lorraine; vol. 2 of 2, by Hugh Noel Williams - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: A Gallant of Lorraine; vol. 2 of 2 - François, Seigneur de Bassompierre, - Marquis d'Haronel, Maréchal de - France, 1579-1646 - -Author: Hugh Noel Williams - -Release Date: September 10, 2016 [EBook #53024] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A GALLANT OF LORRAINE; VOL. 2 OF 2 *** - - - - -Produced by Chuck Greif, MWS and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - - A GALLANT OF LORRAINE - - VOL. II. - - [Illustration: QUEEN HENRIETTA MARIA. - - From the picture by Van Dyck at Dresden. - - [Frontispiece] - - - - - A GALLANT - - OF LORRAINE - - FRANÇOIS, SEIGNEUR DE BASSOMPIERRE, - MARQUIS D’HAROUEL, MARÉCHAL - :: :: DE FRANCE (1579-1646) :: :: - - BY - - H. NOEL WILLIAMS - - AUTHOR OF “FIVE FAIR SISTERS,” “A PRINCESS OF INTRIGUE,” - “THE BROOD OF FALSE LORRAINE,” ETC. - - _IN TWO VOLUMES_ - - _With 16 Illustrations_ - - VOL. II - - _LONDON: HURST & BLACKETT, LTD - :: PATERNOSTER HOUSE, E.C. ::_ - - - - - CONTENTS - - VOL. II - - -CHAPTER XXV - -Offer of Schomberg, Saint-Géran and Marillac to take Montauban within -twelve days--Advice of Père Arnoux--Diplomacy of Bassompierre--A -humiliating fiasco--A second attempt meets with no better -success--Bassompierre counsels the King to raise the siege, and it is -decided to follow his advice--General exasperation against Luynes--Louis -XIII begins to grow weary of his favourite--Conversation of the King -with Bassompierre--The latter warns Luynes that he “does not -sufficiently cultivate the good graces of the King”--Reply of the -Constable--Louis XIII twits Luynes with the love of the Duc de Chevreuse -for his wife--Puisieux, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Père Arnoux, -the King’s Jesuit confessor, conspire against the Constable--Disgrace of -the latter--Bassompierre, at the head of the bulk of the Royal forces, -lays siege to Monheurt--A perilous situation--Bassompierre falls ill of -fever--He leaves the army and sets out for La Réole--He is taken -seriously ill at Marmande--His three doctors--Approach of the -enemy--Refusal of the townsfolk to admit him and his suite into the -town--A terrible night--He recovers and proceeds to Bordeaux--Death of -the Constable before Monheurt.....pp. 321-339 - - -CHAPTER XXVI - -Who will govern the King and France?--The pretenders to the royal -favour--Position of Bassompierre--The Cardinal de Retz and Schomberg -join forces and secure for their ally De Vic the office of Keeper of the -Seals--They propose to remove Bassompierre from the path of their -ambition by separating him from the King--Bassompierre is offered the -lieutenancy-general of Guienne and subsequently the government of Béarn, -but declines both offices--He inflicts a sharp reverse upon Retz and -Schomberg--Condé joins the Court--His designs--The rival parties: the -party of the Ministers and the party of the marshals--_Monsieur le -Prince_ decides to ally himself with that of the Ministers--Mortifying -rebuff administered by the King to the Ministers at the instance of -Bassompierre--Failure of an attempt of the Ministers to injure -Bassompierre and Créquy with Louis XIII--Arrival of the King in -Paris--Affectionate meeting between him and his mother--Accident to the -Queen.....pp. 340-352 - - -CHAPTER XXVII - -Question of the Huguenot War the principal subject of contention between -the two parties--Condé and the Ministers demand its continuance--Marie -de’ Medici, prompted by Richelieu, advocates peace--Secret negotiations -of Louis XIII with the Huguenot leaders--Soubise’s offensive in the West -obliges the King to continue the war--Louis XIII advances against the -Huguenot chief, who has established himself in the Île de Rié--Condé -accuses Bassompierre of “desiring to prevent him from acquiring -glory”--Courage of the King--Passage of the Royal army from the Île du -Perrier to the Île de Rié--Total defeat of Soubise--Siege of Royan--The -King in the trenches--His remarkable coolness and intrepidity under -fire--Capitulation of Royan--The Marquis de la Force created a marshal -of France--Conversation between Louis XIII and Bassompierre--Diplomatic -speech of the latter.....pp. 353-362 - - -CHAPTER XXVIII - -Condé and his allies offer to secure for Bassompierre the position of -favourite, if he will join forces with them to bring about the fall of -Puisieux--Refusal of Bassompierre--Condé complains to Louis XIII of -Bassompierre’s hostility to him--Bassompierre informs the King of the -proposal which has been made him--Louis XIII orders _Monsieur le Prince_ -to be reconciled with Bassompierre--Siege of Négrepelisse--The town is -taken by storm--Terrible fate of the garrison and the inhabitants--Fresh -differences between Condé and Bassompierre--Discomfiture of _Monsieur le -Prince_--Bassompierre, placed temporarily in command of the Royal army, -captures the towns of Carmain and Cuq-Toulza--Offer of Bassompierre to -resign his claim to the marshal’s bâton in favour of -Schomberg--Surrender of Lunel--Massacre of the garrison by disbanded -soldiers of the Royal army--Bassompierre causes eight of the latter to -be hanged--Lunel in danger of being destroyed by fire with all within -its walls--Bassompierre, by his presence of mind, saves the -situation--Schomberg and Bassompierre--The latter is promised the -marshal’s bâton.....pp. 363-376 - - -CHAPTER XXIX - -Conditions of peace with the Huguenots decided upon--Refusal of the -citizens of Montpellier to open their gates to the King until his army -has been disbanded--Bullion advises Louis XIII to accede to their -wishes, and is supported by the majority of the Council--Bassompierre is -of the contrary opinion and urges the King to reduce Montpellier to -“entire submission and repentance”--Louis XIII decides to follow the -advice of Bassompierre, and the siege of the town is begun--A disastrous -day for the Royal army--Death of Zamet and the Italian engineer -Gamorini--Political intrigues--Bassompierre succeeds in securing the -post of Keeper of the Seals for Caumartin, although the King has already -promised it to d’Aligre, the nominee of Condé--Heavy losses sustained by -the besiegers in an attack upon one of the advanced works--Condé quits -the army and sets out for Italy--Bassompierre is created marshal of -France amidst general acclamations--Peace is signed--Death of the Abbé -Roucellaï--Bassompierre accompanies the King to Avignon, where he again -falls of petechial fever, but recovers--He assists at the entry of the -King and Queen into Lyons--He is offered the government of the Maine, -but declines it......pp. 377-393 - - -CHAPTER XXX - -Fall of Schomberg--La Vieuville becomes _Surintendent des Finances_--His -bitter jealousy of Bassompierre--He informs Louis XIII that the marshal -“deserves the Bastille or worse”--Semi-disgrace of Bassompierre, who, -however, succeeds in making his peace with the King--Mismanagement of -public affairs by Puisieux and his father, the Chancellor Brulart de -Sillery--La Vieuville and Richelieu intrigue against them and procure -their dismissal from office--The Earl of Holland arrives in Paris to -sound the French Court on the question of a marriage between the Prince -of Wales and Henrietta Maria--Bassompierre takes part in a grand ballet -at the Louvre--La Vieuville accuses the marshal of drawing more money -for the Swiss than he is entitled to--Foreign policy of La -Vieuville--Richelieu re-enters the Council--Bassompierre accused by La -Vieuville of being a pensioner of Spain--Serious situation of the -marshal--The Connétable Lesdiguières advises Bassompierre to leave -France, but the latter decides to remain--Differences between La -Vieuville and Richelieu over the negotiations for the English -marriage--Arrogance and presumption of La Vieuville--Intrigues of -Richelieu against him--The King informs Bassompierre that he has decided -to disgrace La Vieuville--Indiscretion of the marshal--Duplicity of -Louis XIII towards his Minister--Fall of La Vieuville--Richelieu becomes -the virtual head of the Council.....pp. 394-410 - - -CHAPTER XXXI - -Vigorous foreign policy of Richelieu--The recovery of the -Valtellina--His projected blow at the Spanish power in Northern Italy -frustrated by a fresh Huguenot insurrection--Bassompierre sent to -Brittany--Marriage of Charles I and Henrietta Maria--Bassompierre -offered the command of a new army which is to be despatched to Italy--He -demands 7,000 men from the Army of Champagne--The Duc d’Angoulême and -Louis de Marillac, the generals commanding that army, have recourse to -the bogey of a German invasion in order to retain these -troops--Bassompierre declines the appointment--Conversation between -Bassompierre and the Spanish Ambassador Mirabello on the subject of -peace between France and Spain--The marshal is empowered to treat for -peace with Mirabello--Singular conduct of the Ambassador--News arrives -from Madrid that Philip IV has revoked the powers given to -Mirabello--Bassompierre is sent as Ambassador Extraordinary to the Swiss -Cantons to counteract the intrigues of the house of Austria and the -Papacy--His reception in Switzerland--Lavish hospitality which he -dispenses--Complete success of his negotiations.....pp. 411-425 - - -CHAPTER XXXII - -Bassompierre goes on a mission to Charles IV of Lorraine--He returns to -France--The Venetian Ambassador Contarini informs the marshal that it is -rumoured that a secret treaty has been signed between France and -Spain--Richelieu authorises Bassompierre to deny that such a treaty -exists, but the same day the marshal learns from the King that the -French Ambassador at Madrid has signed a treaty, though unauthorised to -do so--Indignation of Bassompierre, who, however, refrains from -denouncing the treaty, which it is decided not to disavow--Explanation -of this diplomatic imbroglio--Growing strength of the aristocratic -opposition to Richelieu--The marriage of _Monsieur_--The “_Conspiration -des Dames_”--Intrigues of the Duchesse de Chevreuse--Madame de Chevreuse -and Chalais--Objects of the conspirators--Arrest of the Maréchal -d’Ornano--Indignation of _Monsieur_--Conversation of Bassompierre with -the prince--Plot against the life or liberty of Richelieu--Chalais is -forced by the Commander de Valençay to reveal it to the Cardinal--“The -quarry is no longer at home!”--Alarm of _Monsieur_--His abject -submission to the King and Richelieu--He resumes his intrigues--Chalais -is again involved in the conspiracy by Madame de Chevreuse--Arrest of -the Duc de Vendôme and his half-brother the Grand Prior.....pp. 426-445 - - -CHAPTER XXXIII - -Alarm of the conspirators at the arrest of the Vendômes--Chalais, at the -instigation of Madame de Chevreuse, urges _Monsieur_ to take flight and -throw himself into a fortress--_Monsieur_ and Chalais join the Court at -Blois--The Comte de Louvigny betrays the latter to the Cardinal--Chalais -is arrested at Nantes--Despicable conduct of _Monsieur_--Chalais, -persuaded by Richelieu that Madame de Chevreuse is unfaithful to him, -makes the gravest accusation against her, in the hope of saving his -life--He is, nevertheless, condemned to death--He withdraws his -accusations against Madame de Chevreuse--His barbarous execution--Death -of the Maréchal d’Ornano--Marriage of _Monsieur_--Bassompierre declines -the post of _Surintendant_ of _Monsieur’s_ Household--Indignation of -Louis XIII against Anne of Austria--Public humiliation inflicted upon -the Queen--Banishment of Madame de Chevreuse--Bassompierre nominated -Ambassador Extraordinary to England--Differences between Charles I and -Henrietta over the question of the young Queen’s French attendants--The -Tyburn pilgrimage--Expulsion of the French attendants from -England--Resentment of the Court of France.....pp. 446-466 - - -CHAPTER XXXIV - -Bassompierre arrives in England--His journey to London--He is visited -secretly by the Duke of Buckingham--He visits the duke in the same -manner at York House--Charles I commands him to send Père de Sancy back -to France--Singular history of this ecclesiastic--Refusal of -Bassompierre--His first audience of Charles I and Henrietta Maria at -Hampton Court--Firmness of Bassompierre on the question of Père de -Sancy--He visits the Queen at Somerset House--His private audience of -the King--He reproves the presumption of Buckingham--Admirable -qualities displayed by Bassompierre in the difficult situation in which -he is placed--He succeeds in effecting a reconciliation between the King -and Queen--His able and eloquent speech before the Council--An agreement -on the question of the Queen’s French attendants is finally arrived -at--Lord Mayor’s Day three centuries ago--Bassompierre reconciles the -Queen with Buckingham--Stormy scene between Charles I and Henrietta -Maria at Whitehall--Bassompierre speaks his mind to the Queen--Intrigues -of Père de Sancy--Peace is re-established--Magnificent fête at York -House--Departure of Bassompierre from London--He is detained at Dover by -bad weather--England and France on the verge of war--Buckingham decides -to proceed to France on a special mission and proposes to accompany -Bassompierre--Embarrassment of the latter--He visits the duke at -Canterbury and persuades him to defer his visit--A disastrous Channel -passage--Return of Bassompierre to Paris--Refusal of the Court of France -to receive Buckingham--An English historian’s appreciation of -Bassompierre.....pp. 467-501 - - -CHAPTER XXXV - -The Assembly of the Notables--Bassompierre nominated one of the four -presidents--The “sorry Château of Versailles”--The ballet of _le Sérieux -et le Grotesque_--Execution of Montmorency-Boutteville and Des Chapelles -for duelling--Death of _Madame_--Preparations for war with -England--Louis XIII resolves to take command of the army assembled in -Poitou--The King falls ill at the Château of Villeroy--Bassompierre is -prevented by Richelieu from visiting him--Intrigue by which the Duc -d’Angoulême is appointed to the command of the army which ought to have -devolved upon Bassompierre--Descent of Buckingham upon the Île de -Ré--Blockade of the fortress of Saint-Martin--Investment of La Rochelle -by the Royal army--Bassompierre, the King, and Richelieu at the Château -of Saumery--The Cardinal assumes the practical direction of the military -operations--Provisions and reinforcements are thrown into -Saint-Martin--Refusal of the Maréchaux de Bassompierre and Schomberg to -allow Angoulême to be associated with them in the command of the Royal -army--Schomberg is persuaded to accept the duke as a -colleague--Bassompierre persists in his refusal and requests permission -of the King to leave the army--He is offered and accepts the command of -a separate army, which is to blockade La Rochelle from the north-western -side--He declines the government of Brittany--Dangerous situation of -Buckingham’s army in the Île de Ré--Unsuccessful attempt to take -Saint-Martin by assault--Disastrous retreat of the English.....pp. 502-528 - - -CHAPTER XXXVI - -Siege of La Rochelle begins--Immense difficulties of the -undertaking--Unwillingness of the great nobles to see the Huguenot party -entirely crushed--Remark of Bassompierre--Courage and energy of -Richelieu--His measures to provide for the welfare and efficiency of the -besieging army--The lines of circumvallation--Erection of the Fort of -La Fons by Bassompierre--The construction of the mole is begun and -proceeded with in the face of great difficulties--Responsibilities of -Bassompierre--The Duc d’Angoulême accuses the marshal of a gross piece -of negligence, but the latter succeeds in turning the tables upon his -accuser--Louis XIII returns to Paris, leaving Richelieu with the title -of “Lieutenant-General of the Army”--Critical state of affairs in -Italy--Unsuccessful attempts to take La Rochelle by surprise--Intrigues -of Marie de’ Medici and the High Catholic party against Richelieu--The -King rejoins the army--Guiton elected Mayor of La Rochelle.....pp. 529-541 - - -CHAPTER XXXVII - -Arrival of the English fleet under the Earl of Denbigh--Its -composition--Daring feat of an English pinnace--Retirement of the -fleet--Probable explanation of this fiasco--Indignation of Charles I, -who orders Denbigh to return to La Rochelle, but this is found to be -impossible--The Rochellois approach Bassompierre with a request for a -conference to arrange terms of surrender--The arrival of a letter from -Charles I promising to send another fleet to their succour causes the -negotiations to be broken off--La Rochelle in the grip of -famine--Refusal of Louis XIII to allow the old men, women and children -to pass through the Royal lines: their miserable fate--Movements in -favour of surrender among the citizens suppressed by the Mayor -Guiton--Terrible sufferings of La Rochelle--Bassompierre spares the life -of a Huguenot soldier who had intended to kill him--Difficulties -experienced by Charles I and Buckingham in fitting out a new -expedition--Assassination of Buckingham--The vanguard of the English -fleet, under the command of the Earl of Lindsey, appears off La -Rochelle--Narrow escape of Richelieu and Bassompierre--The King takes up -his quarters with Bassompierre at Laleu--Arrival of the rest of the -English fleet--Feeble efforts of the English to force their way into the -harbour--The Rochellois, reduced to the last extremity, sue for -peace--Bassompierre conducts deputies from the town to -Richelieu--Surrender of La Rochelle--Bassompierre returns with the King -to Paris.....pp. 542-562 - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII - -The Duc de Rohan and the Huguenots of the South continue their -resistance--Opposition of Marie de’ Medici and the High Catholic party -to Richelieu’s Italian policy--The Cardinal’s memorial to Louis -XIII--_Monsieur_ appointed to the command of the army which is to enter -Italy--The King, jealous of his brother, decides to command in -person--Twelve thousand crowns for a dozen of cider--Combat of the Pass -of Susa--Treaty signed with Charles Emmanuel of Savoy--Problem of the -reception of the Genoese Ambassadors--Anger of Louis XIII at a jest of -Bassompierre--Peace with England--Campaign against the Huguenots of -Languedoc--Massacre of the garrison of Privas--“_La Paix de -Grâce_”--Surrender of Montauban--Richelieu and d’Épernon--Bassompierre -returns to Paris with the Cardinal--Their frigid reception by the -Queen-Mother--Richelieu proposes to retire from affairs and the Court, -but an accommodation is effected.....pp. 563-582 - - -CHAPTER XXXIX - -Serious situation of affairs in Italy--Trouble with -_Monsieur_--Richelieu entrusted with the command of the Army in -Italy--It is decided to send Bassompierre on a special embassy to -Switzerland--The marshal buys the Château of Chaillot--His departure for -Switzerland--Mazarin at Lyons--Bassompierre’s reception at Fribourg--He -arrives at Soleure and convenes a meeting of the Diet--His discomfiture -of the Chancellor of Alsace--Success of his mission--He receives orders -from Richelieu to mobilise 6,000 Swiss--The Cardinal as -generalissimo--Pinerolo surrenders--Bassompierre joins the King at -Lyons--Louis XIII and Mlle. de Hautefort--Successful campaign of -Bassompierre in Savoy--His mortification at having to resign his command -to the Maréchal de Châtillon--Increasing rancour of the Queen-Mother -against Richelieu--Visit of Bassompierre to Paris--An unfortunate -coincidence--Louis XIII falls dangerously ill at Lyons--Intrigues around -his sick-bed--Perilous situation of Richelieu--Recovery of the -King--Arrival of Bassompierre at Lyons--Suspicions of Richelieu -concerning the marshal--The latter endeavours to disarm them--Question -of Bassompierre’s connection with the anti-Richelieu cabal -considered--His secret marriage to the Princesse de Conti.....pp. 583-596 - - -CHAPTER XL - -Peace is signed with the Emperor at Ratisbon--The Queen-Mother deprives -Richelieu’s niece Madame de Combalet of her post of _dame d’atours_ and -demands of Louis XIII the instant dismissal of the Cardinal--The -Luxembourg interview--“The Day of Dupes”--Triumph of -Richelieu--Bassompierre’s explanation of his own part in this -affair--His visit to Versailles--“He has arrived after the battle!”--He -gives offence to Richelieu by refusing an invitation to dinner--He finds -himself in semi-disgrace--_Monsieur_ quarrels with the Cardinal and -leaves the Court--The King again treats Bassompierre with -cordiality--Departure of the Court for Compiègne--Bassompierre learns -that the Queen-Mother has been placed under arrest and the Princesse de -Conti exiled, and that he himself is to be arrested--The marshal is -advised by the Duc d’Épernon to leave France--He declines and announces -his intention of going to the Court to meet his fate--He burns “more -than six thousand love-letters”--His arrival at the Court--Singular -conduct of the King towards him--The marshal is arrested by the Sieur de -Launay, lieutenant of the Gardes du Corps, and conducted to the -Bastille.....pp. 597-613 - - -CHAPTER XLI - -Bassompierre in the Bastille--He is informed that he has been imprisoned -“from fear lest he might be induced to do wrong”--_Monsieur_ retires to -Lorraine--The marshal’s nephew the Marquis de Bassompierre is ordered to -leave France--After a few weeks of captivity, Bassompierre solicits his -liberty, which is refused--He falls seriously ill, but recovers--Death -of his wife the Princesse de Conti--Flight of the Queen-Mother to -Brussels--Death of Bassompierre’s brother the Marquis de -Removille--Execution of the Maréchal de Marillac--Montmorency’s -revolt--Trial and execution of the duke--Hopes of liberty, which, -however, do not materialise--Arrest of Châteauneuf--Arrival of the -Chevalier de Jars in the Bastille--A grim experience--Bassompierre -disposes of his post of Colonel-General of the Swiss to the Marquis de -Coislin--The marshal’s hopes of liberty constantly flattered and as -constantly deceived--Malignity of Richelieu--The ravages committed by -the contending armies upon his estates in Lorraine reduce Bassompierre -to the verge of ruin--The marshal’s niece, Madame de Beuvron, solicits -her uncle’s liberty of Richelieu--Mocking answer of the Cardinal--Some -notes written by Bassompierre in the margin of a copy of Dupleix’s -history are published under his name, but without his authority--The -historian complains to the Cardinal--Arrest of Valbois for reciting a -sonnet attacking Richelieu for his treatment of -Bassompierre--Apprehensions of the marshal--His despair at his continued -detention--Grief occasioned him by the death of a favourite dog--The Duc -de Guise dies in exile.....pp. 614-633 - - -CHAPTER XLII - -Death of Richelieu--Bassompierre is offered his liberty on condition -that he shall retire to his brother-in-law Saint-Luc’s Château of -Tillières--He at first refuses to leave the Bastille, unless he is -permitted to return to Court--His friends persuade him to alter his -decision--He is authorised to reappear at Court--His answer to the -King’s question concerning his age--He recovers his post as -Colonel-General of the Swiss--His death--His funeral--His sons, Louis de -Bassompierre and François de la Tour--His nephews.....pp. 634-640 - - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - VOL. II - - -QUEEN HENRIETTA MARIA _Frontispiece_ - -From the picture by Van Dyck at Dresden. - - FACING PAGE - -LOUIS XIII, KING OF FRANCE 346 - -From an engraving by Picart. - -CHARLES, MARQUIS DE LA VIEUVILLE 402 - -From a contemporary print. - -FRANÇOIS, SEIGNEUR DE BASSOMPIERRE, MARQUIS D’HAROUEL 430 - -From a contemporary print. - -CHARLES I 470 - -After the picture by Van Dyck at Dresden. - -GEORGE VILLIERS, FIRST DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM 518 - -After the picture by Gerard Honthorst in the National Portrait -Gallery. Photo by Emery Walker. - -MARIE DE’ MEDICIS, QUEEN OF FRANCE 564 - -From an old print. - -CHARLOTTE LOUISE DE LORRAINE, PRINCESSE DE CONTI 604 - -From an engraving by Thomas de Leu. - - - - - A Gallant of Lorraine - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - - Offer of Schomberg, Saint-Géran and Marillac to take Montauban - within twelve days--Advice of Père Arnoux--Diplomacy of - Bassompierre--A humiliating fiasco--A second attempt meets with no - better success--Bassompierre counsels the King to raise the siege, - and it is decided to follow his advice--General exasperation - against Luynes--Louis XIII begins to grow weary of his - favourite--Conversation of the King with Bassompierre--The latter - warns Luynes that he “does not sufficiently cultivate the good - graces of the King”--Reply of the Constable--Louis XIII twits - Luynes with the love of the Duc de Chevreuse for his - wife--Puisieux, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Père Arnoux, the - King’s Jesuit confessor, conspire against the Constable--Disgrace - of the latter--Bassompierre, at the head of the bulk of the Royal - forces, lays siege to Monheurt--A perilous situation--Bassompierre - falls ill of fever--He leaves the army and sets out for La - Réole--He is taken seriously ill at Marmande--His three - doctors--Approach of the enemy--Refusal of the townsfolk to admit - him and his suite into the town--A terrible night--He recovers and - proceeds to Bordeaux--Death of the Constable before Monheurt. - - -During the next few days some progress was made by the Guards at -Ville-Nouvelle; but the other two divisions seemed able to do little or -nothing; while the garrison, strengthened by the accession of several -hundred first-class fighting men, harassed them incessantly. On October -4, Louis XIII summoned another council of war at Picqueos, to which -Bassompierre went. On his arrival he was met by Père Arnoux, the King’s -Jesuit confessor, who said to him: “Well, Monsieur, Montauban is going -to be given, so they say, to him who offers the lowest price for it, as -they give the public works in France. In how many days do you offer to -take it?” Bassompierre replied that no one would be so presumptuous as -to name a day by which a place like Montauban could be taken, and that -the duration of the siege would depend on many circumstances. “We have -bidders much more determined than you are,” rejoined the Jesuit. And he -told him that the leaders of the Le Moustier division had pledged “their -heads and their honour” to take Montauban in twelve days, provided that -the Guards would hand over to them the greater part of their cannon; and -that it was with the object of deliberating upon this proposal that the -council had been summoned. He then advised Bassompierre, with whom he -was on very friendly terms, that he and colleagues “would do a thing -agreeable to the King and the Constable by not opposing it, unless they -were prepared to pledge themselves to place Montauban in the King’s -hands in an even shorter time.” - -Bassompierre thanked the Jesuit, and drawing Praslin and Chaulnes aside, -told them of the proposal which the leaders of the Le Moustier -division--Schomberg, Saint-Géran and Marillac--intended to make at the -council, though he did not tell them of the source of his information, -which he allowed them to think was the King himself. He then pointed out -that these officers, who had been in anything but good odour with the -King and the rest of the army since their refusal to attack the bastion -of Le Moustier, hoped to rehabilitate their reputation for courage by -offering to accomplish a task which they must very well know to be -impossible, even with the assistance of the Guards’ cannon. They -undoubtedly believed, however, that Praslin and Chaulnes would refuse to -surrender their artillery, in which event they would gain credit with -the King for having made the offer, and, at the same time, throw the -responsibility for being unable to carry it out upon the officers of the -Guards’ division, of whom they were bitterly jealous. And he begged the -two marshals “in God’s name” not to fall into the trap prepared for them -by refusing to give up their cannon. The latter agreed to do as he -advised, and they went into the room where the council was assembling. - -The Constable opened the proceedings in a lengthy speech, in which he -exhorted the marshals and generals present to “lay aside all emulations, -jealousies and envies,” and co-operate loyally together for the service -of the King. Then he turned to the leaders of the Guards’ division and -“inquired how long precisely they would require to take the town.” -Bassompierre and the two marshals, after a pretence of consulting -together, answered that they had done, and would continue to do, -everything that was humanly possible to achieve this result, but that -they were not prepared to name any definite time. The Constable then -said that the officers from Le Moustier were ready to pledge themselves -to take the town in twelve days; and Saint-Géran, turning to the King, -exclaimed: “Yes, Sire, we promise it you upon our honour and upon our -lives!” - -Bassompierre and his colleagues applauded their resolution to render -this great service to the King, and assured them that, as devoted -servants of his Majesty, if there were any way in which they might -contribute to the success of their enterprise, they had only to command -them. Upon which the Constable said that the King wished them to send to -Le Moustier sixteen of their siege-guns. To this they at once consented, -and added that, if men were needed, they would willingly send 1,500 or -2,000, and Bassompierre himself would command them. - -The officers from Le Moustier, much embarrassed, for they had counted -with confidence on their demand for the Guards’ cannon being refused, -thanked them, and said that their artillery was all that they required. -The others then said to the Constable that, in view of the fact that -they were surrendering practically the whole of their siege-guns, they -presumed that the King would discharge them from the obligation of -taking the town; and they were given to understand that all that would -be required of them would be to divert the enemy’s attention from Le -Moustier by occasional attacks and mines. - -Within the next forty-eight hours the Guards’ cannon was delivered at Le -Moustier; but when Bassompierre went there on the 10th, on the pretext -of visiting a friend of his who had been wounded, to see how matters -were progressing, he found that the batteries were very badly placed, -and that, notwithstanding the weight of gunfire, comparatively little -impression had been made on the defences. - -On the previous day, Bassompierre, catching sight of La Force on the -ramparts of Ville-Nouvelle, had gone forward, under a flag of truce, to -speak to him. He found the Huguenot chief eager for some arrangement -which would put an end to this fratricidal struggle; and, at his -suggestion, he spoke to Chaulnes and urged him to persuade the Constable -to meet Rohan, who, La Force had given him to understand, would be -willing to approach Montauban for that purpose, and discuss with him -terms of peace. This Chaulnes agreed to do, and on October 13 an -interview took place between Luynes and Rohan at the Château of Regnies, -some four leagues from Picqueos. After a long consultation, terms were -agreed upon, subject to the approval of the King and the Council, which, -says Bassompierre, were “advantageous and honourable for the King and -useful for the State.” But when the Council met, Schomberg urged that a -decision should be postponed until after he and his colleagues at Le -Moustier had made their attempt to take the town, which he was confident -would be successful. In that event, he pointed out, they would be able -to impose much more severe terms on the Huguenots. And he swore “on his -honour and his life” that he would take Montauban within the time -specified. The King and the Council, impressed by such unbounded -confidence, agreed to do as he advised. - -On the 17th, the Constable sent for Bassompierre to come to Le Moustier, -where he had gone to dine with Schomberg, and inquired whether a mine -which he had instructed him to prepare some days before were finished. -Bassompierre replied in the affirmative, upon which the Constable said: -“It must be exploded to-morrow so soon as you receive the order from me, -for, if it please God, to-morrow we shall be in Montauban, provided -everyone is willing to do his duty.” Bassompierre answered that he could -rely on the Guards’ division doing theirs, when Luynes told him that the -explosion of the mine must be followed by a feint against the -advanced-works of Ville-Nouvelle, in order to divert the enemy while the -Le Moustier division stormed the town. Bassompierre had heard during the -past two days a furious bombardment proceeding in that quarter, but when -he scanned the defences, he could not perceive any practicable breach -nor even the appearance of one. “Monsieur,” said he, “you speak with -great confidence. May God grant that it may be justified!” Both the -Constable and Schomberg appeared to regard the taking of the town as -already assured, and, as he took leave of them, the latter said: -“Brother, I invite you to dine with me the day after to-morrow in -Montauban.” “Brother,” answered Bassompierre, “that will be a Friday and -a fish-day. Let us postpone it until Sunday, and do not fail to be -there.” - -Bassompierre transmitted the order which he had received from the -Constable to Chaulnes and Praslin, who instructed him to take charge of -the mine, and to have everything in readiness for the diversion they -were to make on the morrow. - -The eventful day which, if Schomberg and his colleagues were to be -believed, was destined to atone for all the toil and bloodshed of the -past two months, arrived, and with it the King, the Constable, the -Cardinal de Retz, Père Arnoux, Puisieux, the Minister for Foreign -Affairs, and many other distinguished persons, who were conducted by -them to carefully-selected positions from which they would be able to -enjoy an uninterrupted view of the storming of the town. At the same -time, they ordered their servants to pack up their plate, linen, and so -forth, as they intended to sup and sleep in Montauban. “And many other -things they did more ridiculous than I shall condescend to write down.” - -Early in the afternoon, the Guards’ division received orders “to begin -the dance,” and Bassompierre fired his mine, which blew a big hole in -the enemy’s advanced-works in that quarter and sent an unfortunate young -officer of the Guards, the Baron d’Auges, into another world. Mines, in -those days, appear to have had an unpleasant way of taking toll of both -sides. The Guards occupied the crater, but, in accordance with their -orders, did not advance any further. At the same time, the troops at -Ville-Bourbon made a similar diversion. - -The great assault, however, tarried. It tarried so long that at length -the King grew impatient, and sent to Schomberg and his colleagues to -inquire the reason why they did not advance. They replied that there was -no breach that was practicable. Presently, he sent again, and was -informed that, though there was a breach, scaling-ladders would be -required, and these had not yet arrived. The scaling-ladders were -brought, and once more the King wanted to know why they did not attack. -The answer was that the delay had enabled the enemy to repair the -breach; it would have to be reopened by a fresh bombardment. - - “Finally,” says Bassompierre, “after having wasted the whole day up - to six o’clock in the evening, and kept 600 gentlemen and a great - number of people of note under arms all day, without doing or - attempting to do anything, unless it were to kill a good many - people of the town who showed themselves, they sent to tell the - King that they had freshly reconnoitred the place where the attack - must be delivered, and that truly it was not practicable. And upon - that everyone went home.” - -Next day, Louis XIII sent a message to Ville-Nouvelle requesting one of -the two marshals or Bassompierre to come to Picqueos; and it was decided -that Bassompierre should go. He found the King in his cabinet with the -Constable, the Cardinal de Retz, and Roucellaï, and it was plain that -his Majesty was in a very ill-humour. “Bassompierre,” said he, “you have -long been of opinion that nothing of any use would be accomplished on -the side of Le Moustier.” “Your Majesty will pardon me,” answered -Bassompierre, “but I never believed that everything that was proposed -would succeed. Nevertheless, one must judge things by the results.” The -King then told him that Schomberg and his colleagues had assured him -that in five days they would be able to establish a battery of their -heaviest guns on a knoll within a very short distance of the walls, and -open a breach which would enable them to storm the town; and inquired -what he thought about it. Bassompierre replied that, if they did succeed -in establishing a battery there, the town must fall; but he very much -doubted whether the enemy would allow them to do it. “And I,” exclaimed -the King angrily, “refuse to wait for what they wish to do. For they are -deceivers; and I will never believe anything they say again.” The -Constable here interposed, and begged his Majesty to remember that the -generals at Le Moustier were as much mortified as he was at the fiasco -of the previous day. And he asked that they might be given another -chance of redeeming their promise to take the town. To this the King -agreed, and Bassompierre was told to arrange another diversion when the -time for the assault to be delivered should arrive. - -However, it never did arrive. During the next few days the knoll was -fortified without any interference from the enemy, and nothing remained -but to get the guns into position. But, on the early morning of the -25th, the garrison exploded a mine under the knoll which blew it up with -its defences, and followed this up by a murderous sally against the -Picardy Regiment, who were driven out of their trenches with heavy loss. -Three nights later, they made another sortie, this time at the expense -of the Champagne Regiment, and, breaking right through it, penetrated -to the besiegers’ battery-positions and destroyed one of their largest -guns. - -After this it was obviously impossible to continue the siege with the -smallest hope of success; the winter was coming on; the army, badly paid -and badly fed, with no confidence in its leaders, and harassed -incessantly by a bold and resolute enemy, was becoming demoralised and -was dwindling every day from death, sickness and desertion. Of 30,000 -men who had encamped before Montauban at the end of August, only 12,000 -effective combatants remained; and the division before Ville-Bourbon was -now so weak that its leaders were obliged to ask the Guards for -assistance to enable them to hold their trenches against the perpetual -attacks to which they were exposed. - -On the morrow, the Constable came to Le Moustier and summoned a council -of war to decide what was to be done. “Everyone saw plainly,” says -Bassompierre, “that we had no longer the means of continuing the siege; -but no one wished to propose that it should be abandoned.” At length, -Bassompierre took upon himself to do so and urged that they should -“reserve the King, themselves and this army for a better future and a -more convenient season.” To this the other leaders offered no -opposition, and the Constable proceeded to communicate their decision to -the King. Louis XIII, with tears in his eyes, directed Bassompierre to -supervise the raising of the siege, and afterwards to march, with the -greater part of the army, on Monheurt, a little town on the Garonne -which had just revolted, as he and the Constable desired to terminate -the campaign with a success, however unimportant it might be. - -To raise the siege without the risk of incurring further losses was far -from an easy task, as, unless every precaution were taken, there was -grave danger that the garrison, flushed with success, might sally out -and fall upon the rear of the army while it was crossing the Tarn. -However, Bassompierre appears to have made his arrangements with -considerable skill, and on November 10 the last of the troops were -withdrawn, with no more serious interference than a little skirmishing. - - * * * * * - -The disastrous result of the siege of Montauban caused general -exasperation against Luynes, who met with a very bad reception from the -people of Toulouse--numbers of whose relatives and friends had fallen -during the siege--when he accompanied the King thither about the middle -of November. The High Catholic party was particularly furious, and -accused the Constable, not only of incapacity, but of treason. What was -a more serious matter for him, was the fact that the King was growing -weary of his favourite. - -This change in Louis XIII’s attitude towards the man whom he had raised -so high, and who had so long exercised such an absolute dominion over -him, seems to have begun some months before; but it was at first -carefully concealed from all but two or three of his intimates. - - “One morning, after the siege of Saint-Jean-d’Angély,” says - Bassompierre, “as the Constable was returning from dinner, and was - about to enter the King’s lodging, with his Swiss and his guards - marching before him, and the whole Court and the chief officers of - the army following him, the King, perceiving his approach from a - window, said to me: ‘See, Bassompierre, it is the King who enters.’ - ‘You will pardon me, Sire,’ said I to him, ‘it is a Constable - favoured by his master, who is showing your grandeur and displaying - the honours you have conferred upon him to the eyes of everyone.’ - ‘You do not know him,’ said he. ‘He believes that I ought to give - him the rest, and wants to play the King. But I will certainly - prevent him doing that, so long as I am alive.’ Upon that I said to - him: ‘You are very unfortunate to have taken such fancies into your - head; he is also unfortunate, because you have conceived these - suspicions against him; and I still more so, because you have - revealed them to me. For, one of these days, you and he will shed a - few tears, and then you will be appeased; and afterwards you will - act as do husbands and wives who, when they have made up their - quarrels, dismiss from their service the servants to whom they had - confided their ill-will towards each other. Besides, you will tell - him that you have not confided your dissatisfaction with him to any - save to myself and to certain others; and we shall be the - sufferers. And you have seen that, last year, the mere suspicion - that he entertained that you might be inclined to favour me - determined him to ruin me.’ - - “He [the King] swore to me with great oaths that he would never - speak of it, whatever reconciliation there might be between them, - and that he did not intend to open his mind to anyone on this - matter, save Père Arnoux and myself, and that on my life I must - engage never to open mine to anyone, save Père Arnoux, and only - after he [the King] shall have spoken to him, and should command me - to do it. I told him that he had but to command me, and that I had - already given this command to myself, as it was of importance to my - future and to my life.” - -A few days after this conversation, Bassompierre was sent to Paris, at -which he was much relieved, “since he found that confidences of the King -were very dangerous”; and when, some weeks later, he rejoined the army -at the beginning of the siege of Montauban, he took care never to -approach his Majesty unless he were sent for. - - “The resentment of the King against the Constable increased hourly, - and the latter, whether it was that he felt assured of the King’s - affection, or that the important affairs which he had upon his - hands prevented him thinking about it, or that his grandeur blinded - him, took less care to entertain the King than he had done - formerly. In consequence, the displeasure of the King augmented - greatly, and every time that he was able to speak to me in private, - he expressed to me the most violent resentment. - - “On one occasion when I had come to see him, the Milord de Hay, - Ambassador Extraordinary of the King of Great Britain, who had been - sent to intervene in favour of peace between the King and the - Huguenots, had his first audience of the King, at the conclusion of - which he went to visit the Constable. Puisieux, according to - custom, came to know from the King what the milord had said at the - audience. Upon which the King called me to make a third in their - conversation and said to me: ‘He [the Ambassador] is going to have - audience of King Luynes!’ I was very astonished at him speaking to - me before M. de Puisieux and pretended to misunderstand him; but he - said to me: ‘There is no danger before Puisieux, for he is in our - secret.’ ‘There is no danger, Sire!’ I exclaimed. ‘Now I am - assuredly undone, for he is a timorous and cowardly man, like his - father the Chancellor, who at the first lash of the whip will - confess everything, and will, in consequence, ruin all his - adherents and accomplices.’” - -The King began to laugh, and told Bassompierre that he would answer for -Puisieux’s discretion. Then he began a long tirade against his -favourite, and appeared particularly indignant that the latter should, -on the death of Du Vair, the Keeper of the Seals, which had occurred at -the beginning of August, have persuaded him to give him the vacant post, -notwithstanding that it was as contrary to usage as to common sense for -a man to hold the Seals and the Constable’s sword.[1] - -Bassompierre left the royal presence, feeling very uneasy. He saw -clearly that Luynes was losing his hold over the King; but he knew that -it might be some time before the young monarch would be able to summon -up sufficient resolution to shake it off entirely; and, meanwhile, if -Puisieux, whom he thoroughly distrusted, were to abuse the King’s -confidence, and lead the Constable to believe that he was endeavouring -to influence his Majesty against him, he would find himself in an even -more difficult situation than he had the previous year. He therefore -decided that his safest course was “to make some representations to him -[Luynes] on the subject, for his good,” without, however, allowing the -Constable to suspect that the King had spoken to him. They would -probably be well received, for, since his return from Spain, the -favourite’s manner towards him had been very cordial, and he appeared -most anxious that Bassompierre should identify his interests with his -own by marrying his niece. - - “Some days after this, happening to be in his cabinet with him, I - told him that, as his very humble servant, devoted to his - interests, I felt myself obliged to point out to him that he did - not cultivate sufficiently the good graces of the King, and that he - was not so assiduous in doing this as heretofore; that, as the King - was increasing in age and in knowledge of things, and he in - charges, honours and benefits, he ought also to increase in - submission towards his King, his master, and his benefactor, and - that, in God’s name, I begged him to take care and to pardon the - liberty I had taken in speaking to him concerning it, since it - proceeded from my zeal and passion for his very humble service.” - -The favourite took Bassompierre’s warning in very good part, but made -light of it: - - “He answered that he thanked me and felt obliged for the solicitude - which I had for the preservation of his favour, which would - assuredly be very useful and profitable to me, and that I had begun - to speak to him as a nephew, which he hoped I should be in a little - while; that he wished also to answer me as an uncle, and to tell me - that I might rest assured that he knew the King to the bottom of - his soul; that he understood the means necessary to keep him, as he - had known those to win him, and that he purposely gave him on - occasion little causes for complaint, which served only to increase - the warmth of the affection which he entertained for him. I saw - clearly that he was of the same stamp as all other favourites, who - believe that, once they have established their fortune, it will - endure for ever, and do not recognise the approach of their - disgrace until they have no longer the means to prevent it.” - -During the closing weeks of the siege of Montauban, whenever the King -had an opportunity of speaking to Bassompierre privately, he “complained -incessantly of the Constable.” The love--it was of a very innocent -kind--which Louis had hitherto entertained for Luynes’s beautiful wife, -Marie de Rohan, no longer protected her husband. This love had, in fact, -changed into hatred, since his Majesty had perceived that the lady was -accepting other attentions, without doubt less platonic than his. - -And he took a particularly mean way of avenging himself. - - “What made me think worse of him [the King],” writes Bassompierre, - “was that all of a sudden the extreme passion that he entertained - for _Madame la Connétable_ was converted into such hatred, that he - warned her husband that the Duc de Chevreuse was in love with her. - He told me that he had said this, upon which I said to him that he - had done very ill, and that to make mischief between a husband and - wife was to commit sin. ‘God will pardon me for it, if it pleases - Him,’ he answered; ‘but I have felt great pleasure in avenging - myself on her and of inflicting this mortification upon him.’ And - he went on to say several things against him, and, amongst others, - that before six months had passed, he would make him disgorge all - that he had taken from him.” - -A few days after the siege of Montauban had been raised, the King’s -other two confidants, the Jesuit Père Arnoux and Puisieux, the former of -whom suspected Luynes of desiring to make peace with the Protestants on -their own terms, joined forces to procure the downfall of the favourite. -But they had underrated the power which habit and the fear of change -exercised over the cold heart and indolent mind of Louis XIII. He -betrayed them to Luynes, or, perhaps, the pusillanimous Puisieux may -have betrayed his fellow-conspirator. Anyway, Luynes learned of the -intrigue and insisted on the Jesuit’s disgrace; and “the first news that -I had from him [the King],” says Bassompierre, “was that he had been -constrained to abandon Père Arnoux to the hatred of the Constable.” The -King added that Bassompierre “might be assured that there was nothing -against him.” Nevertheless, says that gentleman, “I did not fail to be -in great apprehension, although I could say that every time that the -King had spoken to me on the subject I had warded off his blows, and -that I had been infinitely distressed that he had ever made me the -recipient of his confidence.” - -However, Bassompierre need not have been alarmed, as it was very soon to -be beyond the power of Luynes to injure anyone. - - * * * * * - -On November 16 Bassompierre and his army encamped before Monheurt, and -on the 18th the trenches were opened. A day or two later he had an -exceedingly narrow escape of his life. - -He was riding, followed by two aides-de-camp, from the trenches of the -Piedmont Regiment, to those of the Normandy Regiment, a journey which he -had made several times already without interference from the garrison, -although it was well within musket-shot of the town, and “dressed in -scarlet, with the cross on his cloak, and mounted on a white pony, he -was easily recognisable.” Suddenly, the advanced bastion and -counterscarp bristled with musketeers, who began firing at him and “with -such fury that he heard nothing but balls whistling about him.” One ball -struck the pommel of his saddle and another pierced his cloak, but he -managed to reach a large tree without being hit, and took shelter behind -it. Here he was in safety, though the enemy fired more than a hundred -shots at it. At length, the firing ceased and, thinking that they had -exhausted their ammunition, he mounted and galloped towards the -trenches of the Normandy Regiment. However, they had only been waiting -for him to show himself, and, so soon as he did so, they began firing at -him again as fiercely as ever. “But,” says he, “as my hour was not yet -come, God preserved me against the attempt; though I believe I was never -nearer death than I was on that occasion.” - -The weather was very bad, rain falling incessantly, and the soldiers -were nearly up to their knees in mud. Nevertheless, they worked well, -and by the 22nd, on which day the siege-artillery arrived, they had -pushed their trenches close to the walls. - -Meanwhile, Bassompierre had received a secret communication from the -Marquis de Mirambeau, the commander of the garrison, who offered to -surrender Monheurt, in consideration of receiving a sum of 4,000 crowns -and a formal pardon for his offence of having taken up arms against the -King. The Maréchal de Roquelaure, lieutenant-general of Guienne, had -lately arrived to take the nominal command of the siege operations. But -he left their direction entirely in Bassompierre’s hands, and, as -Mirambeau had requested that he should not be informed of his offer, it -was communicated to Louis XIII, who was still at Toulouse. This decided -the King and the Constable to come to Monheurt, “in order to have the -honour of taking it.” - -On the 23rd, Bassompierre, after inspecting one of his batteries, -advanced a few paces in front of it to survey some point in the -defences. “The gunners,” he says, “not thinking that I was there, -discharged their pieces, the wind of which threw me very rudely to the -ground, and left me with a singing in my right ear, accompanied by -insupportable twinges.” Two hours later he was taken ill with fever, but -he remained on duty all that day, during which the trenches were pushed -up to the border of the moat. Next morning, however, he was so much -worse that he wrote to the King and the Constable asking to be relieved -of his command, and saying that he proposed to go to La Réole, where he -could secure skilled medical attention, for he was too prudent to trust -himself to the care of the army surgeons. He also begged them to send -him a doctor. - -Next morning he received a very kind letter from the King, granting his -request and informing him that he was sending a doctor, upon which he -embarked in a boat, accompanied by his personal attendants and a guard -of Swiss halberdiers, and set off down the Garonne towards La Réole. - -On arriving at Tonneins, about midway between Monheurt and Marmande, he -learned that a small force of cavalry was crossing the river to the -right bank, and that they were the Constable’s own company of -gensdarmes. - -He sent for the officers in command to inquire where they were going, -and was told that they had received orders from the Maréchal de -Roquelaure to take up their quarters in a little town called Gontaud, -about half-a-league from Marmande. He expressed his surprise that -Roquelaure should send a small body of cavalry, unaccompanied by -infantry, to an open town in the midst of the enemy’s country, where -there was a great danger of their being surprised; and, aware that the -King and the Constable would certainly cancel the order if they were -informed of it, begged the officers to return, while he sent a message -to the King requesting that they should be quartered at Marmande, which -was a walled town. But the officers pointed out that the baggage had -already been sent on to Gontaud; and, on their assuring him that they -would keep a sharp look-out that night, and on the morrow ask to be -transferred to safer quarters, he allowed them to proceed, although he -felt very uneasy. - -On reaching Marmande, he felt so much worse that he decided to remain -there for the night, instead of continuing his journey to La Réole, and -therefore had himself carried to an inn in the suburb, and sent for a -doctor. But the only one who could be found was a country-practitioner, -to whose tender mercies Bassompierre did not feel inclined to entrust -himself. However, shortly afterwards, a quack doctor named Duboure, whom -the Baron d’Estissac had sent after him, arrived on the scene. Duboure -was none too sober, but he possessed remedies which afforded the patient -some temporary relief, and about nine o’clock in the evening one of the -King’s own physicians, named Le Mire, whom his Majesty had sent, made -his appearance. The great man, after consulting, for form’s sake, with -his humble colleagues, “proceeded to scarify him and apply leeches to -his shoulders, in order to remove the furious tingling which he had in -the head.” - - “This was about eleven o’clock, and, at the same time, we heard - many pistol-shots in the street of the faubourg, which is on the - bank of the Garonne. They were fired by the Constable’s gensdarmes, - who were being pursued by the enemy, who had attacked them at - Gontaud the same evening they arrived there. At this news, my - servants hurriedly placed a napkin on my shoulders, which were - covered with blood, put on my dressing-gown, and, in this state, - had me carried away by four of my Swiss halberdiers and five or six - other persons whom they had contrived to pick up. They accompanied - me nearly to the gate of the town, and then ran back to barricade - themselves in my lodging, to try and save themselves and my horses, - plate and equipage. They believed that I had entered the town, and - there only remained with me the four Swiss, the two doctors, Le - Mire and Duboure, and two _valets de chambre_. But, as I approached - the gate, the people of Marmande saluted me with several - musket-shots, believing (as they told me afterwards) that I was the - petard which the enemy were bringing to fasten to their gate. My - people cried out that it was the general who commanded the army, - whom they had come to welcome as he disembarked from his boat, and - that, if they did not open, they would repent it. But, for all - that, they could get nothing out of them, except permission for me - to be placed in a little open guard-house which was within the - barrier. A man came to open the door and let me in, and at once - closed it upon me, after which he threw himself upon a little - drawbridge, which was forthwith raised. Thus, I found myself - confined within this barrier, without being able to send any - message to my servants, who, believing that I had entered the town, - confined themselves to guarding my lodging; and the people of the - town refused to open the gate until seven o’clock the next morning. - I was stretched on a table, all covered with blood from my - scarification, which congealed and clung to the napkin which had - been placed over it, so that it galled me from time to time, while - my head ached intolerably, for I was in a high fever; and I was - covered only with a rather thin dressing-gown, in very cold - weather, for it was the 26th of November. I can say that I was in - the greatest torment and the most evil plight that I ever suffered - in my life, which made me wish for death a hundred times.” - -When morning dawned, the good citizens of Marmande, having satisfied -themselves that there were no Huguenots lurking in the vicinity, at -length summoned up courage to open their gates, and the unfortunate -Bassompierre was carried to an inn and put to bed. Here he lay for a -fortnight between life and death, “stricken with a purple fever,” and it -was only his iron constitution which eventually turned the scale in his -favour. The crisis once passed, however, he mended rapidly, and in a few -days was sufficiently recovered to continue his journey to La Réole, and -thence to Bordeaux, where he arrived on December 15, to await the King. - -Louis XIII and the Constable had arrived at Monheurt on November 28, and -had taken up their quarters at a village called Longuetille, about a -league from the town. The place was taken on December 12; the lives of -the inhabitants were spared, but the garrison was put to the sword, and -the place pillaged and burned to the ground. Luynes, however, was not -present to witness this sorry triumph. While the flames were devouring -the conquered town, he lay at Longuetille, in the grip of the same -pestilential fever from which Bassompierre so narrowly escaped, and -which was now ravaging the Royal army. The disasters of the campaign, -and the unceasing anxiety as to the future to which he had been for some -time a prey, had told upon his strength, and three days later he died, -in his forty-fourth year. “He was little regretted by the King,” says -Bassompierre; “while his death was hailed with joy by the bulk of the -nation, with whom he had long been intensely unpopular. Even the -Ultramontane party, whose cause he had so well served, received the news -with satisfaction.” They had been infuriated by the belief that he -intended to make peace with the Huguenots, and ascribed the Montauban -fiasco to the fact that the Almighty refused to make use of so unworthy -an instrument for the destruction of the heretics. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - - Who will govern the King and France?--The pretenders to the royal - favour--Position of Bassompierre--The Cardinal de Retz and - Schomberg join forces and secure for their ally De Vic the office - of Keeper of the Seals--They propose to remove Bassompierre from - the path of their ambition by separating him from the - King--Bassompierre is offered the lieutenancy-general of Guienne - and subsequently the government of Béarn, but declines both - offices--He inflicts a sharp reverse upon Retz and Schomberg--Condé - joins the Court--His designs--The rival parties: the party of the - Ministers and the party of the marshals--_Monsieur le Prince_ - decides to ally himself with that of the Ministers--Mortifying - rebuff administered by the King to the Ministers at the instance of - Bassompierre--Failure of an attempt of the Ministers to injure - Bassompierre and Créquy with Louis XIII--Arrival of the King in - Paris--Affectionate meeting between him and his mother--Accident to - the Queen. - - -Luynes dead, who would govern the King and France? Such was the question -which everyone was asking himself, for that Louis XIII, so jealous of -his royal authority, yet too indolent to exercise it himself, would -require someone to lean on was a foregone conclusion. There were many -pretenders. There was Marie de’ Medici, who, now that the man who had -estranged her son from her was no more, might hope to recover in time -much of the influence she had once exercised over the King. And Marie’s -triumph would mean that of Richelieu, who had now acquired so great an -ascendancy over her that scandal asserted that he was her lover. There -was the greedy and ambitious Condé, who had learned prudence from -adversity, but was in other respects but little changed. Luynes, in the -last months of his “reign,” had separated Condé from the King, and -tricked Richelieu out of the cardinal’s hat which had been the secret -condition of the prelate’s reconciliation with the favourite, addressing -a formal demand for it to Gregory XV, accompanied by a private request -to his Holiness not to accord it. But now the lists were again open to -them. Then there were the Ministers: the Cardinal de Retz, whom Luynes -had made the nominal chief of the Council, and his ally Schomberg, -Superintendent of Finance; the Chancellor Brulart de Sillery and his son -Puisieux, the Minister for Foreign Affairs; and old Jeannin. And all -these persons felt that they might have to reckon seriously with -Bassompierre, in whose society the King undoubtedly took more pleasure -than in that of any of them, and whom, they knew, the late Constable had -regarded as his only dangerous rival. - -It is certain that, had Bassompierre been so minded, he would have stood -an excellent chance of succeeding to Luynes’s place as favourite, and -that his elevation would have been well received, as he was exceedingly -popular both at the Court and in the Army. But his epicurean wisdom -rejected the idea of a life of gilded slavery; to be obliged to forgo -the society of his “beautiful mistresses,” in order to dance attendance -upon his youthful sovereign and make up his mind for him a dozen times a -day, was not at all an attractive prospect to one who infinitely -preferred pleasure to grandeur; the royal favour, without the -responsibilities of power, was sufficient for him. - -The Cardinal de Retz, Schomberg and Puisieux had the advantage of being -near the King at the time of the Constable’s death. The first two at -once joined forces against Puisieux and “aspired to become all-powerful -and to restrain the King from doing anything except on their advice.” -They secured a decided success by persuading Louis XIII to bestow the -vacant office of Keeper of the Seals upon De Vic, a counsellor of State, -who was devoted to their interests, and then put their heads together to -find a means of separating the King from Bassompierre, whom they -regarded as a serious obstacle in the path of their ambition. Louis -XIII arrived at Bordeaux on December 21, and shortly afterwards the two -Ministers proposed to him to leave Bassompierre in Guienne as -lieutenant-general of that province, in place of the Maréchal de -Roquelaure, who was to be compensated for the loss of his post by a -present of 200,000 livres and the government of Lectoure. Having -obtained his Majesty’s consent to this arrangement, they sent Roucellaï -to sound Bassompierre on the matter and “even offered to add to this -charge that of marshal of France.” But Bassompierre preferred to wait -upon events and to see into whose hands the management of affairs would -fall, foreseeing that whoever might secure it would not be strong enough -to maintain his position without support, and “being assured that he -would be very pleased to have him for a friend, and to give him a larger -share of the cake than they [Retz and Schomberg] were offering him.” - - “When the King spoke to me of the lieutenancy-general [of Guienne], - I answered that I should esteem myself more happy to occupy the - post of Colonel-General of the Swiss near his person than any other - away from it; that I was only just recovering from a severe illness - which demanded three months’ repose, and that during that time I - desired no other employment than that of my first office of - Colonel-General. And to this his Majesty agreed.” - -Although foiled in this attempt to get Bassompierre out of the way, Retz -and Schomberg presently returned to the charge, and having persuaded the -Maréchal de Thémines to surrender the government of Béarn, in exchange -for the lieutenancy-general of Guienne, offered it to Bassompierre. The -government of Béarn, though, in the present circumstances, it could -scarcely be regarded as a bed of roses, was a very honourable and -lucrative post. But its acceptance would, of course, entail an almost -complete separation from the King, and from--what was more important in -Bassompierre’s estimation--the Court and Paris; and he therefore -returned the same answer as he had in the case of Guienne. - -A day or two later, Bassompierre had the satisfaction of inflicting a -sharp reverse upon the two Ministers. - -The Cardinal and Schomberg had urged the King to follow up the capture -of Monheurt by the surprise of Castillon, on the Dordogne, which, they -declared, could very easily be carried out and would have an excellent -effect. Now, Castillon belonged to the Duc de Bouillon, who, at the -outbreak of hostilities, had entered into a compact with Louis XIII, -which stipulated that this and other towns within his jurisdiction -should “remain in the service of the King, but without making war on -those of the Religion”; while the King, on his side, promised that they -should in no way be interfered with. To seize Castillon therefore would -be a direct breach of this agreement, and could only be defended on the -ground that the townsfolk had sent assistance to the Huguenots, of which -there was no evidence of any value. Nevertheless, Louis XIII allowed -himself to be persuaded by the two Ministers to consent to this being -done, provided that the rest of the Council did not oppose it. When, -however, the project was laid before the Council, Bassompierre rose and -denounced it in a vigorous speech, in which he declared that, if -executed, it would be a “great stain on the King’s honour and -reputation,” after which he proceeded to give his Majesty some very -wholesome advice on the danger of breaking his royal word. - -“Sire,” said he, “it is easy for a man to deceive a person who trusts -him, but it is not easy to deceive a second time. A promise badly -observed only once deprives him who breaks it of the trust of the whole -world.” And he stigmatized the counsel which had been given the King, of -the source of which he pretended ignorance, as “interested, -evil-intentioned and rash,” which, if followed, would probably result in -driving Bouillon into rebellion, and with him numbers of Protestants -who had hitherto remained neutral, since they would feel that it was -impossible to trust the word of the King. - -One or two other members of the Council signified their agreement with -the views expressed by Bassompierre, upon which the King announced that -he had come to the same conclusion, to the great discomfiture of Retz -and Schomberg, who were forced to recognise that their design of -governing the young monarch was likely to prove a much more difficult -task than they had bargained for. - - * * * * * - -Louis XIII left Bordeaux on the last day of the year, and travelled by -easy stages towards Paris. At Château-neuf-sur-Charente, where he -arrived on January 6, 1622, another pretender to Luynes’s shoes appeared -upon the scene, in the person of Condé. - - “_Monsieur le Prince_,” says Bassompierre, “who was extremely - cunning and supple, was equally courteous to everyone, without - inclining to any side, until he had perceived the tendency of the - market. His design was to persuade the King to continue the - Huguenot war, for three reasons, in my opinion: first, because of - the ardent affection which he had for his religion and his hatred - against the Huguenot party; secondly, because he thought that he - could govern the King better in time of war than in time of peace, - since he would undoubtedly be lieutenant-general of his army; and, - lastly, in order to separate him from the Queen his mother, the - Chancellor and the old Ministers, who were his antipathy.” - -In order to ascertain the state of the Court, Condé addressed himself to -the Abbé Roucellaï, an adroit and insinuating personage, who had been in -turn the protégé of Concini, the Queen-Mother and Luynes, and who, now -that the Constable was dead, had decided to seek a new patron in -_Monsieur le Prince_. The abbé told him that there were two parties at -the Court. On one side, were the three Ministers, Retz, Schomberg and -the new Keeper of the Seals, De Vic, “who desired to possess the King’s -mind to the exclusion of everyone else”; on the other, the three -marshals of France, Praslin, Chaulnes, and Créquy[2] and some others, -who were resolved not to submit to this. He added that the King -conversed frequently with Bassompierre and appeared to have a rather -high opinion of him, and that, if the latter had any ambition to succeed -to the favour of the late Constable, it might very well be realised. -That, however, did not seem to be his desire, “although he was disposed -to accept the share in the King’s good graces which his services might -merit.” Bassompierre and the Ministers, he told the prince, were “not -always of the same opinion,” and only a few days before he had spoken -very bitterly against them before his Majesty in a council. Condé then -inquired if Bassompierre were in favour of continuing the war against -the Huguenots, and Roucellaï answered that he had pressed Luynes to -enter into negotiations with Rohan, from fear that the Royal army would -be obliged to raise the siege of Montauban. As a result of this -conversation, the prince sent Roucellaï to Bassompierre to inform him -that he wished to speak to him and ascertain his views in regard to the -war. - -Before seeing Bassompierre, however, Condé had an interview with the -Ministers, whom he found in warlike mood, not because they believed that -any useful purpose could be served by a continuance of this fratricidal -strife, but for the same selfish reasons as he himself desired it, -namely, “to keep the King so far as possible from Paris, in order the -better to govern him.” He then approached Créquy, who answered that he -was in favour of peace, provided that it could be obtained on -advantageous and honourable terms. Bassompierre gave him a similar -reply, when he spoke to him on the matter, and added that he would find -Praslin and all other good servants of the King of the same opinion. -“It is singular,” said the prince; “all you men of war, who ought to -desire it, and can only make your way by means of it, want peace; and -the lawyers and statesmen demand war.” “I answered,” says Bassompierre, -“that I desired war, and that it ought to bring me fortune and -advancement, but only on condition that it was for the service of the -King and the good of the State; and that otherwise I should esteem -myself a bad servant of the King and a bad Frenchman, if, for my own -private advantage, I were to desire a thing which must cause both so -much evil and prejudice.” - -After this sharp, if indirect, rebuke, Condé left him and told Roucellaï -that, after sounding Créquy and Bassompierre, he found that he was -likely to have more in common with the Ministers than with them. - -During the remainder of the journey to Paris, skirmishes between the -rival parties were of frequent occurrence, each doing everything -possible to prejudice the King against the other. At Sauzé, where the -Court arrived on the 10th, Bassompierre again scored at the expense of -the Ministers. - -Louis XIII was about to sit down to cards with Bassompierre and Praslin, -when the three Ministers were announced. - - “The King said to us as he saw them enter: ‘_Mon Dieu_, how - tiresome these people are! When one is thinking of amusing oneself, - they come to torment me, and most often they have nothing to tell - me.’ I, who was very pleased to have the chance of giving them a - rebuff in revenge for the ill turns they were doing me every day, - said to the King: ‘What, Sire! Do these gentlemen come without - being sent for by you, or without having first informed your - Majesty that there is something of importance to deliberate upon, - and then ask for your time?’ ‘No,’ said he, ‘they never inform me, - and come when it pleases them, and most often when it does not - please me, as they do now.’ ‘Jesus, Sire! is it possible?’ I - replied. ‘That is to treat you like a scholar, - -[Illustration: LOUIS XIII., KING OF FRANCE. - -From an engraving by Picart.] - - and make themselves your tutors, who come to give you a lesson when - it pleases them. You ought, Sire, to conduct your affairs like a - King, and every day, on your arrival at the place where you purpose - to spend the night, one of your Secretaries of State should come to - tell you if there be any news of importance which requires the - assembling of your Council, and then you should send for them to - come to you, either at that same hour, or at one which will be most - convenient to you. And, if they have anything to tell you, let them - inform you of it first, and then send them word when they are to - come to you. It was thus that the late King your father conducted - his affairs, and your Majesty ought to do likewise; and if they - [the Ministers] should come to you otherwise [_i.e._, without being - sent for], to send them away, and to tell them of your intention - firmly, once for all.’ - - “The King took the representations I had made him in very good - part, and said that, from that moment, he would put my counsel into - practice; and he went on talking to the Maréchal de Praslin and - myself. When our conversation had continued for some little time, - _Monsieur le Prince_ approached the King and said: ‘Sire, these - gentlemen [the Ministers] await you to hold the council.’ The King - turned to _Monsieur le Prince_ with an angry countenance and - exclaimed: ‘What council, Monsieur? I have not sent for them. I - shall end by being their valet; they come when they please, and - when it does not please me. Let them go away, if they wish to, and - let them come only when I shall send for them; it is for them to - consult my convenience and to send to inquire when that may be, and - not for me to consult theirs. I desire that, at the end of each - day’s journey, a Secretary of State should present himself at my - lodging to inform me what news there is, and, if it be of - importance, I will name a time to deliberate upon it; but I will - never allow them to name it; for I am their master.’ - - “_Monsieur le Prince_ was a little surprised at this response and - was very curious to know from what shop it came. He went back to - tell them [the Ministers], who requested him to inform the King - that they were come merely to receive the honour of his commands, - as courtiers, and not otherwise, and that if only his Majesty - would speak a word to them, they would go away. The King did so, - but very brusquely, and it was:-- - - “‘Messieurs, I am going to play cards with this company.’ Upon - which they made him a profound reverence and withdrew, very - astonished.” - -The Ministers soon ascertained whom they had to thank for the very -mortifying rebuff which they had received from the King, and were more -incensed than ever against Bassompierre. The latter, who had been on -very friendly terms with the Cardinal de Retz until his Eminence’s -designs upon the King had brought their interests into collision, went -to see him the next day and assured him that, so far as he himself was -concerned, he was still his very humble servant. But he told him that he -had no love for his colleagues, Schomberg and De Vic, and wished them to -know it. The Cardinal begged him to be reconciled with them, but within -forty-eight hours two incidents occurred which removed all hope of this. - -It happened that, the following evening, news arrived that the Maréchal -de Roquelaure was dangerously ill and that his recovery was considered -hopeless. “Upon which,” says Bassompierre, “these gentlemen [the three -Ministers] and _Monsieur le Prince_ went in a body to the King to demand -the charge of marshal of France, which he [Roquelaure] had, for M. de -Schomberg. The only answer which the King made them was to say: “And -Bassompierre--what shall he become?” This crude reply deeply affected M. -de Schomberg, and from that day we ceased to speak to one another.”[3] - -The second incident, which followed closely upon the first, served to -embitter still further the relations between these two gentlemen. - - “It happened on the morrow that the King only travelled one - stage,[4] at which we [Créquy and himself] were annoyed, because we - saw that these gentlemen [the Ministers] were purposely delaying - the King’s arrival, thinking, if time were allowed them, to usurp - the authority before he had seen the Queen his mother and the old - Ministers. The Maréchal de Créquy and I, while warming ourselves in - the King’s wardrobe, complained of these short journeys, upon which - the Comte de la Roche-guyon told us that they were made out of - consideration for the French and Swiss Guards, who otherwise would - be unable to follow us. We said then that this consideration ought - not to occasion such a long delay; that we, who were respectively - in command of the two regiments of Guards, did not complain, that - the Guards would march so far as the King pleased, and that we - could make them do what we wished. Out of these last words, which - were reported to the Ministers, they proceeded to compound three - dishes for the King, saying that we boasted of making the two - regiments of Guards do what we wished, and that we could turn them - in whatever direction we pleased. They attacked the King on his - weak side, and he was angry at seeing that we were compromising his - authority. - - “The evening before he arrived at Poitiers, he told me that he - desired to speak to me on the following morning, and said to me: ‘I - promised to tell you all that might be said to me concerning you. - That is why, since it has been reported to me that you were - boasting of being able to persuade the Swiss to do all that you - wished, and even against my service, I desired to make you - understand that I do not approve of such discourse being held, and - less by you than by another, seeing that I have always had entire - confidence in you.’ - - “‘God be praised, Sire,’ I answered, ‘that my enemies, seeking - every means to injure me, are unable to find anything save what is - easy for me to avert and bring to naught. This accusation is of - that quality, and you can learn the truth from their own mouths, - although it is but little accustomed to issue from them. Ask them, - Sire, on what subject I said that I would make the Swiss do what I - wished, and if they do not tell you that it was on that of their - making long or short marches, about which M. de Créquy and I were - complaining to one another, since they make arrangements for your - Majesty to travel a shorter distance each day to return to Paris - than a parish procession would cover, I am willing to lose my life. - And your Majesty can judge whether that touches you or not, and - whether you ought to regard this discourse as a boast of being able - to employ the Swiss against your service.’” - -The King did not accept Bassompierre’s proposal to confront him with his -accusers; but he sent for two valets of his wardrobe, who had been -present during the conversation between him and Créquy, and questioned -them in his presence. They confirmed what Bassompierre had just told -him, and his Majesty expressed himself satisfied that he had spoken the -truth. - -This clumsy attempt to injure Bassompierre recoiled upon its authors in -a manner that was distinctly embarrassing for them. A few days later, -when the King was at Châtellerault, the Ministers proposed that he -should travel on the following day only so far as La Haye-Descartes, on -the right bank of the Creuse, a very short day’s journey. Louis, -however, announced his intention of going on to Sainte-Maure, adding -significantly that it seemed to him that, if they could have their way, -he would not reach Paris for three months. - -These squabbles between the jealous and spiteful courtiers and Ministers -who surrounded Louis XIII, to all appearance so trifling, were in -reality of great political importance. For they were all manœuvres in -the struggle to dominate the indolent and fickle mind, and, with it, the -policy, of this young monarch, who, while so punctilious in exacting all -the respect which he considered due to his royal dignity, was ready to -surrender the sovereign authority to the favourite of the moment. And -upon the result of that struggle hung the destinies, not only of France, -but of Europe. - - * * * * * - -On January 27, Louis XIII arrived in Paris, where Marie de’ Medici was -awaiting him. The meeting between them was most affectionate. Marie -expressed the greatest joy at seeing her son return to his capital so -well in health and now indeed the master; and the King replied that he -intended to prove to everyone that never did son love or honour his -mother more. Marie believed him too easily. Louis XIII was twenty-one -and not nearly so manageable as he had been as a lad; and he feared the -authoritative temper of Richelieu, of whom the Nuncio Corsini wrote to -Gregory XV that he was “of a character to tyrannise over both the King -and his mother.” Besides, to re-establish her influence over her son it -was necessary for the Queen-Mother to keep him near her, and -circumstances were to render this impossible. - -Notwithstanding that the country was rent by civil war, and that so many -distinguished families were in mourning for relatives fallen before -Montauban, the winter in Paris seems to have been as gay as ever. “The -Court was very beautiful, and the ladies also,” says Bassompierre, “and -during the Carnival several fine comedies and grand ballets were -performed.” In the middle of March, however, a most unfortunate incident -occurred, which cast a gloom over both Court and capital. - -Early in 1622, to the great joy of the nation, the Queen had been -declared pregnant. Prayers were offered up in all the churches in France -for her safe delivery, and all those about her Majesty’s person were -strictly enjoined not to allow her to exert herself, to which -instructions, however, they unfortunately appear to have paid but little -heed. One evening, Anne of Austria and a party of courtiers, amongst -whom were the widowed Duchesse de Luynes and Mlle. de Verneuil, went to -spend the evening with the Princesse de Condé, who was ill and confined -to her bed. On their way back to the Queen’s apartments, they were -passing through the _grande salle_ of the Louvre, when Madame de Luynes -and Mlle. de Verneuil seized their royal mistress by the arms and began -to run. They had not, however, gone many paces when the Queen tripped -and fell on her face. A few hours later, to the general dismay, it was -known that her Majesty had had a miscarriage. - -Louis XIII was furiously indignant, as well he might be, and wrote to -the two delinquents with his own hand, ordering them to retire from -Court. It is probable that the disgrace of _Madame la Connétable_, -against whom, as we know, his Majesty already had a grievance, might -have lasted some considerable time, had not her marriage with the Duc de -Chevreuse, who stood high in the King’s favour, paved the way for her -return. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII - - Question of the Huguenot War the principal subject of contention - between the two parties--Condé and the Ministers demand its - continuance--Marie de’ Medici, prompted by Richelieu, advocates - peace--Secret negotiations of Louis XIII with the Huguenot - leaders--Soubise’s offensive in the West obliges the King to - continue the war--Louis XIII advances against the Huguenot chief, - who has established himself in the Île de Rié--Condé accuses - Bassompierre of “desiring to prevent him from acquiring - glory”--Courage of the King--Passage of the Royal army from the Île - du Perrier to the Île de Rié--Total defeat of Soubise--Siege of - Royan--The King in the trenches--His remarkable coolness and - intrepidity under fire--Capitulation of Royan--The Marquis de la - Force created a marshal of France--Conversation between Louis XIII - and Bassompierre--Diplomatic speech of the latter. - - -Meantime, the struggle between the two parties, which had begun on the -journey from Bordeaux to Paris, continued at the Louvre. Condé and his -allies were unable to prevent the Queen-Mother from entering the -Council, but they succeeded in excluding the man who possessed her mind. -Richelieu spoke through her mouth, however, and those who remembered her -regency were astonished at the prudence, address, and firmness which she -now displayed. - -The war against the Huguenots was the principal subject of contention. -Marie de’ Medici, under the influence of Richelieu, the old Ministers -the Chancellor Sillery and Jeannin, Puisieux, and the generals, wished -for peace; Condé and the new Ministers demanded the continuance of the -war. Condé saw in the war the means of separating the King from his -mother, and commanding the army in the name of Louis XIII. A -superstitious hope made him particularly anxious to have large military -forces at his disposal. An astrologer had predicted to him that he would -become King at the age of thirty-four, and he was now in his -thirty-fourth year. He desired, therefore, to prove his devotion to the -Catholic religion, and to be in a position to seize the crown at the -date when Louis XIII and his younger brother were apparently destined to -die. - -Marie brought to the Council the arguments with which Richelieu had -furnished her on the grave situation of external affairs. The House of -Austria, she pointed out, was everywhere aggressive and everywhere -successful. In Germany, the Empire had reduced Bohemia to submission. -The unfortunate Elector Palatine, deprived of the Upper Palatinate by -Maximilian of Bavaria, and of the Lower Palatinate by Tilly, General of -the Catholic League, and Gonzalvo de Cordoba, commander of the Spanish -forces, had been obliged to take refuge in Holland. Philip IV, on the -expiration of the twelve years’ truce with Holland in 1621, had called -upon the Dutch to acknowledge his supremacy, and, on their refusal, had -attacked them. The Spaniards mocked at the Treaty of Madrid, and, so far -from evacuating the Valtellina, as they had engaged to do, had invaded -the country of the Grisons, in concert with the Archduke Leopold, and -obliged them to submit to a humiliating treaty which deprived them of -the suzerainty of the Valtellina. - -Prompted by Richelieu, Marie urged upon the Council the imperative -necessity of pacifying France, in order to be in a position to intervene -in the affairs of Europe and arrest the alarming progress which the -House of Austria was making. “To enter into a civil war,” said she, “is -not the road to arrive at it, as was manifest during the siege of -Montauban, when, in place of executing the Treaty of Madrid, they [the -Spaniards] pushed their armies further and advanced by much their design -to arrive at the monarchy of Europe. Although assuredly it is better to -perish rather than abate anything of the royal dignity, it seems that it -[the dignity] is preserved, if peace and the pardon of their crimes is -given to them [the Huguenots], without restoring to them any of the -places of which they have been deprived.” - -Condé and his allies pretended, on the contrary, that it was necessary -before everything, and at all costs, to subdue the internal enemy and to -check the audacity of the Huguenots, immensely encouraged by the -successful resistance of Montauban. La Force and his sons had resumed -hostilities in Guienne, and many places in that province which had -submitted to the King had revolted anew. In Lower Languedoc, masters of -Nîmes, Montpellier, Uzès, Privas, and a number of smaller towns, the -assembly of the “circle,” had ordered or, at any rate, authorised, the -most disgraceful excesses, and between thirty and forty churches, -amongst which were some of the finest monuments of the Middle Ages, had -been ruined. In the West, the Rochellois were masters of the sea; -Saint-Luc, who had vainly endeavoured to make head against them, was -blockaded in the port of Brouage; and a multitude of privateers preyed -upon the commerce of the Atlantic coast. - -At the beginning of 1622, the Rochellois and the predatory nobles who -made common cause with them conceived the bold project of occupying the -mouths of the Loire and the Gironde, in order to hold all the commerce -of those two rivers to ransom. The revolt of Royan, on the right bank of -the Gironde, and the occupation of two other strong points had already -resulted in the virtual blockade of that river; while Soubise, violating -the oath which he had taken at the capitulation of Saint-Jean-d’Angély -not to bear arms again against his sovereign, charged himself with the -Loire, descended with a considerable force on Sables d’Olonne, in order -to raise the Protestants of Poitou, and overran all the country up to -the suburbs of Nantes. - -Thus tricked by the Spaniards and braved by the Protestants, Louis XIII -had to choose between his enemies. For a time he appeared inclined to -listen to the advice of his mother--or rather of Richelieu--and, -unknown to Condé and his supporters, authorised Lesdiguières to -negotiate with Rohan. “And that nothing might be revealed,” says -Bassompierre, “save to M. de Puisieux and myself, whom he commanded to -keep the affair very secret, he wished that M. des Lesdiguières sent -duplicate despatches; one copy to be read and deliberated upon in the -Council; the other, which was private and addressed to M. de Puisieux, -to be communicated only to the King, who informed me of its contents.” -The negotiations progressed so far that Louis promised to receive a -deputation from the Reformed churches, and threatened the Spanish -Ambassador to go to Lyons and organise an army to march to the -assistance of the Grisons, if Spain did not forthwith withdraw from -their country and the Valtellina. But the progress of Soubise and the -disobedience of d’Épernon, who declined to send troops from his -governments of Saintonge and the Angoumois to the assistance of the -hard-pressed Royalists of Poitou, gave the victory to Condé and his -adherents; the King decided to march in person against Soubise, and, on -March 20, without waiting for the arrival of the Protestant deputies, he -left Paris for Orléans, accompanied by the Queen-Mother, who was -determined to keep within reach of him so long as she could. - -From Orléans, the King, still accompanied by Marie, proceeded to Blois, -and thence by water to Nantes, where the army was to assemble, and where -on the 11th he was joined by Bassompierre, who had been summoned by -courier from Paris. - -On his arrival at Nantes, Louis XIII learned that Soubise was -endeavouring to establish himself in the Île de Rié, a maritime district -of Lower Poitou, separated from the mainland by vast salt marshes and -small rivers, which at high tide the sea rendered impassable. If the -Huguenot leader were permitted to entrench himself there, it was a -position from which it would be exceedingly difficult to dislodge him; -but this the King resolved not to allow him time to do; and, leaving the -Queen-Mother, who had fallen ill, at Nantes, like a true son of Henri -IV, he marched at once upon the enemy. - -The Royal army consisted of from 10,000 to 12,000 men; that of Soubise -from 6,000 to 7,000; but the latter had the advantage of position and -seven pieces of cannon; while the attacking force was, of course, unable -to transport its artillery across the marshes. The enterprise would -therefore have been a hazardous one, with a watchful and resolute enemy -to contend with. On this occasion, however, Soubise showed neither the -vigilance of a general nor the courage of a soldier. The approach of the -enemy much sooner than he had foreseen appears to have disconcerted his -plans altogether, and, instead of attempting to defend the approaches to -the Île de Rié, he thought only of re-embarking his troops in a squadron -of vessels which he had at his disposal, and making his escape with the -plunder he had collected to La Rochelle. - -In the afternoon of April 14, Marillac, with a small force of infantry, -occupied the Île du Perrier, adjoining the Île de Rié, and early on the -following morning Bassompierre was ordered by Condé to follow with the -rest of the infantry. Condé then proposed that they should ford an arm -of the sea “wide as the Marne,” which separated the islands of Perrier -and Rié, and where at low tide, which would be at midday, the peasants -had told him, the water would be only waist-deep. Bassompierre, however, -protested against this, pointing out that, if the enemy offered the -least opposition to their passage, the tide would rise before half the -troops had crossed, and even if they were allowed to cross unopposed, -they would find themselves at a great disadvantage without cavalry or -cannon. He added that, apart from these considerations, he ought -certainly to await the arrival of the King. “For if you defeat M. de -Soubise,” said he, “he [the King] will take it ill that you have not -shared the honour of the victory with him; and, if some reverse befalls -you, he will blame your precipitation, and will accuse you of not having -wished or deigned to wait for him.” - -_Monsieur le Prince_ took this remonstrance in very bad part, and -declared that he saw plainly that Bassompierre was “of the cabal who -desired to prevent him from acquiring glory.” But he sent him to the -King to beg him to come at once with the cavalry, and when his Majesty -arrived on the scene, it was decided to wait until midnight and to cross -to the Île de Rié at another spot, where they were informed there would -be less water. - -In the course of the evening, Louis XIII displayed for the first time -that cool courage which he invariably afterwards showed in war, and -which, if it had been combined with the same degree of moral resolution, -would have made him a really remarkable man:-- - - “While the King, stretched on a miserable bed,” says Bassompierre, - “was consulting with us about the passage, a great alarm spread - throughout the camp that the enemy was upon us; and, in an instant, - fifty persons rushed into the King’s chamber, who declared that the - enemy was at hand. I knew well that this was impossible, since it - was high tide, and they could not pass. Instead, therefore, of - being alarmed, I wished to see how the King would take it, in order - that I might regulate the proposals which I might in future have to - make to him, according to the firmness or agitation which he - displayed. This young prince, who was lying down on the bed, sat up - on hearing this rumour, and, with a countenance more animated than - usual, said to them: ‘Gentlemen, the alarm is without, and not in - my chamber, as you see; it is there you must go.’ And, at the same - time, he said to me: ‘Go as quickly as you can to the Bridge of - Avrouet, and send me your news promptly. You, Zamet, go out and - find _Monsieur le Prince_, and M. de Praslin and Marillac will stay - with me. I shall arm myself and place myself at the head of my - Guards.’ I was delighted to see the confidence and judgment of a - man of his age so mature and so perfect. The alarm was, as I - supposed, a false one, arising from a very trifling incident.” - -All the arrangements for the passage of the army had been entrusted to -Bassompierre. The troops assembled at ten o’clock, and a little before -midnight the order to advance was given. At the spot where the Guards -were to cross, however, the water was so deep that they sent to inform -Bassompierre that it was impossible to pass. He went there, and finding -that it would be a very difficult undertaking, led them to another ford, -by which he crossed himself to the Île de Rié, and saw no sign of any -enemy. He returned and reported that the ford was practicable and that -their passage would be unopposed, and the whole army passed without -mishap; though when Bassompierre crossed for the second time, at the -head of the rearguard, the tide was beginning to rise, and the water was -nearly up to his chin.[5] - -On reaching the shore, the troops encamped and lighted a great number of -fires to dry their clothes. At daybreak they were formed in order of -battle, and, after a march of about two leagues, came in sight of the -enemy. Soubise and his cavalry, to the number of five or six hundred, -fled at once in the direction of La Rochelle, without striking a blow. -Part of the infantry had already embarked in the launches that had -arrived to take them off; the rest threw down their arms and demanded -quarter. But this was refused to the majority of them, and more than -1,500 were shot or cut down in cold blood; while as many more were taken -prisoners and sent to the galleys. The rest fled across the marshes, in -which some of them were drowned, while many others were slain by the -troops of La Rochefoucauld, governor of Poitou, or by the peasants, -furious at the devastation which the Huguenots had committed. Only some -four hundred succeeded in effecting their escape and making their way to -La Rochelle. - -Leaving a force under the Comte de Soissons to watch La Rochelle on the -land side, while Guise was directed to blockade it by sea, Louis XIII -marched southwards, with the intention of raising the blockade of the -Gironde by the reduction of Royan. During the siege, the King gave -further proofs of that courage and presence of mind which Bassompierre -had admired before the attack on the Île de Rié. - - “That same evening I went to the King in his quarters, and he told - me that he was coming to see our trench at five o’clock the next - morning ... and desired me to await him at the commencement of it. - He came, accompanied by M. d’Épernon and M. de Schomberg. It was - the first time he had ever been in the trenches, and he did me the - honour to say to me: ‘Bassompierre, I am a novice here; tell me - what I must do, so that I may not make mistakes.’ In this I found - little difficulty, for he was more prodigal of his safety than any - of us would have been, and mounted three or four times on to the - banquette of the trench, where he was exposed to the fire of the - enemy, to reconnoitre. And he stayed there so long that we trembled - at the danger he was incurring, which he braved with more coolness - and intrepidity than an old captain would have shown, and gave - orders for the work of the following night as though he had been an - engineer. While he was returning, I saw him do what pleased me - extremely. After we had remounted our horses, at a certain passage - which the enemy knew, they fired a cannon-shot, which passed two - feet above the head of the King, who was talking to M. d’Épernon. I - was riding in front of him, and turned round, fearing that the shot - might have struck him. ‘_Mon Dieu_, Sire,’ I exclaimed, ‘that ball - was near killing you!’ ‘No, not me,’ said he, ‘but M. d’Épernon.’ - He neither started nor lowered his head, as so many others would - have done; and afterwards, perceiving that some of those who - accompanied him had drawn aside, he said to them: ‘What! Are you - afraid that they will fire again? They will have to reload.’ I - have witnessed many and various actions of the King in several - perilous situations, and I can affirm, without flattery or - adulation, that I have never seen a man, not to say a king, who was - more courageous than he was. The late King, his father, though, as - everyone knows, celebrated for his valour, did not display a like - intrepidity.” - -It is not the degree, but the kind of courage, which is remarkable at -his age. Bassompierre, however, relates an instance of equal coolness in -a boy, who had not the same strong motive to self-possession as was -furnished by the consciousness of being the object of the whole army’s -attention: - - “The enemy had constructed a barricade in their fosse, on the side - of the sea, and a palisade, which hindered us from being entirely - masters of their fosse. I sent my volunteer, a young lad of - sixteen, to reconnoitre it. This lad had, the previous year, - executed with other camp-boys the most hazardous works at the siege - of Montauban, which the soldiers refused to undertake. He had - received several wounds, amongst others a musket-ball through the - body, of which I got him cured. This young rogue undertook a number - of dangerous works by the piece, and the camp-boys worked under him - and made a great deal of money. He went to reconnoitre this - barricade with the same bearing and as much boldness as the best - sergeant in the army; and after getting a musket-ball through his - breeches and another through the brim of his hat, returned to us - and made his report, which was very judicious.” - -Royan capitulated on May 11, and shortly afterwards La Force surrendered -the town of Sainte-Foy and returned to his allegiance, in return for the -bâton of Marshal of France. Louis XIII, who had been given to understand -that both Bassompierre and Schomberg were deeply mortified that a rebel -should have been created a marshal before either of them, sent for the -former and said to him: “Bassompierre, I know that you are angry that I -am making M. de La Force Marshal of France, and that you and M. de -Schomberg complain of it, and with reason; but it is not I who am the -cause of it, so much as _Monsieur le Prince_, who counselled me to do -it, for the good of my affairs, and in order to leave nothing behind me -in Guienne which might prevent me passing promptly into Languedoc. -Nevertheless, be sure that what you desire I shall do for you, whom I -love and hold as my good and faithful servant.” - -Bassompierre tells us that at that time he had no particular desire for -the office of marshal, “since, in his opinion, it was that of an old -man, while he wished to play the part of a gallant of the Court for some -years longer.” He therefore assured his Majesty that he had been -entirely misinformed, and that, so far from being annoyed at La Force’s -appointment, he regarded it as a most proper one, since he was an old -man and a soldier of great experience, who had been promised the bâton -by the late King and would have received it, if Henri IV had lived -another month; that, although he had been a rebel, he was one no longer; -and that it was “a signal example of the kindness of the King to forget -the faults of his servants, in order to remember and recompense their -merits and their services.” And he added that he did not aspire to the -office of marshal or any other charge, unless his Majesty “out of pure -kindness and desire to recognise his service,” wished to confer it upon -him, and that he “very humbly besought him never to allow any -consideration for him to prevent him doing what he judged to be for the -good of his service.” - -This diplomatic speech greatly pleased the King, who thanked -Bassompierre and told him that he might rely on him to advance his -interests. He then sent for Schomberg, who, much less tactful than his -colleague, pressed his Majesty to make him a marshal conjointly with La -Force, and proposed that Bassompierre should be created one also, -“though this was chiefly in order to strengthen his own request.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII - - Condé and his allies offer to secure for Bassompierre the position - of favourite, if he will join forces with them to bring about the - fall of Puisieux--Refusal of Bassompierre--Condé complains to Louis - XIII of Bassompierre’s hostility to him--Bassompierre informs the - King of the proposal which has been made him--Louis XIII orders - _Monsieur le Prince_ to be reconciled with Bassompierre--Siege of - Négrepelisse--The town is taken by storm--Terrible fate of the - garrison and the inhabitants--Fresh differences between Condé and - Bassompierre--Discomfiture of _Monsieur le Prince_--Bassompierre - placed temporarily in command of the Royal army, captures the towns - of Carmain and Cuq-Toulza--Offer of Bassompierre to resign his - claim to the marshal’s bâton in favour of Schomberg--Surrender of - Lunel--Massacre of the garrison by disbanded soldiers of the Royal - army--Bassompierre causes eight of the latter to be hanged--Lunel - in danger of being destroyed by fire with all within its - walls--Bassompierre, by his presence of mind, saves the - situation--Schomberg and Bassompierre--The latter is promised the - marshal’s bâton. - - -At Moissac, where Louis XIII arrived in the first week in June, Condé -approached Bassompierre and invited him to meet him “in a kind of chapel -which is in the cloister of the abbey,” as he desired to confer with him -on a matter of great importance. Thither Bassompierre repaired and found -the prince in the company of his allies, Retz and Schomberg. All three -forthwith began to inveigh against Puisieux, whose presumption, they -declared, they were no longer able to endure. Although only a Secretary -of State, he was admitted to greater intimacy with the King than -_Monsieur le Prince_ himself, sought to prejudice his Majesty against -those with whom he was not on good terms, conducted separate -negotiations, which he declined to communicate to them, and prevented -the execution of the decisions of the Council, if he had not previously -approved of them. Since the death of the late Constable, they had, they -said, endeavoured “to prevent the King from embarking in a new -affection,” and they were of opinion that it would be better for his -Majesty to have no favourite. - - “However, since they saw that his inclination was to be dominated - by someone, they preferred that it should be by a brave man, of - high birth and esteemed for his knowledge of the arts of peace as - well as of those of war, rather than by a man of the pen like M. de - Puisieux, who would turn everything upside down; and that they were - all resolved to conspire to bring about his ruin, as they were to - assist in the aggrandisement of my fortune, and to persuade the - King, who was already favourably inclined towards me, to favour me - entirely with the honour of his good graces, provided that I were - willing to promise them two things: the one, to co-operate with - them to ruin M. de Puisieux and to detach myself entirely from his - friendship; the other, to associate myself entirely with them and - combine our designs and counsels, in the first place, for the good - of the King’s service, in the second, for our common interest and - preservation. And they begged me to come to a prompt decision upon - this matter and to acquaint them with it.” - -Bassompierre felt quite certain that the proposal which had just been -made to him was nothing but a skilfully-baited trap, and that the -intention of Condé and his friends was “to penetrate his design and then -to reveal it to the King, and that they desired to make use of him to -ruin M. de Puisieux, and afterwards with greater facility to ruin him.” - - “I accordingly replied that I was unable to understand what - necessity there was for the King to have a favourite, since he had - dispensed with one so easily for eight months; that his favourites - ought to be his mother, his brother, his relatives and his good - servants, wherein he would be following the example of the King his - father, and that if some fatality inclined him to have one, the - choice and the election ought to be left to him; that I had never - heard tell of any prince who took his favourites according to the - decrees of his council; but that, however that might be, it would - not be I who would occupy that place, because I did not deserve - it; because, also, the King would not wish to honour me with it, - and because, finally, I would not accept it; that I aspired to a - moderate degree of favour, and a fortune of the same kind acquired - by my virtue and by my merit, and which might be securely - preserved; that my lavish expenditure, and the little care I had - taken up to the present to amass wealth, were sufficient proofs - that I aspired rather to glory than to profit; that I wished to - seek a moderate and a secure fortune, and despised favour to such a - degree that, if it were lying on the ground before me, I should not - condescend to stoop and pick it up; and that such was my - unalterable resolution, which did not allow me to take advantage of - their good-will towards me, for which I rendered them very humble - thanks.” - -As for their complaints about Puisieux, he said, it seemed to him that -they were really complaining of the King and questioning his Majesty’s -right to confer privately with, and demand advice from, whichever of his -Ministers he pleased. Puisieux was his [Bassompierre’s] friend, and had -always behaved as such, and, so long as he continued to do so, he -declined to be a party to any intrigue against him. - -Condé then warned Bassompierre that a time might come when he would -regret having lost his friendship and that of his allies in order to -preserve that of Puisieux; to which Bassompierre replied that he would -be “extraordinarily grieved to lose their good graces, but that the -consolation would remain to him of not having lost them through any -fault of his own, and that he would never purchase those of anyone at -the price of his reputation.” - -That evening, Louis XIII decided to send a body of two hundred cavalry -to scout in the direction of Montauban, and Valençay, who was lieutenant -of Condé’s company of gensdarmes, asked to be allowed to go, and to take -with him both his own men and _Monsieur le Prince’s_ company of light -horse; and to this the King consented. Condé was not at the council of -war, and did not learn of what had been done until later in the -evening, when he was extremely angry and went to the King to complain -that an affront had been put upon him by sending his two companies of -horse away without his knowledge, and that he felt quite certain that it -was Bassompierre who had suggested it. The King assured him that -Bassompierre had had nothing to do with the affair, and that Valençay -had himself asked for the commission, which he had given him, never -imagining that _Monsieur le Prince_ would take it ill. Condé, however, -insisted that Bassompierre must have been at the bottom of it, and -declared that he was hostile to him. When he had gone, the King sent for -Bassompierre and told him of what the prince had said, upon which he -deemed it advisable to inform his Majesty of the proposal which Condé -had made him that morning in the chapel. “But,” he says, “as it is very -dangerous to be in the disfavour of a person of that rank who is your -general, I begged the King very humbly either to reconcile us or to -permit me to retire, since I did not wish to draw his hatred and his -anger upon me.” - -This the King promised to do, and the next evening, when the army had -encamped at Villemode, near Montauban, he came into the camp, and having -praised Bassompierre for the arrangements which he had made, he turned -to Condé and said: “Monsieur, yesterday you were angry with him without -cause, and you can learn from Valençay whether Bassompierre was in any -way responsible for his being sent away. I beg you, for love of me, to -live on good terms with him, for I assure you he is your servant; and, -if he were lost to this army, you know yourself whether it would be our -fault.” Condé promised to do as the King desired, and the same evening -offered his apologies to Bassompierre, who begged him to regard him as -his very humble servant, and that “when he happened to have any reason -to be displeased with him, to do him the honour of telling him of it, -and, if he did not give him satisfaction in the matter, to be angry -with him with all his soul, and not before.” - -On the following day--June 8--the army arrived before Négrepelisse, a -little town on the left bank of the Aveyron. Louis XIII and his whole -army were bitterly incensed against the inhabitants of Négrepelisse, -who, one night during the previous winter, had revolted and massacred -four hundred men of the Vaillac Regiment who had been placed in garrison -there; while a report was current among the soldiers that, during the -siege of Montauban, the sick and wounded of the Royal army who had been -transported thither had been poisoned. However, as the town was believed -to have returned to its allegiance, provided they admitted the King, -there would not appear to have been any intention of punishing the -inhabitants. But when the quartermaster who had been charged to select -suitable quarters for his Majesty, approached the gates, he found them -closed, and was received with a volley of musket-shots. - -On learning of what had occurred, the King ordered Bassompierre, who was -with the advance-guard, to invest the town, which he proceeded to do; -but, on going forward to reconnoitre the place with Praslin and -Chevreuse, he had a narrow escape of his life, being fired upon from a -distance of twenty paces by a party of the enemy, whom he had mistaken -for some of his own men. - - “There was not in Négrepelisse,” says Bassompierre, “anything - better than a musket; no munitions of war save what each inhabitant - might have had to go out shooting; no foreign soldier, no chief to - command them; and the place, though it might have offered some - resistance to a provincial force, was quite incapable of resisting - a Royal army. Nevertheless, the inhabitants would neither consent - to surrender nor even to parley.” - -The probable explanation is that the townsfolk were convinced that the -King was bent upon their destruction, and that no terms which he might -consent to give them would be observed; and that they had therefore -determined to sell their lives for what they might be worth. - -On the 9th, a battery of seven cannon was got into position close to the -walls, and, although the enemy’s musketry-fire was very effective, and -caused many casualties amongst the gunners, by the following morning a -considerable breach had been made. The besieged endeavoured to repair it -by a barricade of carts, but this was of little avail, and the town was -quickly taken by assault. - -Louis XIII, infuriated by the obstinacy of the inhabitants, had given -orders that they were to be treated as they had treated his soldiers -some months before, and every man capable of bearing arms was put to the -sword, with the exception of a few who succeeded in escaping into the -château. The troops exceeded the pitiless orders of the King, and the -majority of the women were violated and many murdered, together with -their children; while the town was pillaged and burned almost to the -ground. The officers appear to have done their best to protect the women -and to save the town; but, as so often happened in those days when -places were taken by assault, the soldiers were quite out of hand, and -it was impossible to restrain them.[6] The château held out until the -following day, when it surrendered at discretion, and twelve or fifteen -of those found there were taken and hanged. - -The reconciliation between Bassompierre and Condé was of very short -duration, for, a day or two later, the prince accused him in a council -of war of questioning the orders which were given him. Bassompierre -retorted that he had a right to his opinion, and that “if his mouth were -to be closed, he should retire from the Service. The King thereupon took -his part, and was very angry with _Monsieur le Prince_.” Further -differences arose between them respecting the investment of -Saint-Antonin, and, as Condé refused to be guided by his advice, -Bassompierre begged to be permitted not to serve during the siege, and -his request was granted. - -Marillac was then appointed to the temporary command of Bassompierre’s -troops; but the officers of the Guards refused to take their orders from -him, as did those of the Navarre Regiment. Condé was furious and, going -to the King, accused Bassompierre of “making cabals and mutinies in his -army,” and said that he “deserved punishment and even death.” And that -gentleman happening to enter the royal presence a few moments later, he -denounced him to his face. Bassompierre denied the charge, and said that -the refusal of the officers of the Guards and of Navarre to serve under -Marillac was not due to any action on his part, but to the poor opinion -they entertained of Marillac’s military capabilities, and that if some -other officer were appointed, they would obey him readily enough. With -this explanation Louis XIII professed himself satisfied, and _Monsieur -le Prince_ retired discomfited. - -If we are to believe Bassompierre, Condé would appear to have bungled -the siege of Saint-Antonin pretty badly, and an imprudent attempt to -take the place by assault was repulsed with heavy loss. However, on June -22 the town surrendered. - -A few days later, Bassompierre and the prince again came into -collision. Condé had proposed in the Council to attack Carmain, a nest -of Huguenots which was a great annoyance to the people of Toulouse, who -had petitioned that its reduction should be undertaken;[7] but -Bassompierre objected that to conquer these small places was to waste -time which might be more usefully employed in besieging important -strongholds of the enemy like Nîmes and Montpellier. It was decided to -follow his advice, whereat “_Monsieur le Prince’s_ bile was stirred -against him,” and he left the Council in anger, complaining loudly that -Bassompierre had prevented Carmain from being invested. Some Huguenot -gentlemen happening to overhear him, sent to inform the authorities of -that town that the Royal army had no intention of laying siege to it, in -consequence of which a body of 500 men who were on their way from -Puylaurens to reinforce the garrison received orders to return. -Bassompierre, who had been ordered to lead the army to Castelnaudary, -while the King and Condé went to visit Toulouse, learned of the return -of this reinforcement, and aware that, deprived of its assistance, the -people of Carmain would probably consider themselves incapable of -withstanding a siege, determined to make an attempt to trick them into -surrender. He accordingly appeared before the town, with all the -paraphernalia for a siege: carts loaded with gabions, platforms for the -batteries, and so forth, although he, of course, had no intention of -undertaking it, since he had not received any orders to that effect, -and, besides, had only two siege-guns with him. He then summoned it to -surrender, vowing to make a terrible example of it in the event of a -refusal, and to treat it as Négrepelisse had been treated; and the -inhabitants, completely deceived, offered to parley forthwith, and early -on the following morning, terms of capitulation having been arranged, -the place surrendered (June 30). - -The previous night part of the Piedmont Regiment, which Bassompierre had -detached against the neighbouring town of Cuq-Toulza, had carried that -place by assault, after blowing in the gate with a petard. So that -within a few hours two towns had been taken, one of them without a blow -being struck. - -Not a little elated by this double success, Bassompierre placed the army -in charge of Valençay, and repaired to Toulouse to report to the King. - - “I arrived,” says he, “at the moment when the King was holding his - council and was reprimanding _Monsieur le Prince_, because, when - the Parlement and aldermen of Toulouse had come to do him homage, - _Monsieur le Prince_ had said that the cowardice of M. de - Bassompierre had prevented the King from attacking Carmain, as, - though he had counselled him to do it, I had dissuaded him. When - the King was informed that I was at the door, he wondered what - could have caused me to quit the army; but, when he ordered me to - be admitted, I told him that I wished to bring him myself the news - of the capture of Carmain and Cuq and to receive his commands upon - other matters which I wished to propose to him. Then _Monsieur le - Prince_ rose and came to embrace me, telling me that he had done - wrong to say what he had said, and that he would repair it by - saying much good of me.... It is impossible to describe the joy - with which the people of Toulouse received the news of this - capture. They caused a splendid lodging to be made ready for me; - and the aldermen came to thank me, and to invite me to dine on the - morrow at the Hôtel-de-Ville, where they would hold a grand - assembly for love of me, and a ball to follow. But I begged them to - excuse me, on the ground that it was necessary for me to return - promptly to the army.” - -Bassompierre returned to the army accompanied by Praslin, who took over -the command. The following day he met with what might have been a very -severe accident, his horse stumbling and falling into a ditch on top of -him. However, he escaped with nothing worse than a badly bruised foot. -On July 2, the army reached Castelnaudary, having snapped up the little -town of Le Mas-Saintes-Puelles on the way, and on the 5th the King -joined it. His Majesty was unwell, suffering, says his physician -Hérouard, from “sore throat, a cold, and a relaxed uvula,” and he -remained for some days at Castelnaudary and kept Bassompierre with him; -while the army under Praslin continued its march into Lower Languedoc. - -Meantime, Lesdiguières, to whom, after the death of Luynes, Louis XIII -had promised the office of Constable, provided he would renounce the -Reformed faith, had sent to inform the King that he was about to be -received into the Catholic Church. His elevation would entail a vacancy -among the marshals, and the King sent for Bassompierre and Schomberg, -who had also remained at Castelnaudary, and told them that, so soon as -another occurred, he would create them both marshals, but that he did -not wish to promote one before the other, as he considered that their -claims were equal. Schomberg, however, pressed the King to promote both -Bassompierre and himself forthwith, pointing out that they could render -him more useful service as marshals of France in the approaching -campaign in Lower Languedoc, and that when there was another vacancy, -his Majesty could leave it unfilled, which would come to the same thing. - -Perceiving that the King seemed very reluctant to take this course, -though, at the same time, he was unwilling to refuse so pressing a -request, Bassompierre, like a true courtier, came to his aid, and -declared that, as he had “always preferred to deserve great honours than -to possess them,” he was not so eager for the bâton as Schomberg, and -would “without envy or regret” resign his claims in favour of one who -was six years his senior, and one of his Majesty’s Ministers, and -therefore entitled to the preference. “M. de Schomberg,” says he, -“feeling that my courtesy had placed him under a great obligation, -thanked me very gracefully; but the King persisted in refusing to -promote one of us without the other; and so we withdrew.” - -On July 13, Louis XIII left Castelnaudary and proceeded, by way of -Carcassonne and Narbonne, to Béziers, where he remained for some little -time. Bassompierre, however, rejoined the army, which was advancing -slowly towards Montpellier, and which, on August 2, laid siege -simultaneously to the towns of Lunel and Marsillargues, situated about a -league from one another. Marsillargues surrendered almost at once, and -Lunel a few days later, the garrison of the latter place, by the terms -of the capitulation, being permitted to march out with their swords -only; their other weapons were to be placed in the carts which carried -their baggage. - -Bassompierre had received orders to enter the town with the Guards the -moment the garrison evacuated it. On his way thither, he saw great -numbers of disbanded soldiers of different regiments, _landsknechts_ and -Swiss as well as French, lingering about, and felt sure that their -presence boded no good, and that they were meditating an attack upon the -baggage. He accordingly decided not to allow the garrison to leave until -he had ridden back to the Royal camp to warn Praslin, whom he advised to -take measures to prevent any such attempt. But the marshal replied that -“he was not a child, and that he understood his business, and that if he -[Bassompierre] would only give the necessary orders within the town, he -would do the same without.” - -Bassompierre returned to the town and directed the garrison to march out -with their baggage, after which he entered with his troops, and gave -orders that the gates should be closed and the breach which the -besiegers’ cannon had made strongly guarded, as he thought it not -improbable that an attempt might be made to enter and pillage the -place. - - “There was some degree of order in the departure of the enemy,” he - says, “until the baggage came in sight; but, when that appeared, - all the disbanded soldiers of our army rushed upon it, before it - was possible for the marshal or Portes or Marillac to prevent them, - and plundered these poor soldiers, 400 of whom they inhumanly - butchered.” - -Bassompierre, however, had the satisfaction of executing rigorous -justice upon some of these ruffians:-- - - “Eight soldiers, of different countries and regiments, presented - themselves at the gates of Lunel, with more than twenty prisoners, - whom they brought tied together, with the intention of entering the - town. Their swords were stained with the blood of those whom they - had massacred, and they were so laden with booty that they could - hardly walk. Finding the gate of Lunel shut, they called to the - sentries to go and tell me to give orders for them to be let in. I - went to the gate in consequence of what I heard, which I found to - be true. I let them in and then ordered these eight fine fellows to - be bound with the same cords with which they had bound the twenty - prisoners. After giving these men the booty of the eight soldiers, - whom, without any form of trial, I caused to be hanged before their - eyes on a tree near the bridge of Lunel, I had them escorted by my - carabiniers so far as the road to Cauvisson. On the morrow, - _Monsieur le Prince_ was very pleased with what I had done and - thanked me.” - -Two or three days after the Royal troops had taken possession of Lunel, -the town narrowly escaped being destroyed, with everyone within its -walls. - -Bassompierre was at dinner with Créquy, Schomberg, and the Duc de -Montmorency when there was a violent explosion, which partially wrecked -the room in which they sat, though, happily, they were unhurt. They ran -out to ascertain the cause, and learned that one of a train of -ammunition-waggons which was entering the town had caught fire, and that -the flames had reached the powder, with the result that several houses -had been destroyed and others were blazing furiously. The utmost -consternation prevailed, for the explosion had occurred near the gate -by which the waggons had entered, and the débris of the houses barred -the approach to it, while the other gates had been blocked up by Condé’s -orders; and the fire was rapidly approaching a convent, in the vaults of -which a great quantity of powder was stored. If once it reached it, the -whole town would be consumed, with all the troops and inhabitants. - - “The confusion was extreme,” says Bassompierre, “and, as everyone - was thinking only of himself and his own safety, no one ran to - extinguish the fire; all the people sought only to get out of the - town, but no one could find a way. At length, I caused one of the - blocked-up gates to be broken open, through which everyone could - get out, and, having by this expedient got more elbow-room, we - removed our powder to a safe place and extinguished the fire, by - which more than fifty persons had perished.” - -The following day Bassompierre went with a body of 500 cavalry to -Villeneuve-de-Maguelonne to escort the King to Lunel, where his Majesty -arrived on August 15. On the 17th, Louis XIII went to visit Sommières, -which had just surrendered to his troops, and on the return journey -Schomberg, whose jealousy of Bassompierre was increasing daily, finding -an opportunity for private conversation with his sovereign, did not fail -to turn it to account: - - “On the road M. de Schomberg said to the King that I was his enemy, - and he begged him to believe nothing that I might say about him. - The King replied that he was entirely wrong, and that I had never - spoken of him except to his advantage, nor of any other person, and - that Schomberg knew me very little to take me for a man who did ill - turns to people. He [Schomberg] was not a little astonished by this - answer.” - -Perceiving by Bassompierre’s manner that the King had told him of their -conversation, Schomberg requested Puisieux to effect a reconciliation -between them, to which Bassompierre “consented reluctantly and after he -had expressed to him his sentiments.” - -Schomberg would appear to have possessed an unusual amount of assurance, -even for a German, for, immediately afterwards, he begged the man whom -he had attempted to injure to employ his good offices with the King to -obtain for him the governments which d’Épernon was about to resign in -order to accept that of Guienne. This cool request, however, proved a -little too much for Bassompierre, whose friend Praslin also aspired to -these offices; and he replied that, not only should he refuse to speak -in his favour, but should oppose him, until Praslin had been provided -for. Eventually d’Épernon’s governments were divided between the two, -Praslin receiving Saintonge and Aulnis, and Schomberg the Angoumois and -the Limousin. - -On August 27, Louis XIII arrived at Laverune, a little to the west of -Montpellier, and on the following day Lesdiguières, who had been -received into the Catholic Church in the Cathedral of Grenoble on the -24th, took the oath as Constable of France; after which, to the great -mortification of Schomberg, the King informed Bassompierre that it was -his intention to confer the vacant marshal’s bâton upon him, and that he -would give orders for the necessary patent to be made out forthwith. His -Majesty’s decision to give it to Bassompierre, notwithstanding what he -had told him and Schomberg a fortnight before, was no doubt due to the -fact that he had just bestowed a lucrative government upon the latter -and considered that he ought to be content for the present with that -proof of the royal favour. However, M. de Schomberg, who was one of -those whose appetite for honours and emoluments seems only to have been -stimulated by attempts to satisfy it, did not view the matter in that -light, and felt deeply aggrieved. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX - - Conditions of peace with the Huguenots decided upon--Refusal of the - citizens of Montpellier to open their gates to the King until his - army has been disbanded--Bullion advises Louis XIII to accede to - their wishes, and is supported by the majority of the - Council--Bassompierre is of the contrary opinion, and urges the - King to reduce Montpellier to “entire submission and - repentance”--Louis XIII decides to follow the advice of - Bassompierre, and the siege of the town is begun--A disastrous day - for the Royal army--Death of Zamet and the Italian engineer - Gamorini--Political intrigues--Bassompierre succeeds in securing - the post of Keeper of the Seals for Caumartin, although the King - has already promised it to d’Aligre, the nominee of Condé--Heavy - losses sustained by the besiegers in an attack upon one of the - advanced-works--Condé quits the army and sets out for - Italy--Bassompierre is created marshal of France amidst general - acclamations--Peace is signed--Death of the Abbé - Roucellaï--Bassompierre accompanies the King to Avignon, where he - again falls of petechial fever, but recovers--He assists at the - entry of the King and Queen into Lyons--He is offered the - government of the Maine, but declines it. - - -The Royal army had now invested Montpellier, which Rohan was determined -to defend to the last extremity, if he were unable to obtain a treaty -for the whole body of his co-religionists; but it seemed as though peace -would intervene to prevent further bloodshed. The Huguenots had abated -many of their pretensions, and Louis XIII, on his side, was not disposed -to press too hardly upon them. Affairs without were becoming more and -more alarming; and if the Ultramontane party, blinded by religious -hatred, desired to continue the war until the Protestants were entirely -crushed, level-headed men saw with grief France rendered impotent abroad -and a prey to civil strife to satisfy the bigotry of fanatics and the -egoistic ambition of the Prince de Condé. Lesdiguières, who desired to -terminate his career by the deliverance of Italy, resumed his -negotiations with Rohan, and in an interview between them at -Saint-Privat conditions of peace were decided upon. The King was -prepared to sign the articles and to make his entry into Montpellier; -but the inhabitants firmly refused to open their gates to him. If, said -they, the King would withdraw with his army to a distance of ten -leagues, they would admit the Constable with what forces he wished to -enter, and a week hence, when his army had been disbanded, they would -receive his Majesty with all possible magnificence. - - “The fact was,” writes Bassompierre, “that _Monsieur le Prince_, - mortal enemy of the peace which was being negotiated, had said on - several occasions that, if the King entered Montpellier, he would - cause the town to be pillaged, whatever precautions might be taken - to prevent it. This had so alarmed the people of Montpellier that - they preferred to have recourse to any other extremity than that of - receiving the King; and, as their final answer, which they gave - that day to M. de Bullion,[8] they offered all obedience, provided - the King did not enter their town, of which they considered the - pillage assured, if they opened their gates to him.” - -Louis XIII at once summoned the council to consider the answer which -Bullion had brought back, and after the latter had read it to those -present, called upon him to give his opinion. - -Bullion, who seems to have been a man of sound common-sense and had been -a witness that morning of the genuine alarm with which the extravagant -boasts of Condé had inspired the people of Montpellier, strongly urged -the King to humour them and “to seek solid advantages, without allowing -himself to be stopped by little formalities which are not essential.” -“If,” said he, “the town of Montpellier were refusing you the obedience -and submission which is your due, I should say that it is necessary to -destroy and exterminate it. But it is a people alarmed and terrified by -the threats which have been launched against them to plunder and destroy -them, to violate their wives and daughters and to burn their houses, who -entreats you in the name of God to receive its obedience through your -Constable, who will enter, when you have withdrawn, with such forces as -he pleases, to make your Majesty’s authority recognised there, which is -the same thing as though you entered yourself. Why do you wish for a -mere punctilio to refuse a peace so useful and honourable for your -Majesty; and prefer to undertake a long war, of which the issue is -doubtful and the expense excessive, in a country where the heat is -immoderate, and to expose your own person to the injuries of war and of -the season, when you can escape them without loss or blame?” - -The King was visibly impressed by this excellent advice, and when Condé -sprang to his feet and began angrily declaiming against Bullion and “the -cabal which had forged this peace without the knowledge of the Council -and were endeavouring to conclude it with disgrace and infamy,” he -sternly bade him resume his seat, saying that he would have an -opportunity of giving his opinion when his turn came. - -Not improbably influenced by the attitude of the King, counsellor after -counsellor rose and expressed his approval of the advice given by -Bullion. When Bassompierre was called upon, Condé exclaimed impatiently: -“I know his opinion already, and we can say of it _ad idem_.” To the -general astonishment, however, Bassompierre was for once in accord with -Condé, and advised the King to break off the negotiations forthwith and -“show, by a noble and generous disdain, how deeply he was offended by -the propositions of those of Montpellier.” “If,” said he, “your Majesty -were before Strasbourg, Antwerp, or Milan, and were concluding a peace -with the princes to which those towns belong, the stipulation that you -should not enter them would be tolerable; but that a King of France, -victorious and supported by a powerful army, in place of granting peace -to a handful of his rebel subjects, without resource and reduced to -extremity, should receive it from them on the disgraceful conditions -which they have just proposed, is a proposition so insulting that it -cannot be suffered nor even listened to.... The King who accepts those -conditions must be prepared to receive terrible insults from the other -towns, who will be rendered audacious by this example and assured of -impunity by this unworthy toleration.... Sire, in the name of God, take -a firm resolution and persevere in it, and insist even upon the ruin of -this people, because it is rebellious, and because it is also insolent -and impudent; or to reduce it to entire submission and complete -repentance.” - -He then pointed out that his own interests were opposed to the advice -which he was offering the King, and that he was actuated entirely by -regard for his Majesty’s service and honour, since he had already been -promised the marshal’s bâton and had nothing to gain at the siege of -Montpellier, “save much toil, dangerous wounds and perhaps even death.” -It was also possible that unfortunate accidents might arise which might -oblige the King to defer his promotion to the office of marshal or even -compel him [Bassompierre] to refuse the honour. “Nevertheless,” he -concluded, “I shall take these risks, and I beg your Majesty very humbly -to delay my reception [as marshal] until the town of Montpellier shall -be reduced to its obedience, and your Majesty avenged of the affront -which these rebels have desired to inflict upon you.” - - “When I had finished speaking,” says Bassompierre, “_Monsieur le - Prince_, who had listened to me attentively, rose and said to the - King: ‘Sire, here is an honest man, devoted servant of your - Majesty, and jealous of your honour.’ The King rose also, which - obliged all the others to rise, and his Majesty said to M. de - Bullion; ‘Return to Montpellier and tell the people of the town - that I grant conditions to my subjects, but that I do not receive - them from them. Let them accept those which I have offered them or - let them prepare to be forced to do so.’ And thus the council - ended. _Monsieur le Prince_ did me the honour to approach and - embrace me and to say aloud so many kind things of me that I was - covered with confusion.” - -There can be no doubt that Bassompierre, who was an honest man and a -devoted servant of the Crown, was actuated by what he considered to be -his duty in tendering this advice to his sovereign, which had touched -Louis XIII on his weakest spot--his exaggerated regard for his own -dignity. But it is equally certain that he had committed a disastrous -mistake, both from a political and military point of view, in -counselling the King to sacrifice the interests of his realm for what -Bullion had rightly described as “a mere punctilio.” For, not only was -an immediate peace of the most vital importance to the interests of -France, both at home and abroad, but the reduction of the people of -Montpellier to “entire submission and complete repentance” was a task -which, in the most favourable circumstances, could not be effected -except at immense expense and at the cost of hundreds of valuable lives. -It is indeed amazing that, after the terrible lesson of Montauban, -anyone could have been so rash as to embark upon another great siege for -reasons so inadequate. - - * * * * * - -The siege began in anything but an auspicious manner. In the early hours -of September 2, Bassompierre and Praslin advanced against the ridge of -Saint-Denis, where the citadel now stands, and carried it without any -resistance, since there was only a guard-house there, the occupants of -which fled at their approach. Leaving Valençay there with some 1,500 men -to hold it, they returned to camp, and, after attending a meeting of -the Council, Bassompierre, who had to be up all the following night to -superintend the opening of the trenches, went to his tent to snatch a -few hours’ sleep. About midday, he was awakened by the sound of heavy -firing, and, hurrying out, he saw the troops whom he and Praslin had -left on the ridge of Saint-Denis in disorderly retreat, hotly pursued by -the enemy. - -It appears that Valençay, believing that there was no possibility of his -being attacked in broad daylight, had not only neglected to entrench -himself, but had even allowed his men to pile arms and scatter about the -ridge; and, to crown all, had permitted a trumpeter from the town, who -had been sent to demand the bodies of the dead, to approach without -taking the precaution to order his eyes to be bandaged. On his return to -Montpellier, this man duly reported what he had seen to his officers; -and the garrison, sallying out in considerable force, fell upon the -astonished Valençay and utterly routed him. - -Springing on a horse, Bassompierre galloped off to the quarters of the -Swiss Guards, who were the troops nearest the ridge of Saint-Denis, -called them to arms and led them against the enemy. Meantime, the Duc de -Montmorency, the young Duc de Fronsac and other nobles and gentlemen, -who happened to be in attendance on the King, who had just finished -dinner, had mounted the first horses they could find, and, with more -valour than discretion, thrown themselves into the _mêlée_, in a vain -endeavour to rally the fugitives. Montmorency’s life was saved by -d’Argencourt, the lieutenant-governor of Montpellier, who fortunately -recognised him, and he escaped with a couple of not very serious wounds; -but his companions perished almost to a man, amongst them being Fronsac, -whom Bassompierre describes as “a young prince of great promise, who, in -his opinion, would have been one day a great captain,” the Marquis de -Beuvron, d’Auctot, who commanded Condé’s company of light horse and was -a great favourite of the prince, and Luynes’s nephew Combalet, brother -of the young lady whom Bassompierre would in all probability have -married, had the late Constable lived a few months longer.[9] - -However, Bassompierre had now brought up the Swiss, and before the -advance of these veterans, the enemy, who had pursued the routed troops -almost to the confines of the Royal camp, fell back into the town, and -the ridge of Saint-Denis was recovered. But it had been a most -disastrous day for the besiegers, for Valençay’s force had been terribly -cut up and his best officers killed. - -Next day, the defenders of Montpellier, encouraged by this success, made -a determined attack on Montmorency’s troops, encamped to the west of the -town, who gave way before them. Zamet,[10] who had taken over the -command from the wounded duke, succeeded in rallying them and driving -the enemy back. But almost immediately afterwards he was mortally -wounded by a cannon-shot from the town, and died a few days later. - -The trenches were opened without any further disasters, but very little -progress was made, for the enemy stubbornly disputed every yard of -ground. The Italian engineer Gamorini was killed on the 11th, and his -death was a severe loss to the besiegers. The same night the defenders -made a fierce sortie, which was not repulsed until the work of several -days had been destroyed. During the fighting a captain of the Navarre -Regiment named Des Champs was surrounded by the enemy and would have -been killed, had he not cried out: “I am Bassompierre; I am worth 20,000 -crowns to you!” Upon which they spared his life and made him prisoner, -thinking that they had secured a valuable prize. - -In the night of the 13th-14th, the besiegers attacked the advanced-works -on the north side of the town in three places simultaneously, and -carried them. This placed them in a favourable position for bringing -their cannon to bear upon the main fortifications; but, on the advice of -a young engineer named La Magne Chavannes, and notwithstanding the -opposition of Bassompierre and other officers, Condé insisted that they -should first concentrate their efforts against a ravelin situated -between the two bastions. The task of approaching this work proved a -most difficult one, as they were exposed to a heavy flanking fire from -the town which repeatedly levelled their traverses, and to -bombing-attacks, which did considerable execution; while one night the -trenches were completely flooded by a violent storm. - -Meantime, the generals were devoting what time they could spare from -their military duties to political intrigue. The Cardinal de Retz had -died at the end of August, and the Keeper of the Seals, De Vic, in the -first days of September, and their deaths had greatly weakened Condé’s -party. He and Schomberg succeeded in replacing the former in the Council -by their friend the Cardinal de la Rochefoucauld, and thus contrived to -exclude Richelieu, though they could not prevent him being recommended -for the vacant cardinal’s hat, which was immediately solicited for him -by the Queen-Mother. Condé then pressed the King to confer the post of -Keeper of the Seals upon d’Aligre, a Counsellor of State who was devoted -to his interests, and would appear to have extracted a promise from his -Majesty that he should be appointed. At any rate, when retiring to rest -on the night of September 21, the King had told the courtiers who were -present that it was his intention to make d’Aligre Keeper of the Seals, -and they had informed Condé. - -Next morning, flushed with success and convinced that he was on the -point of triumphing over his enemies and dominating both the King and -the State, Condé sent Roucellaï to Bassompierre with what amounted to an -ultimatum. As Bassompierre was entering the King’s quarters, with -Praslin, to attend a meeting of the Council, the abbé drew him aside -and informed him that he had a communication of great importance to make -to him on behalf of _Monsieur le Prince_, and that he desired to speak -before Praslin. - -After assuring Bassompierre that he was deeply sensible of the -obligations under which he had placed him,[11] and that, in return, he -had done everything in his power to secure for him the good will of -Condé, Roucellaï declared that, despite all his efforts and those of his -friends, _Monsieur le Prince_ was as ill-satisfied with him as he could -well be, and was convinced that, not only did he prefer Puisieux’s -friendship to his, but had actually assisted that Minister to prejudice -his Majesty’s mind against him. He had therefore charged him to offer -Bassompierre once more his entire friendship, provided that he were -willing to abandon that of Puisieux; and he required an answer that very -day, as he declined to wait any longer. And the abbé entreated him to -accept his patron’s offer and so escape the disastrous consequences -which would inevitably follow a refusal. - -“M. d’Aligre,” said he, “will be to-morrow Keeper of the Seals, and he -and M. de Schomberg, closely united with _Monsieur le Prince_, will not -only ruin M. de Puisieux, but also all his abettors and adherents, of -whom you are the chief. I wished to tell you this before the Maréchal de -Praslin, who loves you as a father, and who will be my witness that I -have striven to avert from your head the storm which I perceive ready to -burst upon it. For assuredly these three persons united together will -possess the State, and will exalt or abase whomsoever they please.” - - “As he concluded these words,” says Bassompierre, “the King called - me, and since he saw me looking thoughtful, he inquired of what I - was dreaming. ‘I am dreaming, Sire,’ I answered, ‘of an extravagant - harangue which Roucellaï has just made me, before M. de Praslin, - on behalf of _Monsieur le Prince_, which has astonished me both on - my own account and yours. He declares me incapable of ever - possessing his good graces if I do not accept them in the course of - to-day, on condition of abandoning the friendship of M. de - Puisieux, and says further that he, Schomberg and d’Aligre (who is - to-morrow to become Keeper of the Seals) will be three heads in one - hood, who will govern the State according to their whim, and, - without any contradiction, ruining or aggrandizing their enemies or - their partisans or servants at their pleasure. Judge, Sire, the - condition to which you and those who desire to depend only upon you - will be reduced!’ - - “It was unnecessary to say any more to the King to exasperate him. - ‘They are not where they think they are,’ he replied, ‘and I have a - rod in pickle for them.’ I begged him not to detain me longer, lest - Roucellaï should believe that I had told him of his harangue, and, - without appearing to notice anything, to ask the Maréchal de - Praslin whether he had not said this, and more.” - -Bassompierre then went back to Roucellaï and told him that “neither -threats nor disgrace were able to make him abandon his friends, but, on -the contrary, served only to bind him more closely to them,” and that -“though he should always be _Monsieur le Prince’s_ very humble servant, -he would never do anything unworthy of himself to acquire his good -graces.” - -Meantime, Praslin had confirmed what Bassompierre had told the King and -contrived to anger him still more against Condé and Schomberg; and his -Majesty told Bassompierre that he would discuss the matter with him -after dinner, when he would decide what must be done. - -When the Council rose, Puisieux came up to Bassompierre and said: “The -matter is decided; d’Aligre is Keeper of the Seals.” Bassompierre -replied that he would believe it when he saw it; and that, meantime, he -did not intend to worry about the matter. The Minister, however, -declined to be comforted and went away, looking very disconsolate. Louis -XIII then spoke to Bassompierre, and told him that he feared that he -would be obliged to make d’Aligre Keeper of the Seals, as there was no -one else who possessed all the necessary qualifications for so important -a post. Bassompierre replied that his Majesty was doing an injustice to -Caumartin, one of the oldest Counsellors of State, who had been -entrusted in his time with several embassies and other important -commissions, of which he had acquitted himself with credit. The King -objected that Caumartin stammered, as he did himself, and that, as it -was one of the duties of the Keeper of the Seals to prompt his sovereign -when he was making a speech, this would entail serious inconvenience. -“The man who ought to assist me when I am speaking,” said he, “will -require someone to speak for him!” - -However, Bassompierre waited in the King’s chamber until his Majesty -returned from dinner, when, finding that he was much incensed at Condé’s -presumption, he skilfully fanned the flame and then again proposed -Caumartin to him, pointing out that, if at the end of three months the -King found that he was incapable of discharging the duties of his post -to his satisfaction, he could call for his resignation. - -After some hesitation, the King told him that he had decided to give the -Seals to Caumartin, and would inform him of it when he came to the -Council on the following morning, but until then he should say nothing -about the matter to anyone. The battle, however, was not yet won, for -Louis was so easily influenced that if Condé were to see him in the -interval, he would probably have no more difficulty in persuading him to -break the promise he had just given Bassompierre than Bassompierre had -had to induce him to break the promise he had given Condé. Aware of -this, Bassompierre determined to get his Majesty to commit himself in -writing, and demanded permission “to send a note on his behalf to -console by this good news M. de Puisieux, who had gone to his lodging -stricken to the heart.” To this the King consented, provided that -Puisieux should be enjoined to keep the affair secret; and -Bassompierre, taking Louis’s escritoire, which was on the table, wrote -the letter and then begged the King to add a few words in his own hand. -And his Majesty wrote at the foot: “I confirm this note.” - -In order to get the King to commit himself still further, Bassompierre -then asked if he would permit him to write to Caumartin, to which Louis, -after making some little difficulty, also consented. - -It was well that Bassompierre had taken these precautions, for, next -morning, Condé, having learned what was in the wind, came to the King to -inquire whether there were any truth in a report that had reached him -that his Majesty intended to make Caumartin Keeper of the Seals. Louis, -greatly embarrassed, assured him that it was without foundation, and he -returned the same answer to several other persons whom the prince had -put up to question him on the matter. It is probable, indeed, that had -he not been persuaded to commit himself in regard to Caumartin, Condé’s -candidate would, after all, have got the Seals. As it was, he had gone -too far to draw back, and, to the intense mortification of _Monsieur le -Prince_, he that afternoon gave them to Caumartin. - -The appointment of Caumartin in place of his own nominee, -notwithstanding the promise which Louis XIII had given him, was a -serious rebuff to the presumptuous Condé, nor did he succeed any better -in his military than in his political operations. On October 2, against -the advice of Bassompierre, he gave orders that an attempt should be -made to carry the ravelin by assault. It failed, and the besieged -retaliated by a furious sortie on the flank of the Royal troops, which -one of the latter’s own mines had laid open, and compelled them to -abandon their trenches. Through the united efforts of Bassompierre[12] -and d’Épernon, the enemy were driven back, but the losses had been -heavy, and included a number of officers. Montpellier was threatening to -become a second Montauban. - -A few days later, Lesdiguières, who had returned to his government of -Dauphiné before the siege began, arrived in the Royal camp, at the head -of considerable reinforcements. The Constable came ostensibly to take -command of the operations, but his real object was to resume his -negotiations for peace, which Louis XIII had, unknown to Condé, -authorised him to do. The prince, deprived of his command and perceiving -that peace was about to be concluded, despite all his efforts to prevent -it, comprehended that his favour was at an end, and, in high dudgeon, -quitted the army and set out for Italy, on the pretext of acquitting -himself of a vow which he made during his imprisonment to perform a -pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Loretto. - -The following morning (October 14), the terms of peace having been -agreed upon, Rohan was permitted to pass through the camp and enter -Montpellier, in order to persuade the citizens to accept the conditions, -which included the admission of a Royal garrison into the town. - -On the morning of the 12th, Bassompierre came to the King’s quarters to -attend a meeting of the Council. It seemed to him that the King, who was -in his aviary, did not look at him as kindly as usual, nor did he -address him. Presently, his Majesty requested the members of the Council -to follow him into his chamber, and told the Cardinal de la Vallette and -Chevreuse, d’Elbeuf and Vendôme, who had come to pay him their respects, -that he desired their presence also. - - “As we entered,” says Bassompierre, “the Keeper of the Seals said - to me: ‘It was my intention to recognise the obligations under - which you have placed me, by sending you your letters perfumed, but - the King pressed me so much to seal them, through Beautré, whom he - sent to me yesterday evening, that I had not the time.’ ‘What - letters?’ I asked. ‘Those creating you marshal of France, whose - oath you are about to take.’ I was very astonished and rejoiced - likewise at this unexpected news, and, at the same time, the King - spoke these very words:-- - - “‘Messieurs, it is my intention to recognise the good and great - services which M. de Bassompierre has rendered me for several - years, both in the wars which I have waged and on other occasions, - by the office of marshal of France, believing that he will serve me - worthily and usefully therein. I desire to have your opinions on - this matter, to see whether they are in conformity with my own.’ - - “Then all, with one voice, did me the honour to say more good of me - than I deserved; upon which, without saying anything further to me, - he [the King] took me by the hand, and being seated in his chair, - made me kneel and take the oath. Then he placed in my hand the - bâton, for which I rendered him the most humble thanks that I could - think of. All present advanced to embrace and to felicitate me; and - next every corps in the army, both of the infantry and the cavalry, - came to offer very humble thanks to the King for the choice that he - had made of my person, their first brigadier-general, to make him a - marshal of France. And those of the artillery having demanded - permission to fire a salvo of all the cannon in the army, the - infantry did the same, to make a salvo of rejoicing. And the Sieur - de Calonges, governor of Montpellier, sent to inquire of our - soldiers in the trenches why this salvo was being fired, and, on - being acquainted with the reason, he gave orders that the people of - Montpellier should do the same as the army; and there also a - general salvo was fired.” - -It was a fitting tribute to a very brave man and a most capable officer, -who had most thoroughly earned the high honour which had just been -conferred upon him. - -The same night the authorities of Montpellier sent to inform Louis XIII -of their acceptance of the terms of peace, and on the 18th the -ratification was brought to the King. The King signed the edict which -put an end to this miserable war which had cost France so dear on the -following day,[13] and Créquy and Bassompierre with the French and Swiss -Guards took possession of the town. His Majesty made his entry on the -20th, and “all was as peaceable as if there had never been a war.” - -On the 22nd, Roucellaï, who had been very ill for some days with -petechial fever, sent an earnest request for Bassompierre to come to -him. He went and found the unfortunate abbé almost at his last gasp, and -he had only just time to confide his papers to Bassompierre, with -directions to burn all those which he thought advisable, then he died. -As Roucellaï had been one of the most inveterate intriguers of his time, -these papers must have furnished interesting reading, and have contained -the wherewithal to set the whole Court by the ears. It was just as well, -therefore, that Bassompierre had authority to destroy them. - -On the 27th, Louis XIII left Montpellier and two or three days later -made his entry into Arles, “where for the first time,” says -Bassompierre, “I marched in my quality of marshal of France, immediately -before the King, on the left of the Maréchal de Praslin.” - -From Arles Bassompierre was despatched with the greater part of the army -to reduce some small places from which the Sieur de Brison, a Huguenot -chief who had refused to make his submission, was pillaging the -surrounding country. This he successfully accomplished, and towards the -middle of November rejoined the King at Lyons. On the way thither he -spent a night at Valence, “where he found M. de Lusson (_sic_), who had -been nominated cardinal and was on his way to receive the hat from the -King.”[14] From Lyons he accompanied Louis XIII to Avignon, where the -King received a visit from Charles Emmanuel of Savoy, who came to lay -the basis of a treaty between France, Savoy and Venice, which was signed -at Paris on February 7 of the following year, and which had for its -object to compel Spain to execute the Treaty of Madrid and to restore -the Valtellina to the Grisons. - -On the day following the Duke of Savoy’s arrival, the marshal was taken -ill while attending a play given in honour of the King at the Jesuit -College. His illness developed into another attack of petechial fever, -though happily not in so severe a form as the one he had had after the -siege of Montauban. However, it kept him at Avignon for a fortnight and -prevented him from accompanying the King to Grenoble, though he was well -enough to assist at their Majesties’ entry into Lyons, which took place -on December 12 and would appear to have rivalled in magnificence that of -Henri II and Catherine de’ Medici into the same city in 1548, though on -this occasion there was no Diane de Poitiers present to dispute the -honours with the Queen of France and give piquancy to the ceremony. - -The entry was followed by a week of balls, banquets, theatrical -performances, and displays of fireworks, all of which festivities were -no doubt much appreciated by the marshal after so many months of war’s -alarms, capped by a severe illness, and all the more, since, he tells -us, in the course of them he was reconciled to a fair lady--her name is -not recorded--from whom he had had the misfortune to be estranged. - -Louis XIII left Lyons to return to Paris on December 19. At La Charité, -where he spent Christmas, news arrived of the death of the Prince de -Guéméné, governor of the Maine, and the King offered the vacant office -to Bassompierre. The marshal, however, declined it, on the ground that -he desired “to receive his [the King’s] favours and benefits at such -intervals that the King should be praised for his kindness and he -himself for his modesty, and that, as only two months had elapsed since -he had honoured him with the office of marshal of France, if he were to -make him so soon governor of a province, people would talk about it.” We -are, however, inclined to think that the real reason of his refusal was -his disinclination to leave the Court--for the governor of a province -was obliged to reside there for several months in each year--partly -owing to the attraction which court life had for him, and partly because -he knew that to retain the favour of a king like Louis XIII it was -necessary to be with him constantly. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX - - Fall of Schomberg--La Vieuville becomes _Surintendant des - Finances_--His bitter jealousy of Bassompierre--He informs Louis - XIII that the marshal “deserves the Bastille or - worse”--Semi-disgrace of Bassompierre, who, however, succeeds in - making his peace with the King--Mismanagement of public affairs by - Puisieux and his father, the Chancellor Brulart de Sillery--La - Vieuville and Richelieu intrigue against them and procure their - dismissal from office--The Earl of Holland arrives in Paris to - sound the French Court on the question of a marriage between the - Prince of Wales and Henrietta Maria--Bassompierre takes part in a - grand ballet at the Louvre--La Vieuville accuses the marshal of - drawing more money for the Swiss than he is entitled to--Foreign - policy of La Vieuville--Richelieu re-enters the - Council--Bassompierre accused by La Vieuville of being a pensioner - of Spain--Serious situation of the marshal--The Connétable - Lesdiguières advises Bassompierre to leave France, but the latter - decides to remain--Differences between La Vieuville and Richelieu - over the negotiations for the English marriage--Arrogance and - presumption of La Vieuville--Intrigues of Richelieu against - him--The King informs Bassompierre that he has decided to disgrace - La Vieuville--Indiscretion of the marshal--Duplicity of Louis XIII - towards his Minister--Fall of La Vieuville--Richelieu becomes the - virtual head of the Council. - - -In the second week in January, 1623, the Court reached Paris, and Louis -XIII made “a kind of entry” into his capital. This event appears to have -given rise to a good deal of unpleasantness:-- - - “_Monsieur_[15] having refused to suffer _Monsieur le Comte_[16] to - ride with him, _Monsieur le Comte_ did the same to M. de Guise, who - withdrew. It happened also that the Provost of the Merchants[17] - claimed the right to march immediately before the King, on the - ground that it was not an entry, but a joyous arrival, for which - the marshals of France felt such contempt that they declined even - to contest the point, and did not take part in the procession.” - -A few days after the King’s return to Paris, Schomberg was deprived of -the post of _Surintendant_ of Finance and banished the Court. Since the -Treaty of Montpellier Puisieux had been busily intriguing against him, -in company with La Vieuville, a sworn enemy of Schomberg, and had -accused him of gross mismanagement of the finances, if not worse. That -he had mismanaged them was true enough, though how any other result -could have been expected, when he was required to combine the duties of -_Surintendant_ with those of Grand Master of the Artillery on active -service, it is difficult to see. However, his hands appear to have been -perfectly clean, otherwise Richelieu would scarcely have recalled him to -office so soon as he came into power, and, though he had committed a -grave error in attaching himself to Condé and the war party, he was a -more honest, as well as an abler, man than those who had brought about -his fall. - -Bassompierre, who had taken no part in this intrigue, and had, indeed, -endeavoured to protect Schomberg, now proposed to the King to reappoint -Sully to the office which he had filled so ably under Henri IV, a -suggestion which did him much honour, since he and the old statesman had -never been on friendly terms. But Puisieux and his father, the -Chancellor Brulart de Sillery, objected, on the score of Sully’s -religion, and La Vieuville was made _Surintendant_. - -La Vieuville was a man of some ability, but he was rash, corrupt and an -unscrupulous intriguer; and no sooner was he admitted to the King’s -Council than he began to conspire, first, to get rid of the Chancellor -and Puisieux, his benefactors, then, of all those whom the King admitted -to his intimacy, and particularly of Bassompierre, of whom he appears to -have conceived the bitterest jealousy. - -Towards the end of that year a dispute of long standing between Diane de -France, the widow of the Connétable de Montmorency, and the Duchesse de -Chevreuse, was adjudicated upon by Louis XIII. It appears that Madame -de Montmorency had accepted the post of _dame d’honneur_ to the Queen on -the understanding that no _Surintendante_ of her Majesty’s Household -should be appointed over her. This condition, however, had not been -observed, and the Duchesse de Chevreuse, or the Duchesse de Luynes, as -she was at that time, had been appointed _Surintendante_. The Duc de -Montmorency, acting on behalf of his step-mother, requested the King to -appoint someone to inquire into this weighty matter and report to the -Council, and, as the Duc de Chevreuse, representing his wife, raised no -objection, her request was granted. Neither nobleman had, of course, the -least intention of compromising the interests of the lady he represented -by adopting this course; and their mortification may be imagined when, -in November, Louis XIII cut the Gordian knot by depriving both Madame de -Montmorency and Madame de Chevreuse of their charges. - -In a conversation with Bassompierre, Puisieux asked him his opinion of -the King’s decision. Bassompierre frankly replied that he considered it -the worst he had ever known him give, as he had thereby offended both -parties, and that “the judge would be condemned to pay the costs of the -action.” Puisieux inquired what he meant, when he said that, in the -unsettled condition of the kingdom, and the probability of another war -with the Huguenots, who were angrily demanding the destruction of Fort -Saint-Louis at La Rochelle,[18] it was most imprudent of the King to -displease two such great Houses as those of Montmorency and Lorraine, -and that he ought to indemnify forthwith both ladies for the loss of -their charges; otherwise, in the event of war, he might not be able to -rely on the loyalty of their relatives. - -Bassompierre spoke to Puisieux as one friend might speak to another, -and, of course, believed that the latter would regard it as a private -conversation. But the Minister, “to play the good valet,” reported what -the marshal had said, very possibly with some little embellishments of -his own, to Louis XIII, who, in turn, informed La Vieuville; and La -Vieuville, delighted to find an opportunity of injuring Bassompierre, -professed the utmost indignation, and “told the King that such words -were criminal, and that they deserved the Bastille or worse.” His -Majesty did not send Bassompierre to the Bastille, but he frowned -angrily whenever he saw him, and for a whole week refused to honour him -with so much as a word. At the end of that time, however, he unbosomed -himself to the Cardinal de la Rochefoucauld and his confessor Père -Seguiran, who, fortunately, happened to be on friendly terms with the -marshal, and, through their good offices, the latter succeeded in making -his peace with the King. - -This affair was only the prelude to further and more determined attempts -by La Vieuville to deprive Bassompierre of the royal favour, but for the -moment he was more intent on bringing about the downfall of the -Chancellor and Puisieux, in which task he had the powerful support of -Richelieu. - -Since the dismissal of Schomberg, the Brûlarts, _père et fils_, had been -all-powerful[19] and had mismanaged matters both at home and abroad. The -treaty which had been signed between France, Savoy, and Venice in -February, 1623, had pledged the contracting parties to take vigorous -measures for the recovery of the Valtellina. But the Chancellor and his -son had no wish to embark in a war which they felt themselves incapable -of conducting, and when the Spanish Government offered to hand over the -fortresses of the Valtellina to the Pope in deposit, on condition that -his Holiness would assure the tranquillity of the country or restore -them to Philip IV, they eagerly embraced this way out of the difficulty. -Rome and Spain, however, were in accord to deceive France. The Duke of -Feria, governor of the Milanese, did not deliver all the forts to the -Papal troops, and the two most important strongholds, Ripa and -Chiavenna, remained in Spanish hands; while, on his side, Gregory XV -claimed that the Grisons should become Catholic, or that the Valtellina -should be constituted a fourth League, with the same rights as the other -Leagues of the Grisons. The Treaty of Paris had, in the words of the -disgusted Venetian Ambassador, proved itself to be “nothing but a -demonstration on paper.” - -At home, the Brûlarts trafficked in offices, and allowed, as was the -custom, their relatives and friends to enrich themselves at the expense -of the State. Such practices were regarded in those days as mere -peccadilloes, but Richelieu, who was slowly but surely paving the way -for his return to office, and was aware that there was no chance of -realising his ambition so long as the Chancellor and his son remained in -power, professed to be scandalised, and there can be no doubt that more -than one of the pamphlets which appeared attacking the incapacity and -greed of the Ministers in vigorous and not too refined language were -inspired by his Eminence. At the same time, Richelieu adroitly -insinuated to the King, through Marie de’ Medici, that the Brûlarts were -turning the great project on the Valtellina announced by the League of -Paris to the shame of France, and Louis XIII, who keenly resented the -impotence of his diplomacy, became more and more incensed against them. -La Vieuville, on his part, was not idle and accused the Brûlarts, -probably with justification, of having levied toll on the subsidies -which were being sent to the Dutch. The consequence was that on New -Year’s Day, 1623, the King demanded the Seals from the Chancellor, and -at the beginning of February ordered both him and his son to retire to -one of their country-seats. - -The King gave the Seals to d’Aligre, who, it will be remembered, would -have received them in the autumn of 1622 but for Bassompierre’s -intervention. In consequence, the marshal was somewhat apprehensive that -he might cherish a grudge against him, and went to offer him his -congratulations with considerable misgivings as to how they would be -received. To his surprise, however, d’Aligre greeted him with marked -cordiality. - - “At this,” he says, “the others who had come to felicitate him were - dumfounded, but I said to them aloud: ‘Do not be astonished, - gentlemen, at the cordiality with which the new Keeper of the Seals - has received me; for I am the cause of the King having given them - to him to-day.’ ‘I was not aware, Monsieur,’ said he, ‘that I was - under this obligation to you; I beg you to tell me why.’ - ‘Monsieur,’ I answered, ‘but for me, you would not have had them - to-day, but a year ago.’ Whereat he began to laugh and told me that - it was true, but that I had done my duty; for, since I had not been - solicited by him, with whom I was hardly acquainted, I was obliged - to use my influence on behalf of my friend M. de Caumartin. Then he - told me that he begged me to love him, and that he would swear - before these gentlemen to be faithfully my servant and friend, as - he had assuredly shown himself to be on every occasion that has - arisen.” - -But if Bassompierre had nothing to fear from the good-natured d’Aligre, -he had everything to apprehend from the jealous and unscrupulous La -Vieuville. - - “By this means [the disgrace of the Brûlarts] La Vieuville was in - supreme favour, and from that time worked openly for my ruin, since - he had not been able to compel me to abandon my friends and to bind - myself to him in a close alliance, as he had begged me earnestly to - do before Christmas.” - -However, the marshal did not allow any fear of approaching ruin to -interfere with his enjoyment of the Fair of Saint-Germain and the other -gaieties of that winter, during which the negotiations for the marriage -of the Prince of Wales (afterwards Charles I.) with the Infanta Maria -Anna, sister of Philip IV, having been definitely broken off, the Earl -of Holland arrived in Paris to sound the French Court on the question of -an alliance between the prince and Henriette-Marie. The King and Queen -each organised a grand ballet. In his Majesty’s, which was entitled _les -Voleurs_, Louis XIII represented a Dutch captain, M. de la Roche-Guyon a -Dutch lady, and the Ducs de Chevreuse and de Luxembourg and the -Maréchaux de Créquy and de Bassompierre impersonated pirates. -Bassompierre had to recite the following verses:-- - - “Enfin malgré les flots me voici de retour, - La mer se promettait de noyer mon amour, - Dont la constance luy fait honte; - Mais elle est bien loin de son compte: - Caliste, vos appas ont rompu son dessein, - Les flots où je me perds sont dedans vostre sein.” - -At the beginning of March, La Vieuville complained to the King that, -with the connivance of Puisieux, when he had been Secretary of State for -War, Bassompierre had been drawing every year for the maintenance of the -Swiss 24,000 livres more than he was entitled to. The marshal, on -learning of this, angrily denied that he had received a sol more than -was justly due, and proceeded to prove his statement in the presence of -the King, when high words passed between him and the Minister. -Nevertheless, his accounts were not passed, and the matter remained in -abeyance. - -La Vieuville, with all his faults, showed both energy and ability; and -he was the first to reverse the disastrous Spanish policy of the Court. -He recalled the Commandeur de Sillery, the French Ambassador to Rome, -where he had shown himself as feeble and undecided as his relatives in -Paris; sent the Marquis de Cœuvres, a good soldier and a skilful -diplomatist, as Ambassador to Switzerland, to urge the Cantons, both -Protestant and Catholic, to go to the assistance of the Grisons; -concluded offensive and defensive alliances with the Dutch, which -assured to them a subsidy for the next two years; and warmly supported -the English marriage-project. But he made many enemies besides -Bassompierre, and feeling the need of conciliating the Queen-Mother, who -for some weeks had absented herself from Court, as a protest against the -treatment of Richelieu, he promised to obtain for her favourite -admission to the Council. - -This was no easy task, for the mediocrities who had so long surrounded -Louis XIII had succeeded in inspiring him with their own dread of this -great man, and the King was, in consequence, very unwilling to entrust -him with office, added to which he still associated him with the -followers of Concini, all of whom he held in aversion. “There is a man -who would like to be of my Council,” he observed one day to Praslin, as -Richelieu passed by; “but I cannot bring myself to this step, after all -he has done against me.” “I know him better than you do,” he said on -another occasion to Marie de’ Medici, when she had been urging the -Cardinal’s claims upon him; “he is a man of unmeasured ambition.” Now, -however, he did not withstand the request of his Minister, reinforced by -the solicitations of the Queen-Mother, and on April 29, 1624, Richelieu -re-entered the Council. - - * * * * * - -Meanwhile, La Vieuville had resumed hostilities against Bassompierre, -whose intimacy with the King he appears to have regarded as the chief -obstacle in the path of his ambition. This time he launched a far more -serious charge against the marshal than that of drawing more money on -account of the Swiss than he was entitled to, and accused him of being a -pensioner of Spain. - -It is difficult to say with any degree of certainty on what grounds this -charge was based, since Bassompierre himself throws no light upon the -subject. But it would appear from a manuscript of Dupuy in the -Bibliothèque Nationale that, during the marshal’s embassy to Madrid, -the Spanish Government had proposed to him a commercial treaty between -France and Spain, and that in 1623 Bassompierre had presented a memorial -to Louis XIII in favour of this project. In the margin of his copy of -this memorial Dupuy gives his own opinion of the proposed treaty, and -while praising the ability with which Bassompierre has stated the case -in its favour, he foresees several objections, and among them, the -following:-- - - “Without doubt this proposition of the King of Spain contains some - hidden artifice, which his Majesty will not discover until after he - has completely committed himself, and then it will be too late to - remedy it.” - -It is therefore not improbable that, at the beginning of the following -year, La Vieuville had seized the pretext of this memorial to accuse -Bassompierre of having accepted money from the Court of Madrid to -advocate a proposal which was to the disadvantage of France. - -However that may be, La Vieuville was very active in the matter, and in -May caused the arrest of one Alphonso Lopez, a Spanish Moor, who had -long resided in Paris, where he carried on an extensive trade in -jewellery, tapestries, and _objets d’art_, and who, in the course of his -business, was a frequent visitor to Bassompierre’s house, “imagining -that by his means,” says the marshal, “he might discover something -against me.” - -Bassompierre demanded an audience of Louis XIII, who was at Compiègne, -in order that he might have an opportunity of defending himself; but his -Majesty did not seem anxious to grant it. - - “At length, the King promised to speak to me one evening in June, - on the rampart which is near his cabinet.... I said to him what God - inspired me to say in favour of my innocence and against the - calumny of La Vieuville; in such fashion that I stood very well - with him, and he [La Vieuville] very ill. And, the better to - conceal our game, the King desired me not to speak to him in - public, save when I came to take the password from him, when he - -[Illustration: CHARLES, MARQUIS DE LA VIEUVILLE. - -From a contemporary print.] - - would be able to say a few words to me, and I to him. And he said - that he intended to seem displeased with me, and that I must not - show any appearance of having been reconciled with him, and that if - I had anything to say to him, it should be through the medium of - Toiras, Beaumont, or the Chevalier de Souvré. Finally, after I had - spoken to the King, I had no longer any doubt that La Vieuville - would be completely ruined.” - -However, if La Vieuville was about to be ruined, it looked very much as -though he would succeed in ruining Bassompierre first, notwithstanding -that Richelieu, d’Aligre, and the Constable had all assured the marshal -that they were resolved not to allow the Minister to prejudice their -minds against him. Le Doux, a _maître des requêtes_, who had been -entrusted with the duty of examining Lopez’s ledgers and papers, had -reported to La Vieuville that he had found that a certain Spaniard named -Guadamiciles had furnished Bassompierre with a sum of 40,000 francs. The -entry upon which Le Doux based this information was as follows:-- - -“_Al Sr. Mal. de Bassompierre por guadamiciles, 40,000 Ms._”[20] - -Now, as Bassompierre explains, Lopez had received 40,000 maravedis from -a merchant in Spain on account of some tapestries of gilded leather -(_guadamiciles_) which the marshal had commissioned him to sell for him. -But Le Doux and La Vieuville believed, or affected to believe, that -_guadamiciles_ was a proper name, and the latter pressed the King most -urgently to have Bassompierre arrested forthwith and conveyed to the -Bastille. - -To this Louis XIII refused to consent, but he and all his Council -admitted that it was most necessary to ascertain the identity of this -mysterious Guadamiciles and to arrest him, if he were in France, and, in -the event of his proving to be a Spanish banker, Bassompierre likewise. - -The marshal learned all this from Lesdiguières, who, so soon as the -Council rose, sent for him to warn him of his danger: - - “The Constable begged me to leave France for some time, in order to - escape my disgrace, which was certain, and even offered me 10,000 - crowns, if I were in need of money. I thanked him very humbly for - his warning and his offer, but told him that he ought to give it to - La Vieuville, who would be ruined in a month, and not myself. This - worthy man sought to persuade me to yield to the present violence, - but I (who knew more about the matter than I told him), assured him - that I was as firmly established as La Vieuville was tottering. - Nevertheless, on the morrow, he [La Vieuville] had the power to - cause Colonel d’Ornano to be driven away from _Monsieur_ brother of - the King,[21] which caused the Constable to urge me anew to be - gone; but I assured him again of my safety and of the complete ruin - of La Vieuville.” - -Bassompierre had judged the situation correctly, for the man whom La -Vieuville had introduced into the Council, in the hope of strengthening -his own position, was gradually undermining it. La Vieuville’s intention -had been to make of Richelieu a mere consulting Minister, who would give -advice only when called upon to do so, and whose sphere of activity -would be limited by the four walls of the Council-chamber. The Cardinal -resigned himself to this _rôle_, in appearance at least; nevertheless, -it was not long before he and his chief came into sharp collision. - -At the beginning of June the Earls of Holland and Carlisle arrived in -France to demand the hand of Henriette-Marie for the Prince of Wales, -and La Vieuville, d’Aligre, and Richelieu were charged to discuss with -the representatives of James I the clauses of the marriage treaty. The -Cardinal, although a warm partisan of the English alliance, had declared -that “it was necessary for the men of France to seek in this alliance -all the advantages possible for religion [_i.e._, the Catholic -religion].... If not, it was greatly to be feared that they would bring -down upon themselves the wrath of God, as did Jehosaphat, who, although -a pious king, felt severely the Hand of God for having allied himself -with Ahab, King of Israel, who persecuted the servants of God.” He now -demanded that the English Government should make the Catholics of -England, in favour of the French princess, the same concessions in -regard to the public exercise of their religion as they had consented to -in the case of the Infanta. This was at once refused, and all that -Holland and Carlisle would promise was liberty of private worship, and -that, not by a formal engagement inserted in the treaty, but by a simple -verbal promise on the part of James I. Richelieu pressed for an article -in the contract, so that the engagement might be “more solemn and -public,” his object being that the English Catholics might feel -themselves under a greater obligation to France. But the Ambassadors, -perceiving his motive, remained firm, even when he declared it to be a -_sine quâ non_. - -La Vieuville was incensed that Richelieu should be compromising the -English alliance for the sake of the English Catholics. “_Morbleu!_” -said he, “these priests are spoiling all my work.” He recalled from -England the French Ambassador, the Comte de Tillières, a brother-in-law -of Bassompierre, who had also shown himself too solicitous for the -interests of the Catholics, and told Holland and Carlisle that the -French demands were only made for form’s sake and to satisfy the Pope -and the Catholics of France, and that it was really a matter of -indifference to Louis XIII how their master treated his Catholic -subjects. A little later, becoming uneasy at the slow progress of the -negotiations, he caused James I to be informed that the King would be -content with a simple promise of toleration. Richelieu, warned by the -Secretary of State Brienne of the game La Vieuville was playing, vowed -to make him repent it. - -La Vieuville, all unconscious of his danger, went forward boldly. He -gave Marescot, who was being sent on an embassy to Germany, instructions -differing materially from those which had been decided upon in the -Council. He tried to persuade _Monsieur_ that Richelieu had been -responsible for Ornano’s disgrace. In connivance with his father-in-law -Beaumarchais, a high official of the Treasury, he entered into important -financial transactions without consulting the King or his colleagues. He -left the pensions even of the greatest nobles unpaid and ignored their -remonstrances. He was haughty, churlish, and incautious in his language, -even when speaking of the King. Never did Minister so persistently court -his fall. - -Richelieu, perceiving that the time to strike had come, launched against -him his friend Fançan, a canon of Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, and the -ablest publicist of his time, whom he had already employed with effect -against the Brûlarts, and who published a pamphlet entitled _la Voix -Publique au Roi_, which appears to have had a great vogue:-- - - “It is said, Sire, that La Vieuville plays the Maréchal d’Ancre, - the Luynes and the Puisieux all together, and that so great is his - presumption, that in your Council he takes upon himself to decide - everything.” - -The voice of the public had, however, nothing but praise for the -Cardinal de Richelieu, who was “refined up to twenty-two carats,” -“adroit and prudent,” and “showed no inclination to seek any other -support than in the legitimate authority of his Majesty.” It was hoped -that he would be to the King what the Cardinal Georges d’Amboise had -been to the well-loved Louis XII. - -Then Richelieu revealed to the King the irregular proceedings of La -Vieuville, and experienced little difficulty in arousing Louis to a -high pitch of resentment against a Minister who was acting without his -knowledge, and who, in the matter of the English Catholics, was -misrepresenting his sentiments and compromising his conscience. Towards -the end of July the disgrace of La Vieuville was resolved upon, and the -King, who was at Germigny-l’Évêque, the summer residence of the Bishops -of Meaux, sent Toiras to Paris to inform Bassompierre of his decision. - -On the way this gentleman had the misfortune to meet a certain Sieur de -Bernay, who, happening to have a grievance against him, insisted on -receiving satisfaction then and there; and, as the duel which ensued -resulted in M. de Toiras having to take to his bed, the royal message -never reached Bassompierre. However, two or three days later, he -received orders from the King to come to Saint-Germain early on the -morrow without fail. He went, accompanied by the Duc de Bellegarde, and -was very cordially received by his Majesty, who told him and the Grand -Equerry that he had decided to disgrace La Vieuville. - -While they were with the King, who should arrive but La Vieuville -himself, accompanied by his brother-in-law the Maréchal de Vitry, and -the Minister could not conceal his astonishment and mortification at the -sight of Louis walking up and down between Bellegarde and Bassompierre -and apparently on the best of terms with the latter. On perceiving La -Vieuville, the King left his companions and went to speak to him, while -Bassompierre approached the Maréchal de Vitry, who told him that he had -been much distressed at seeing him on such bad terms with his -brother-in-law, and that he was most anxious to effect a reconciliation -between them. “Why should I be reconciled to him,” answered -Bassompierre, “at the moment that he is about to be disgraced, when I -refused when he was all-powerful?” “What! disgraced!” cried the -astonished Vitry. “Yes, disgraced; and never trust me again if a -fortnight hence he is still _Surintendant_.” - -No sooner was the conversation between the King and La Vieuville at an -end, than Vitry drew his brother-in-law aside and informed him of what -Bassompierre had just said; upon which the Minister, in his turn, -immediately reported it to Louis XIII. The King assured him that he had -not the least intention of dispensing with his services, and that -Bassompierre was more likely to be disgraced than himself; and, so -embarrassed was the young monarch that, had La Vieuville been bold -enough to demand the immediate exile of the marshal, as Richelieu would -have done in similar circumstances, it is not improbable that the latter -would have had good reason to regret his indiscretion. However, -fortunately for Bassompierre, he did not do so. - -Louis XIII afterwards reprimanded Bassompierre sharply for having placed -him in such an awkward position; but the marshal excused himself on the -ground that, after all the distress that La Vieuville had caused him for -months past, it would be letting him off far too lightly only to make -him feel the bitterness of disgrace when it arrived, and that “he had -wished him to taste it in anticipation.” - -A few days later, during a meeting of the King’s Council, his Majesty -sent for Bassompierre and, to the great astonishment of La Vieuville, to -whom he had said nothing about the matter, informed the marshal that, -having carefully examined the accounts of the Swiss which were in -dispute, he had come to the conclusion that he had only claimed what was -justly due. And then, turning to La Vieuville, he curtly directed him to -see that the money was paid forthwith. - - “He [La Vieuville] answered not a word and made only the reverence - of acquiescence. The members of the Privy Council offered me their - congratulations in his presence, and the King spoke to me most - graciously. Then La Vieuville saw clearly that his disgrace was at - hand, and he began to tell the King that he wished to resign his - office; but the King gave him fair words.” - -A day or two after this, Bassompierre requested permission of Louis XIII -to bring an action against La Vieuville before the Parlement, so soon as -he should cease to be a Minister, for having falsely accused him to his -Majesty of being a pensioner of Spain, in order that he might be -punished as he deserved. But the King assured the marshal that he -intended to punish him sufficiently himself, by dismissing him with -ignominy from office and imprisoning him. However, he enjoined him to -say nothing about it to anyone. - -Louis XIII seems to have played with the unfortunate La Vieuville up to -the very moment of his disgrace much as a cat would play with a mouse. -The young King was, not only deceitful, but, like most weak natures, -cruel and spiteful, and he would appear to have taken a positive -pleasure in inflicting suffering upon those who had the misfortune to -incur his resentment. - - “On the morrow,[22] the King went after dinner to visit the Queen - his mother at Rueil; and La Vieuville, having got wind of what was - being prepared against him, packed up his baggage and came, on his - way back to Paris, to offer the King his resignation of the office - of _Surintendant_ and his place in the Council, telling him that he - did not propose to return again to Saint-Germain. The King told him - that he must not do this, and that he was distressing himself quite - needlessly; and he promised him also that he would give him his - dismissal with his own lips, and that he would permit him to come - and take leave of him when that should happen. And so he [La - Vieuville] felt reassured and returned to Saint-Germain. But, that - evening, as the servants were making rough music in the back court - in honour of an officer of the Kitchen who had married a widow, - _Monsieur_, brother of the King, sent word to them to come into the - court of the château to see him; and all the scullions and others - did so, bringing with them pans which they beat. When La Vieuville - heard this uproar, he imagined that it was directed against him, - and sent to tell the Cardinal de Richelieu that people were coming - to assassinate him. The Cardinal mounted to his chamber and - reassured him. But, the next morning, the King, having sent for him - in his Council, told him that, as he had promised him, he informed - him himself that he had no further need of his services, and that - he would permit him to take leave of him. Then, as he [La - Vieuville] was going out, M. de Tresmes[23] made him prisoner, and, - a little while afterwards, a coach and the King’s mounted - musketeers arrived, and conducted him to the Château of Amboise, - from which he effected his escape a year afterwards.”[24] - -From the day of La Vieuville’s disgrace Richelieu was the virtual head -of the Council, and for the first time since the death of Henri IV a -firm hand guided the ship of State. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI - - Vigorous foreign policy of Richelieu--The recovery of the - Valtellina--His projected blow at the Spanish power in Northern - Italy frustrated by a fresh Huguenot insurrection--Bassompierre - sent to Brittany--Marriage of Charles I and - Henrietta-Maria--Bassompierre offered the command of a new army - which is to be despatched to Italy--He demands 7,000 men from the - Army of Champagne--The Duc d’Angoulême and Louis de Marillac, the - generals commanding that army, have recourse to the bogey of a - German invasion in order to retain these troops--Bassompierre - declines the appointment--Conversation between Bassompierre and the - Spanish Ambassador Mirabello on the subject of peace between France - and Spain--The marshal is empowered to treat for peace with - Mirabello--Singular conduct of the Ambassador--News arrives from - Madrid that Philip IV has revoked the powers given to - Mirabello--Bassompierre is sent as Ambassador Extraordinary to the - Swiss Cantons to counteract the intrigues of the house of Austria - and the Papacy--His reception in Switzerland--Lavish hospitality - which he dispenses--Complete success of his negotiations. - - -Never had France stood more in need of such guidance than at the moment -when Richelieu assumed the direction of affairs. At home, there was for -the moment peace, though it was to prove but of brief duration; but -abroad the position of affairs had become so threatening that even the -dullest minds had begun to be alarmed. Spain and Austria, in closest -harmony of religious and political aims, were trampling on the liberties -of Europe; Germany seemed prostrate at the Emperor’s feet; Spain -dominated all Italy, with the exception of Venice and Savoy. All the -provinces which owed allegiance to the two Powers had been knit -together; the subjugation of the Palatinate and the Lower Rhine secured -their connection with the Netherlands and menaced the very existence of -the Dutch; the Valtellina forts commanded the road between the Spaniards -in the Milanese and the Austrians on the Danube and in the Tyrol. - -Richelieu at once resolved to assail the Austro-Spanish power at both -critical points. In the North, he did not interfere in arms, but by -subsidies and skilful negotiations he organised a Northern League, under -the leadership of Christian IV of Denmark, and arrested the progress of -the Spaniards in the United Provinces. In the Valtellina, however, he -had recourse to more vigorous measures. - -The Spaniards had ended by handing over the forts which had remained in -their possession to the Papal troops, but though the period during which -the Pope[25] was to hold them in deposit had long expired and he had -received all the guarantees he could desire for the security of the -Catholic religion, the Holy Father could not bring himself to hand over -the Valtellina to the heretic Grisons. The Spaniards, on their side, -believed themselves more assured of the Valtellina in the hands of Urban -VIII than in their own, and imagined that a cardinal would never venture -to make war on the Pope. They did not yet know Richelieu. - -In November, Coeuvres, who had persuaded the Protestant Cantons to arm -for the recovery of the Valtellina, transformed himself from an -ambassador into a general and marched into the Grisons, at the head of a -small army of French and Swiss. The districts held by the Austrians at -once rose in revolt; the Grisons declared themselves freed from the -treaty which had been imposed on them, and the Imperialists hastily -withdrew. Having secured the Tyrolese passes, Coeuvres descended from -the Engadine by Poschiavo and entered the Valtellina. The entry of some -Spanish troops into Chiavenna served to cover the attack directed -against the soldiers of the Pope, and in a few weeks Chiavenna and all -the forts of the Valtellina had capitulated, although the French general -had no siege-artillery with which to reduce them. The Pope’s soldiers -and their standards were respectfully sent back to his Holiness. - -Loud was the outcry, not only at Rome and Madrid, but even amongst the -High Catholic party in France, against the “State Cardinal” who was -trampling the Church beneath his feet.[26] The Pope made less noise than -his partisans; he recognised that a new power had arisen in France, and -he had no desire to suffer worse things at the hands of this redoubtable -Minister. He contented himself by sending his nephew, Cardinal Francisco -Barberini,[27] as Legate to France to lodge a formal protest and -endeavour to accommodate the affair, and hastened to despatch the -dispensation for the marriage of Henriette-Marie, which had been long -awaited. Richelieu had caused a gentle hint to be conveyed to the Holy -Father that, if his consent were any longer withheld, it might be -necessary to celebrate the marriage without it. - -Richelieu did not rest content with the recovery of the Valtellina. He -concerted with the Duke of Savoy a movement which, if successful, would -shake the Spanish power in Northern Italy to its foundations. A quarrel -between Charles Emmanuel and Genoa was to form the pretext for an -invasion of the territory of that republic; the Duke would attack, and -France would furnish an auxiliary army. Genoa was, not only the ally, -but the banker of Spain, and its capture would bring about a financial -panic in that country, and, at the same time, interrupt her maritime -communications with the Milanese. - -At the beginning of 1625 all was in readiness; Charles Emmanuel had -mobilised his army; a considerable force under the command of -Lesdiguières was being collected on the frontier; and the Dutch had -promised to send a squadron to the Mediterranean to assist in the -blockade of Genoa. Suddenly, to the astonishment and indignation of -Richelieu, and, indeed, of all patriotic Frenchmen, came the news of a -fresh Huguenot insurrection. The Rochellois, angry and alarmed that -their repeated demands for the destruction of Fort Saint-Louis, the -bugbear of their town, had had no effect, had imagined the moment -favourable to secure by a recourse to arms what they despaired of -obtaining by any other means. They had appealed to Rohan and Soubise, -and the two brothers had been so blind to the interests both of their -country and their faith as to agree to co-operate with them. On January -17, Soubise, in command of a number of vessels fitted out by the -Rochellois, seized the Île de Ré, and captured in the harbour of Blavet, -on the Breton coast, seven royal vessels which lay there, after which he -laid siege to the fort which commanded the place. - -On the news of Soubise’s proceedings, the Duc de Vendôme, governor of -Brittany, had raised all the noblesse of the province and what infantry -he could muster to oppose him; but a report reached the King that -Vendôme was actually in league with Soubise and the Rochellois, and that -they had attacked Blavet at his instigation, and with the intention of -handing it over to him. Upon this Louis XIII despatched Bassompierre to -Brittany, with full powers to take what action he considered necessary -against Vendôme, in the event of this information being correct. The -marshal left Paris on January 28 and proceeded to Angers, where he gave -orders that a regiment which was in garrison there should follow him to -Brittany so soon as possible, with four pieces of cannon. He then went -to Nantes, where he arranged with the governor to furnish him with as -many men as he could raise. On arriving at Hennebon, however, he learned -that Soubise had abandoned the siege of the fort at Blavet and sailed -away, carrying off with him six of the seven ships which he had seized; -the other he had been obliged to abandon, together with one of his own -ships, which had been damaged by collision with a jetty at the entrance -to the harbour. - -The following day he proceeded to Blavet, where he found Vendôme with -the force which he had raised to oppose Soubise. The prince was greatly -distressed to learn that he was suspected of being in collusion with the -rebels, and wished to know whether Bassompierre intended to request the -Parlement of Rennes to hold an inquiry into his conduct. But the -marshal, having satisfied himself that, though “_César Monsieur_,” as he -was called, was not a person in whom much confidence could be reposed, -he was, on this occasion at any rate, innocent of the charge which had -been brought against him, assured him that he had no such intention. -About the middle of February he returned to Paris to render an account -of his journey to the King, and to assure him of the innocence of his -half-brother, at which his Majesty was doubtless much relieved. However, -before many months had passed, Louis XIII was obliged to place his -restless relative under lock and key. - -After his descent upon Blavet, Soubise seized the Île d’Oléron, and by -the spring, thanks to the exertions of Rohan, the Huguenots in Upper -Languedoc, Quercy, and the Cévennes were in revolt. It is true that even -in these districts many stood aloof and refused to embarrass the -Government at a time when it was engaged in hostilities with the most -implacable enemies of their faith; but the insurrection was sufficiently -formidable to cause great uneasiness, and to necessitate the retention -at home of troops which might otherwise have been employed beyond the -Alps. In these circumstances, it was impossible for Richelieu to push -the war in Liguria with the vigour which he had intended. “It was then,” -writes Bassompierre, “that the Cardinal de Richelieu said wisely to the -King that, so long as there was a party established within his realm, it -would never be possible to undertake anything outside it; and that he -ought to think of exterminating it before meditating other designs.” On -April 9 the Duke of Savoy defeated the Genoese and Spaniards before -Voltaggio, and a fortnight later the Constable took Gavi. But, acting -doubtless in accordance with the orders of the French Government, -Lesdiguières declined to undertake the siege of Genoa without a fleet, -and Charles Emmanuel pressed him in vain. - -The death of James I, which occurred on March 27, 1625, did not delay -the marriage of his son--now Charles I--and Henriette-Marie, which was -celebrated in Notre-Dame on May 11, the Duc de Chevreuse acting as proxy -for the King. On the 24th Buckingham arrived unexpectedly to escort the -bride to England, and caused, Bassompierre tells us, a great sensation, -“both by his person, which was very handsome, and by his jewels and -apparel and his great liberality.” - -Buckingham tried to persuade Richelieu to sign the League of the North -and couple the restoration of the Palatinate with the Valtellina -question; but the Cardinal was disinclined to surrender France’s liberty -of action, besides which, the presumptuous and frivolous favourite did -not inspire him with any confidence. - -Bassompierre was one of the nobles appointed to escort the new Queen of -England to Boulogne, where she embarked on June 22. But, unfortunately, -he preserves a discreet silence concerning certain incidents which -occurred _en route_, as it would be interesting to have his version of -the romance of “M. de Bocquinguem” and Anne of Austria, which so -profoundly irritated Louis XIII against his consort and laid the -foundations of that ill-will which for a time prevailed between England -and France. - -In September the islands of Ré and Oléron were retaken, and the fleet of -the Rochellois defeated by Montmorency, who commanded the King’s ships. -But in Liguria things were going badly for France. The Swiss had allowed -more than 20,000 Austrians to pass into Italy to the assistance of the -Spanish and Genoese, who had carried the war into Piedmont and laid -siege to Verrua, while the Valtellina was also threatened. -Reinforcements were urgently demanded, and one morning, while the Privy -Council was sitting, Louis XIII sent for Bassompierre, offered him the -command of the new army which he proposed to despatch into Italy, and -asked what troops he would require. The marshal “spoke as well as God -wished to inspire him on this matter,” and answered that if his Majesty -would permit him to choose 6,000 foot and 800 horse from the Army of -Champagne, he would send at once into Switzerland to raise 4,000 men, -who would join him at Geneva, and that with these forces he would -engage, not only to force the enemy to raise the siege of Verrue, but to -capture some places in the Milanese. - -To this Louis XIII agreed, and gave instructions to Michel de Marillac, -Chief of the Finances, to furnish the marshal with the funds he -required. But Marillac, not only did not execute this order, but sent in -all haste that same evening a courier to warn his brother who, with the -Duc d’Angoulême, commanded the army of Champagne, that it was intended -to break up their army and send the greater part of it into Italy. These -two nobles, who had no desire to be deprived of their command, promptly -had recourse to the bogey of a German invasion, and wrote to the King -that they had the most positive information that the Imperialists were -about to enter France at two points, from Lorraine and the Palatinate; -that, in consequence, M. d’Angoulême was about to throw himself into -Metz, which he would preserve for the King or die; while M. de Marillac -had gone to Verdun, with the intention of defending it to his last gasp; -but, as they feared that the forces at their disposal might be -insufficient to withstand the invaders, they must entreat his Majesty to -send them four regiments of foot and 500 horse with all possible -despatch. - - “Upon this,” says Bassompierre, “the King and his Council, who took - all this for Gospel truth, told me that they were unable to - withdraw any troops from the Army of Champagne, to which, indeed, - they were obliged to send reinforcements; and I, after having - endeavoured to make them comprehend that it was an imposture - invented to perpetuate the employment of these gentlemen and to - involve the King in useless expense, excused myself and refused the - troops which they proposed to give me to go to the relief of - Italy.” - -Such troops as could be spared were accordingly entrusted to the Comte -de Vignolles, whom Bassompierre says did not arrive at Verrua until the -siege of that town had been raised, but this is incorrect.[28] - -On the evening of the King’s birthday--September 27--the Court being -then at Fontainebleau, the Spanish Ambassador, the Marquis de Mirabello, -approached Bassompierre and invited him to come and watch the fireworks -with him. So soon as they were alone, the Ambassador, speaking in -Spanish, told the marshal that it seemed to him greatly to be regretted -that Louis XIII had not authorised him [Bassompierre] to negotiate a -settlement of the Valtellina question, as he had done in 1621. “You -would undoubtedly have accomplished it,” said he, “and, if you are -willing, you will accomplish it yet; and this I promise.” “Monsieur,” -replied Bassompierre coldly, “I am not fortunate in the making of -treaties. You see that that of Madrid, which was of my making, has -already cost the contracting parties twenty millions of gold to break it -or maintain it. And, besides, it is not pleasant to treat with people -or for people who do not keep their promises, should it not please them -to do so.” Mirabello, however, was proof against this rebuff, and -persisted that he and the marshal would soon be able to arrange terms of -peace satisfactory to all parties concerned, provided that Louis XIII -would furnish Bassompierre with the same powers with which the Catholic -King had already entrusted him. The marshal thereupon told him that he -would “esteem himself very happy to contribute to the best of his -ability to so good and holy an affair,” and that he would speak to the -King on the matter and inform his Excellency of the result. - -It was not, however, to the King to whom Bassompierre first addressed -himself, but to Marie de’ Medici and Richelieu, who, when the fireworks -were over, had retired into the Queen-Mother’s cabinet. For it was these -two, in close alliance for the time being, who now directed all things, -and to venture to approach Louis XIII on a matter of State, save by -their gracious permission, would have been the height of imprudence. The -Queen-Mother and the Cardinal approved of Mirabello’s proposition, and -told Bassompierre to go and inform the King, warning him, however, not -to allow his Majesty, whose _amour-propre_ was easily wounded, to -suspect that he had spoken to them. The next morning the matter was -submitted by Louis XIII to the Council, and it was decided that the -marshal should be given full authority to treat with the Ambassador of -Spain; but Bassompierre asked that Schomberg should be associated with -him, and his request was granted. - -Some days later the first conference took place at Saint-Germain, -whither the Court had removed. It lasted more than four hours, and when -it terminated they were “not without great hope of concluding a great, -good and stable pacification between the two kings.” Mirabello returned -to Saint-Germain the following day, and the negotiations progressed so -smoothly that there was every appearance that the next session would -see their task accomplished. But next morning the Ambassador sent to -excuse himself on the ground that his wife had been taken ill, and for -two days they heard nothing further from him. Meantime, a courier -arrived from Du Fargis, the French Ambassador at Madrid, with the news -that Philip IV, although it had been his intention to negotiate peace -through his Ambassador, had revoked the powers with which he had -entrusted him, without giving any reason for this sudden change. The -Council thereupon decided that Bassompierre should go to Paris, and, on -the pretext of inquiring after the health of the Ambassador’s wife, -endeavour to ascertain the reason for Mirabello’s singular conduct. This -the marshal did, when the Ambassador complained of the want of -confidence which the French Government had shown him, by negotiating -with him when they had instructed Du Fargis to treat with the Court of -Madrid. Bassompierre reported what Mirabello had said to the Council, -who all expressed great astonishment, since Du Fargis had been given no -power to treat with the Spanish Government. However, the explanation of -this apparent mystery was to be forthcoming a little later. - - * * * * * - -Meanwhile, disquieting reports were arriving from the French agents in -Switzerland, who represented that the Cantons were falling away from -their old attachment to France, as was proved by the fact that they had -granted a passage to the German troops who had been sent to the -assistance of the Spaniards, and by other ominous incidents. It was -greatly to be feared, they wrote, that, unless immediate steps were -taken to counteract the persistent intrigues of the House of Austria and -the Papacy in Switzerland, and to reassure the Swiss in regard to the -discharge of France’s financial obligations towards them, the old -alliance would be practically destroyed. And they suggested that the -Maréchal de Bassompierre, who, as the much-beloved Colonel-General of -the Swiss troops in the French service, would be sure of a cordial -welcome, who spoke both French and German with equal fluency, and who -had already given proof of his diplomatic capabilities, should be sent -on a special embassy to the Cantons, when it was quite possible he might -be able to re-restablish everything. This proposal was warmly supported -by the Venetians and the Duke of Savoy, who undertook to instruct their -representatives in Switzerland to second all his negotiations; and -though Bassompierre would not appear to have been at all anxious to -undertake the mission, which would entail his absence from the winter -gaieties of the Court and Paris, “the King insisted, and he yielded out -of pure obedience.” - -On November 18, taking with him 200,000 crowns “to facilitate his -negotiation,” he left Paris with an imposing suite, and travelled by way -of Sens, Dijon, and Besançon to Basle, where he arrived on December 8. -At Basle he was received with great honour; cannon fired salutes, -several thousand soldiers or armed burghers marched in front of him or -lined the streets, and so soon as he reached the house where he was to -lodge, the Senate came in a body to salute him and “to make him a -present of fish, wine, and oats, the most ample that could be made to -anyone”; after which a score of them sat down to supper with him. - -On the following morning Bassompierre proceeded to the Town Hall, where -the Senators were assembled, and delivered the first of the many -harangues which he was to make during his stay in Switzerland. He then -returned to his house, to which shortly afterwards all the Senate came -to deliver the reply which they had drawn up, and to bring him another -present of fish and wine, which they assisted him to consume. After -dinner they took him to see the Arsenal, the natural history collection -of the celebrated Swiss doctor Felix Plater, and the other sights of -their town. - -On the 10th, after having again entertained the Senate to dinner, he -took his departure and proceeded by way of Liestall and Balstall to -Soleure, where he was received with the same honours as at Basle. - -At Soleure he had several conferences with the French Ambassador, the -Comte de Miron, and received deputations from various towns and Cantons, -whom he entertained very sumptuously. - -A few days before Christmas he sent despatches to the Cantons convening -a General Diet at Soleure for January 7, which, however, at the request -of the Protestant Cantons, was postponed until the 12th. In the interval -Bassompierre and Miron lost no opportunity of ingratiating themselves -with the Swiss, and gave several banquets and balls. - - “On Tuesday, the 6th [January], the Day of the Kings, I gave a - solemn feast to the Council of Soleure, at the Ambassador’s house, - and after a great deal of liquor had been consumed, the ball took - place.” - -A day or two before the Diet opened, the Papal Nuncio Scapi, Bishop of -Campagna, arrived at Soleure. Bassompierre had invited him to be -present, although he was aware that he would do everything in his power -to prevent the Catholic Cantons from coming to a resolution favourable -to France. But he was a pompous, irascible and bigoted ecclesiastic, who -was unlikely to make a favourable impression on the deputies, and, -anyway, the marshal would be afforded an opportunity of confuting his -arguments. - -The Diet assembled on the 12th, and its first business was to pass a -resolution that the deputies should go in a body, preceded by their -beadles, to salute the Maréchal de Bassompierre. This, Bassompierre -tells us, was an honour which had never been paid to anyone before. The -following day the deputies sent six of their number to escort the -Ambassadors of the King of France to the Diet, where Bassompierre laid -his proposals before them and addressed them at considerable length. - - “Then the same deputies came to escort me back, and, when the - assembly rose, they all came to my house in a body to thank me, as - they had done the previous day, and from there we all went to the - banquet which I had caused to be made ready for them in the Town - Hall, where all the deputies, ambassadors, colonels and captains, - to the number of 120 persons, were magnificently entertained, and - afterwards 500 other persons. Then we went to the house of the - Ambassador-Ordinary, where a ball took place.” - -On the 14th the Nuncio had an audience of the Catholic deputies, in -which he made a very bitter harangue against France, in the hope of -putting a spoke in Bassompierre’s wheel. The marshal, however, had taken -the precaution to invite the Catholic deputies to dine with him, and the -good cheer he provided would seem to have gone far to neutralise the -effect of the Nuncio’s eloquence. In the evening he entertained the -representatives of the Protestant Cantons to supper, and sent them away -equally well pleased. - -Next day the Diet waited upon Bassompierre and informed him that they -had decided to follow the advice which he had given them, namely, to -demand the restoration of the Valtellina to the Grisons and “to refuse -to whomsoever declined to acquiesce in this aid succour or passage -through their country.” The marshal thanked the deputies very heartily, -and, after they had taken their departure, could not resist the -temptation of paying a visit to the Nuncio, who, having already been -informed of the resolution of the Diet, was in a very bad temper and -“quarrelled with him two or three times.” - -On the 16th the marshal sent to demand audience of the Catholic -deputies, as he desired to have an opportunity of refuting the -statements which Scapi had made to them two days before, “for the honour -and interest of the King his master.” The Catholic deputies did him -“the peculiar and unusual honour” of coming to his house to hear what he -had to say to them, when he addressed them at great length and wiped the -floor, so to speak, with the unfortunate Nuncio. This speech seems to -have had a very good effect, for in the evening the Diet sent a -deputation to inform him that they were prepared to offer a levy of -15,000 men to the King of France. - -Two days later the Nuncio, thoroughly discomfited, took his departure -“in great anger,” and Bassompierre celebrated his victory by giving a -sumptuous banquet to all the deputies of the Diet, during which “the -gentlemen of Soleure came to perform a war-dance before his house.” -After the banquet, a deputation from the Diet interviewed him on the -vexed question of the debts which the Very Christian King owed the -Swiss, upon which their spokesman, the _avoyer_, or chief magistrate, of -Berne, waxed very eloquent. However, as this gentleman and his -colleagues were all pretty mellow, Bassompierre succeeded in satisfying -them perhaps more easily than he would have otherwise done, and the day -concluded most harmoniously with a ballet, a ball, and “a very splendid -collation” at the house of the French Ambassador. - -On the 21st the Diet dispersed, in high good-humour, since Bassompierre -had not only defrayed all the expenses of the deputies on a very liberal -scale, but liquidated a part of France’s debt to the Cantons, and a -year’s arrears of all private pensions. - -A few days later Bassompierre paid a visit to Berne, into which he made -a magnificent entry, and, after being shown all the sights of the town, -was entertained to a most splendid banquet at the Hôtel de Ville. “Three -hundred persons sat down to table,” he says, “and we remained there all -day.” - -On leaving Berne, the marshal returned to Soleure, where he remained -until the end of February, for there was much business still to be -transacted and many deputations to be received. On the 22nd of the -month he received a despatch from Louis XIII directing him to leave -Switzerland and proceed to Nancy on a mission to the new Duke of -Lorraine, Charles IV, that eccentric prince who was to cause France so -much trouble in years to come. On the following day, therefore, he took -leave of his many friends at Soleure and crossed the Jura to Basle, -where he was again received with great honours; and on the 25th arrived -at Mulhausen. - -If we are to believe an anonymous poet of the time, the success of -Bassompierre’s mission to Switzerland was largely due to the hospitality -which he dispensed with so lavish a hand: - - “Quis Marti Bacchum, pateram quis non preferat ensi, - Helveticæ gentis si nova pacta manent? - Plus facit in mensa Bassumpetreus et inter - Pocula, quam reliqui seva per arma duces.” - -But if good cheer played a not unimportant part in facilitating his -negotiations, it is evident, from the despatches and speeches of the -marshal which are to be found in the account of his embassy which he has -left us,[29] that he had handled a difficult situation with rare skill -and tact. His speeches, admirably arranged, forceful, and at times even -eloquent, and brightened by amusing quips and sallies, make very -interesting reading, and his ready courtesy and imperturbable -good-humour served to surmount what might otherwise have proved serious -obstacles. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII - - Bassompierre goes on a mission to Charles IV of Lorraine--He - returns to France--The Venetian Ambassador Contarini informs the - marshal that it is rumoured that a secret treaty has been signed - between France and Spain--Richelieu authorises Bassompierre to deny - that such a treaty exists, but the same day the marshal learns from - the King that the French Ambassador at Madrid has signed a treaty, - though unauthorised to do so--Indignation of Bassompierre, who, - however, refrains from denouncing the treaty, which it is decided - not to disavow--Explanation of this diplomatic imbroglio--Growing - strength of the aristocratic opposition to Richelieu--The marriage - of _Monsieur_--The “_Conspiration des Dames_”--Intrigues of the - Duchesse de Chevreuse--Madame de Chevreuse and Chalais--Objects of - the conspirators--Arrest of the Maréchal d’Ornano--Indignation of - _Monsieur_--Conversation of Bassompierre with the prince--Plot - against the life or liberty of Richelieu--Chalais is forced by the - Commandeur de Valençay to reveal it to the Cardinal--“The quarry is - no longer at home!”--Alarm of _Monsieur_--His abject submission to - the King and Richelieu--He resumes his intrigues--Chalais is again - involved in the conspiracy by Madame de Chevreuse--Arrest of the - Duc de Vendôme and his half-brother the Grand Prior. - - -Before proceeding to Nancy, Bassompierre paid a visit to his younger -brother, now Marquis de Removille, and his family at Mirecourt, and -spent a day at his own château of Harouel. On March 3 he made his entry -into Nancy, escorted by a great number of the nobility of Lorraine, who -were assembled there for the meeting of the Estates, and was lodged in -the Palace, where he was very hospitably entertained. Amongst those whom -he met was the Prince de Phalsbourg, a natural son of the late Cardinal -Louis de Guise, who gave a banquet in his honour, and Marguerite de -Lorraine, youngest daughter of Duke François, who in 1632 became the -second wife of _Monsieur_. - -His mission, which related to the candidature of Charles IV’s younger -brother for the bishopric of Strasbourg, was soon discharged, and on -March 16 he reached Paris, after an absence of four months. Louis XIII -received him very graciously, and took him to visit the Queen-Mother, -and afterwards to the apartments of Anne of Austria, whose position -since her little escapade with Buckingham had been far from a pleasant -one, her royal husband treating her with the most marked coldness. - -At the Court Bassompierre found the Prince de Piedmont, who had been -sent by his father, Charles Emmanuel, to persuade Louis XIII to -prosecute the war in Italy with the utmost vigour during the coming -spring. Créquy had been despatched to Paris by the Constable with the -same object; and they begged Bassompierre to go with them so soon as -possible to the King, when they hoped that their united solicitations -would induce his Majesty to come to a decision in accordance with their -wishes. - -There was certainly every indication that the French Government were -disposed to a vigorous offensive. At the beginning of February peace had -been signed with the Huguenots, and they were now free to employ all -their resources against the foreign enemy. The King had appointed the -Prince of Piedmont lieutenant-general of his armies beyond the Alps, and -had promised reinforcements of 8,000 foot and 1,000 horse to the Army of -Italy, to which he intended to send the bulk of the troops now in the -Valtellina; while Bassompierre, with the levy which the Swiss cantons -had promised, was, it was understood, to invade the Milanese. However, -the hopes of the anti-Spanish party and of France’s allies were about to -be rudely shattered. - -Two or three days after Bassompierre’s return, he happened to visit the -Venetian Ambassador, Contarini, who told him that the republic’s -representative at Madrid had sent information that a secret treaty had -been signed there between France and Spain. The marshal affected to -treat the matter as a _canard_ and assured him that it was impossible; -nevertheless, he felt decidedly uneasy, and having to go and see -Richelieu that evening to give him an account of his mission to -Switzerland, he told him what Contarini had said. - - “He [Richelieu] pressed my hand and answered that I might be - assured that there was no thought of a treaty, and that the - Spaniards were, after their knavish fashion, spreading false - reports to create ill feeling between us and our allies, whom I - could reassure. And this I resolved to do and to go on the morrow - to visit Contarini, to set his mind at rest on this matter. The - same evening I saw the Prince of Piedmont and told him of the - apprehensions of Contarini, of how I had acquainted the Cardinal de - Richelieu with them, and of the answer he had given me. The Prince - replied that the Venetians were speculative and suspicious people, - who retailed their dreams and their imaginations as authoritative - news; that they had spread this report from suspicion rather than - from any information they had obtained; and that, for himself, he - was perfectly sure that no negotiations to the prejudice of the - League or to our present projects were in progress.” - -Bassompierre left the Prince and proceeded to the Queen’s apartments, -where he found Créquy. Presently, a message came from Louis XIII -summoning the two marshals to the Queen-Mother’s cabinet, where they -found the King in company with Marie de’ Medici, Schomberg, and -d’Herbault.[30] To their astonishment, the King informed them that he -had just received a treaty which had been made with Spain, _without his -knowledge_, by Du Fargis, and ordered d’Herbault to read it to them. -This document stipulated that the sovereignty of the Valtellina was to -be restored to the Grisons, but it was to be confined to a simple right -of tribute, with a confirmation purely nominal of the magistrates whom -the Valtelliners might appoint; while the Catholic religion was alone -to be permitted in that country. The passes were to remain at the -disposal of France, but the forts were to be surrendered to the Pope to -be demolished. The Kings of France and Spain were to intervene to -re-establish peace between Savoy and Genoa. - - “We found it,” says Bassompierre, “so badly conceived, so badly - drafted and so contrary to reason, so disgraceful for France, so - opposed to the interests of the League, and so damaging to the - Grisons, that, although at first we were persuaded that it had been - made by order of the King, but that he wished, in order to appease - his allies, to appear to know nothing about it, we finally believed - that it had been concluded contrary to his orders. And this obliged - us to dissuade the King from accepting and ratifying it.” - -Louis XIII told the three marshals[31] and d’Herbault to go on the -following morning to the Petit-Luxembourg and confer with Richelieu, and -to return with the Cardinal in the afternoon to the Queen-Mother’s -cabinet, where a meeting of the Council was to be held. Meanwhile, they -were to say nothing about the matter to the Prince de Piedmont. - -Bassompierre tells us that “never was he more provoked to speak against -anything than against this infamous treaty”, and that “his mind was so -excited, that he was more than two hours in bed without being able to -get to sleep, projecting a number of reasons which he wished to lay -before the Council on the morrow against this affair.” But, when he rose -in the morning, he reflected that perhaps, notwithstanding the King’s -protestations to the contrary, he might have given authority to Du -Fargis to sign the treaty, under the influence of the Queen-Mother, “who -wished to make peace between her children,”[32] or of the cardinal, -“who, seeing troubles increasing within the State, wished to make peace -outside it,” and that, if they intended to ratify it, he would be only -injuring himself to no purpose by denouncing it too warmly. He therefore -decided to be on his guard and to watch carefully which way the wind was -blowing; and when he went to see Richelieu, he “listened more than he -spoke.” He did wisely, for “the Cardinal was very cautious and opened -his mind but little, blaming only the levity, precipitation, and want of -judgment shown by Du Fargis, who, he said, merited capital punishment -for having concluded an affair of such consequence without instructions -from the King.” It was the same at the Council, where “he perceived that -everyone was more concerned to blame the workman than to demolish the -work, and to discuss the means by which the treaty might be amended than -to propose to disavow or break it.” This removed any doubt that he might -have had that the Government desired peace with Spain, and that Du -Fargis, though he had not obtained the terms desired, had been empowered -to treat for it. He therefore begged the King to excuse him from -expressing an opinion, and withdrew, as, being an honest man, he refused -to associate himself with a treaty whose existence Richelieu had only -the previous evening authorised him to deny. - -Richelieu, both at the time and afterwards, declared positively that -this peace was not of his making. This, in a sense, is true. It was Père -Bérulle, of the Oratory, who had some time before become the _directeur_ -of the Queen-Mother’s conscience, and the Spanish faction to whom the -credit--or rather discredit--of it belonged. It was they who had -instigated Du Fargis to begin negotiations with the Court of Madrid, and -it was the hope of striking a better bargain with this irresponsible -diplomatist that had caused Philip suddenly to revoke the powers which -he had given to Mirabello, his Ambassador in France. But when the -treaty, which had been signed on New Year’s Day, 1626, reached Paris in -the middle of January, Du Fargis was not recalled or disavowed. The -matter was - -[Illustration: FRANÇOIS, SEIGNEUR DE BASSOMPIERRE, MARQUIS D’HAROUEL. - -From a contemporary print.] - -kept a profound secret, and instructions were sent to the Ambassador to -press for certain amendments. New articles were signed by Du Fargis at -the beginning of March, and it was these which were now under -discussion. The treaty, with some further modifications, was finally -signed at Monzon on May 2. - -If therefore this peace, which, to all appearance, reversed Richelieu’s -whole policy, was not of the Cardinal’s making, he accepted and adopted -it, with cynical contempt for the allies of France, Venice, Savoy, and -the Grisons, who found themselves treated, not as confederates but as -vassals, whose interests might be dealt with without the necessity of -consulting them. Richelieu’s excuse was that Charles Emmanuel would -undoubtedly have insisted on the negotiations being broken off had he -been informed of them. - -The astonishment and indignation in London, Venice, Turin, and among the -Grisons was extreme. The Venetians and the Grisons had too much need of -France not to accept the explanations which Richelieu offered them; but -Charles Emmanuel, deceived in his ambitious hopes at the moment when he -believed that they were about to be realised, conceived against the -Cardinal the most bitter resentment. As for Buckingham, who had brought -strong pressure to bear on the Huguenots to induce them to make peace, -and was pluming himself on having thereby deprived France of any excuse -for not vigorously prosecuting the war against Spain, he felt himself -cheated and outwitted, and his vanity was as deeply wounded as was the -Duke of Savoy’s ambition. - -Imperative motives had, however, imposed peace upon Richelieu. For the -security of the Crown and the eventual liberty of Europe, it was -absolutely necessary for him to extricate himself from foreign -embarrassments with the least possible delay. He was convinced, as -Bassompierre suspected, that obstacles within the State must be overcome -before France could actively embark upon enterprises outside it. Any -really effective action against the House of Austria was, in his -judgment, impossible, so long as the Huguenots remained a great faction, -ready to profit by the embarrassments of the Government to hinder its -operations, and while the grandees, on their side, were thwarting -openly, or by secret intrigues, the royal authority. - -For the conspiracies of the Court had not contributed less than the -revolt of the Huguenots to determine him to make peace. A formidable -cabal threatened his power and even his life. - - * * * * * - -As the favour of Richelieu increased, so did the aristocratic opposition -to him gather strength. The grandees of the kingdom were indignant that -a Minister should presume to govern in the general interest, instead of -in their own, and made ready to draw the sword, if need be, against him -as they had against Concini and Luynes. Conspiracy and revolt were in -the air, and men and women caballed incessantly, “persuaded that the -Cardinal was not a dangerous enemy and that they had nothing to fear -from him.” - -For some time past Marie de’ Medici had been anxious for the marriage of -her younger son, Gaston, Duc d’Anjou, officially styled _Monsieur_, now -in his eighteenth year, a lively, frivolous, dissipated youth, who, when -the shades of evening fell, loved nothing better than to escape from the -Louvre and scour the streets in search of adventure. Gaston presented a -striking contrast to his austere, melancholy, and parsimonious brother, -but since his vices were such as the courtiers loved and profited by, he -was as popular with them as the King was the reverse; and it was an open -secret that the majority of them looked forward with pleasurable -anticipation to the not unlikely event of his succession to the throne. - -The lady whom the Queen-Mother had chosen as a wife for Gaston was Marie -de Bourbon, Mlle. de Montpensier, only daughter of the late Duc de -Bourbon-Montpensier, a lively and attractive princess and the richest -heiress in France. Richelieu, after some hesitation, decided for the -match, influenced, it would seem, by the reflection that, if _Monsieur_ -were ever so ill-advised as to raise the standard of revolt, there would -be no foreign alliance for him to rely upon. Louis XIII expressed his -approval, and nothing remained but to obtain the consent of Gaston. - -And then the trouble began. - -For various reasons the idea of the marriage was regarded with -disapproval by quite a number of illustrious persons. The young Comte de -Soissons, who wanted Mlle. de Montpensier for himself, was furiously -indignant, declaring that Marie de’ Medici had promised him the lady’s -hand during her regency; and his mother, the ambitious and meddlesome -Anne de Montafié, supported his pretensions. The Condés naturally -desired to see _Monsieur_ remain unmarried, since he alone stood before -them in the line of succession. The younger branches of the House of -Guise viewed with jealousy the increased importance which the head of -their family, who had married the widowed Duchesse de Montpensier, would -derive from the elevation of his step-daughter. Finally, Anne of -Austria, who had no children, saw in this alliance the last blow to her -hopes, for, if her sister-in-law became a mother, she would efface her -altogether. She accordingly determined “to do everything she could to -stop the marriage,”[33] and applied to her customary confidante, the -Duchesse de Chevreuse, for her advice and co-operation. That lady, the -most inveterate and dangerous _intrigante_ of her time, responded with -all the energy of her character and forthwith began to pull the strings -in every direction. Such was the origin of an affair which began by -being merely an intrigue of the Court, and which ended by becoming, -according to the saying of Richelieu, “one of the most frightful -conspiracies of which histories have made mention.” - -The object of Anne of Austria and Madame de Chevreuse was to persuade -_Monsieur_ to refuse the bride who was offered him. Well, _Monsieur_ had -all his life his favourites for masters, and to persuade him it was -necessary to gain a man who at that time was in possession of his -confidence, and almost of his person, his _gouverneur_, the -_Surintendant_ of his Household, and the chief of his Council--the -Maréchal d’Ornano. It was therefore to him that they addressed -themselves. - -Ornano had, as we have mentioned elsewhere, been disgraced and -imprisoned by La Vieuville, on a well-founded charge of developing -ambition in his pupil. But, when Richelieu succeeded to the control of -affairs, he was set at liberty, and restored to his offices, and at the -beginning of 1626 created a marshal of France, in the hope of inducing -him to lend his support to the Montpensier marriage. Richelieu, then, -might reasonably have expected some gratitude from Ornano; but, -unfortunately, gratitude found no place in the Corsican’s nature. Bold -and ambitious, he urged without ceasing the vain and foolish young -prince over whom he had acquired so great an ascendancy to assert his -claims to the place in the State to which his birth entitled him. When -_Monsieur_ demanded a place in the Council, he demanded to accompany -him, with the rank and title of Secretary of State; and the refusal he -received had greatly incensed him against Richelieu, and determined him -to seek some means of compassing the overthrow of the Minister who had -thwarted his ambition. - -Madame de Chevreuse had long been on friendly terms with Ornano, who had -owed his fortune largely to the good offices of her first husband; and -she was aware of the grudge which he cherished against Richelieu. She -therefore anticipated little difficulty in gaining him over to the -Queen’s cause; but, in order to leave nothing to chance, she summoned to -her aid the Princesse de Condé, of whom Ornano, undaunted by the fact -that he was “the ugliest man possible to imagine,” was a _soupirant_. -The blandishments of _Madame la Princesse_ served to dissipate any -lingering scruples which the marshal might have entertained; he declared -himself a devoted servant of the Queen, and promised to do everything in -his power to dissuade _Monsieur_ from making Mlle. de Montpensier his -wife. - -In this task he did not lack coadjutors, and every day the -“_Conspiration des Dames_,” as the anti-marriage cabal was called, -gathered fresh adherents. The Dowager-Comtesse de Soissons was beloved -by Alexandre de Vendôme, Grand Prior of France, the younger of Henri -IV’s two sons by Gabrielle d’Estrées, an unquiet spirit, with a positive -passion for mischievous intrigue, who nursed a grudge of his own against -Richelieu. She had no difficulty in persuading him to join the -conspiracy, and the Grand Prior, in his turn and with equal facility, -secured the adhesion of his elder brother, the Duc de Vendôme. The gay -and foolhardy young courtiers--Du Lude, La Rivière, Louvigny, -Puylaurens, Bois-d’Annemetz and others--who surrounded _Monsieur_, -espoused the same cause, either from dislike of the Cardinal, or from -the hope that a breach between their patron and the King might redound -to their advantage. - -Every imaginable argument was employed to dissuade _Monsieur_ from a -marriage which threatened so many interests. They appealed in turn to -his love of pleasure, his vanity, and his ambition. They pointed out -that the joyous, irresponsible life which he had led hitherto would no -longer be possible when he had taken unto himself a wife, since the King -would then insist on his conducting himself with decorum. They deplored -the docility which gave him the air of being a child in the hands of his -mother, his brother, and the Cardinal, and urged him to assert his -independence by refusing to allow a wife to be chosen for him. They -reminded him that, although Mlle. de Montpensier was undoubtedly a great -heiress, she was one of his brother’s subjects, and that in marrying her -he would fall into greater subjection than ever to the King’s authority; -and they dangled before his eyes the prospect of a brilliant foreign -alliance, such as that with the Infanta Maria Anna, formerly the -betrothed of Charles I. - -The Duchesse de Chevreuse was indefatigable in her efforts to secure -recruits for the cause, and made use of all her charms to overcome their -scruples. She was but too successful. - -There was at this time in the King’s Household, and very near his -Majesty’s person, in virtue of his office as Master of the Wardrobe, a -young noble of twenty-seven, Henri de Talleyrand, Comte de Chalais, a -member of an ancient sovereign house of Périgord and, through his -mother, a grandson of the Maréchal de Montluc, author of the celebrated -_Commentaries_ to which Henri IV gave the name of “The Soldier’s Bible.” -“M. de Chalais,” writes Fontenay-Mareuil, “was young, well-made, very -adroit at all manly exercises, but, above all, very agreeable, which -rendered him a favourite with the ladies, who ruined him.” Brave to -rashness, he had distinguished himself on both the field of battle and -that of honour, and a duel he had fought with the Comte de Pontgibault, -in which the latter had been killed, was long talked of. Chalais was so -fortunate as to be a favourite of both the King and his brother, which -would make his support of peculiar value to the cabal, since he would be -able to add his persuasions to theirs to induce _Monsieur_ to refuse the -hand of Mlle. de Montpensier, and, at the same time, serve their -interests with the King by misleading him as to the intentions of the -malcontents. It was considered, however, very improbable that he could -be persuaded to follow _Monsieur’s_ fortunes, since he was known to -“ambition” the post of Colonel of the Light Cavalry, and to have an -excellent chance of securing it. But, unhappily for Chalais, there was -something that he desired still more than the command of the Light -Cavalry: he had been for some time past madly enamoured of Madame de -Chevreuse, and when that siren, who had not as yet condescended to -accept his devotion, began to show signs of relenting, it was all over -with him; and, oblivious of everything but this fatal passion, the -unfortunate young man allowed her to lead him whither she willed. The -consequence was that, before he had fully realised his position, he -found himself drawn into the very thick of the conspiracy which was to -bring him to his doom. - -Madame de Chevreuse and Ornano were the soul of this league, which was -becoming extremely formidable, from the importance of the persons -implicated and the far-reaching character of their schemes. For the -coalition against the marriage of _Monsieur_ was only the starting-point -of a conspiracy which aimed at a complete change in the Government, and -whose ramifications extended far beyond the borders of France. Several -of the foreign ambassadors had entered it, and it was known and more or -less approved in England, Spain, Holland, and Savoy. The conspirators -were determined to demand for Gaston and Ornano the entry to the -Council, and afterwards to insist on the disgrace of Richelieu. If they -failed, it was their intention to persuade _Monsieur_ to retire from -Court, to take up arms and to appeal for foreign and Huguenot aid. In -the event of revolt, the most resolute proposed that the Cardinal should -be assassinated--a suggestion which was warmly supported by the Abbé -Scaglia, the ambassador of Savoy. - -Richelieu, though he had eyes and ears everywhere at his service, had -not yet received more than vague warnings as to the designs of his -enemies. However, these had been sufficient for him to divine that some -plot hostile to the existing order of things was in progress, and that -_Monsieur_ was concerned in it. - -Immediately after Easter the Court quitted Paris for Fontainebleau. On -the morrow of its arrival, _Monsieur_ had an interview with the King, in -which he declared that “it was a reproach and a shame to him that, being -his Majesty’s brother, he had neither share nor influence in affairs of -State.” He then demanded a seat in the Council and, at the same time, -angrily declined the hand of Mlle. de Montpensier, on the ground that “a -foreign alliance was necessary for his honour and prosperity.” The King -replied that he would consider his request and give him an answer in a -few days. The young prince waited for three or four, and then sent -Ornano to complain to Richelieu, but could get nothing more satisfactory -from his Eminence than that he was “the humble servant of _Monsieur_.” -In high indignation, Gaston sought out his mother and announced his -intention of quitting the Court. Marie soothed him by the promise that -the Council should meet to consider his demands, and he agreed to await -its decision. - -Meanwhile, Louis XIII had consulted Richelieu, who did not fail to -stimulate his resentment against the pretensions that had been suggested -to his brother, and warned him that “in the matter of conspiracies, it -was almost impossible to have mathematical proofs, and that when the -circumstances were pressing, presumption ought to take their place.” The -arrest of Ornano was then decided upon. - -On May 4 the King announced his intention of reviewing his Guards that -afternoon in the Cour du Cheval Blanc, “to give pleasure to the Queens -and Princesses,” who were to witness the spectacle from the Grand -Gallery of the Château. After dinner, Bassompierre, who was going to -Paris for a day or two “to stop one of his nieces de Saint-Luc from -becoming a nun,” went to take leave of the King, who suggested that he -had better wait and see the review; but the marshal, who was in a hurry -to be gone, excused himself. Early on the following morning, however, he -was awakened by the arrival of a gentleman named Bonnevaut, whom Louis -had sent to inform him that he had caused Ornano to be arrested and to -request him to return that day to Fontainebleau without fail. - -With that dissimulation which he loved to display on such occasions, -Louis XIII had invited Ornano to witness the review and treated him with -unusual condescension. Afterwards, he had invited him to walk with him -in the Cour du Cheval Blanc, and, as though by chance, pointed out to -him the chamber where the Maréchal de Biron had been temporarily -confined after his arrest in 1602. That night Ornano was himself -arrested and conducted to the same apartment. - -At the first news of the arrest of Ornano, which was brought to him just -after he had retired for the night _Monsieur_, beside himself with -indignation, hurriedly dressed and proceeded to the King’s apartments to -demand the immediate release of the marshal. He was told that his -Majesty could not be disturbed, and the same answer awaited him when he -went to the Queen-Mother. - -On the morrow he went in search of the Ministers. The first whom he -found was the Chancellor, d’Aligre, who, intimidated by the anger of the -prince, assured him that he had nothing to do with the arrest of the -marshal. But when he addressed himself to Richelieu and inquired -furiously: “Is it you who have dared to give this counsel to the King?” -he was met with the laconic reply: “Yes, it is I.” D’Aligre was promptly -disgraced for his feebleness, and the Seals given to Marillac. Ornano -was transferred to the Château of Vincennes, and his two brothers, his -friend Chaudebonne and the Comte de Modène and Déageant were also -arrested and conveyed to the Bastille. - -On his return to Fontainebleau, Bassompierre went to visit _Monsieur_, -even before seeing the King, “so much was he assured of the confidence -which his Majesty reposed in him.” He found the prince “very exasperated -and influenced by sundry evil minds,” and took the liberty of speaking -to him very frankly indeed. Gaston appeared to take the lecture in good -part, and, by the King’s wish, Bassompierre continued his visits and his -admonitions. But, after three or four days, he learned from Marie de’ -Medici that _Monsieur_ suspected that it was intended to give him the -marshal as his _gouverneur_ in place of the captive Ornano, and had said -that he did not desire to have one. Upon which Bassompierre ceased his -visits, “wishing to show by keeping away from him that he by no means -aspired to that charge.” This was most unfortunate, as it left the young -prince entirely under the influence of the “evil minds” of which the -marshal speaks. - -The unexpected arrest of Ornano had fallen like a thunderbolt on the -heads of the conspirators. They foresaw that if the marshal were brought -to trial, not only would their designs be discovered, but even their -persons be in danger, since he was not the kind of man who could be -trusted to prefer death to dishonour. They therefore urged _Monsieur_ to -make every endeavour to procure the release of his _gouverneur_, and, if -he failed, as they fully expected he would do, to take one of two -courses: the first was to leave the Court, retire into some fortified -place and call his supporters to arms; the second, to get rid of the -Cardinal. - -As Louis XIII and Richelieu refused to hear of the release of Ornano, -and Gaston, although the Comte de Soissons offered to furnish him with a -very large sum of money if he would retire from Court and declare war, -hesitated to take so irrevocable a step, the Grand Prieur de Vendôme, -Chalais and others, prevailed upon him to choose the second of these -alternatives. - -Richelieu was staying at the Château of Fleury, a country-seat of his, -situated about two leagues from Fontainebleau. Gaston, feigning a desire -to be reconciled to him, was to invite himself to dinner and arrive -accompanied by a strong party of his friends. What was to follow is -disputed. Most writers, including Bassompierre,[34] assert that it was -the intention of the conspirators to demand the release of Ornano, and, -if that were refused, to assassinate their host out of hand; and -Richelieu always maintained that his own death would have been followed -by the assassination or dethronement of the King. A more sober version -of the affair attributes to the conspirators no more sinister design -than that of making the Cardinal their prisoner and subsequently -exchanging him for Ornano, though, even if this be correct, it might -well have had a tragic sequel. Whatever the object of the plot, there -can be no possible doubt that Madame de Chevreuse was privy to it, if -not its prime instigator; and it can therefore be regarded as a singular -illustration of the irony of Fate that the indiscretion of the most -devoted of her admirers should have been the means of bringing it to -naught. - -Chalais had a friend, the Commandeur de Valençay, a younger brother of -that Valençay whose carelessness after the capture of the ridge of -Saint-Denis at Montpellier had entailed so much loss of life, and to -this gentleman, on the eve of the execution of the plot, he was -imprudent enough to disclose it. He believed that he would find in him a -sympathetic listener, since, though he had not yet declared himself, he -had always appeared well disposed towards the cause. But, to his -consternation, Valençay, either from the hope of gaining the Cardinal’s -favour or from genuine disgust, professed the utmost horror and -indignation; “reproached him with his treason, in that being one of his -Majesty’s own Household he dared to make an attempt upon the person of -his first Minister,” and insisted that Chalais should forthwith -accompany him to Fleury and warn Richelieu of the danger which -threatened him. Chalais, in despair, obeyed, and assured the Cardinal -that he had always abhorred the plot and resolved to denounce it. -Richelieu believed, or affected to believe, him, and when he offered to -reveal to his Eminence any further intrigues against him, accepted his -services and promised to obtain for him the coveted post of Colonel of -the Light Cavalry. - -The Cardinal sent Valençay to Fontainebleau to inform Louis XIII and the -Queen-Mother; and the King at once despatched a troop of horse to Fleury -for the protection of his Minister; while Marie de’ Medici sent the -gentlemen of her Household. At dawn a number of Gaston’s officers -arrived at Fleury, ostensibly, to announce the approaching arrival of -their master and to assist in preparing for his reception; in reality, -to serve as the advance-guard of the conspirators. His Eminence received -them very courteously, expressed his sense of the honour which the -prince proposed to do him, and then, ordering his coach, set out for -Fontainebleau, accompanied by more than a hundred horse, “to escort his -Royal Highness.” - -His Royal Highness was considerably astonished when the Cardinal -presented himself at his _levée_ that morning, and mildly reproached him -with not having given him longer notice of the visit with which it was -his intention to honour him. In order to avert suspicion as to his -destination, _Monsieur_ had announced his intention of hunting that day; -and, as Richelieu withdrew, after handing the prince his shirt--a duty -which was always performed by the prelate or noble of the highest rank -present--he remarked significantly: “_Monsieur_, you have not risen -early enough this morning; you will find that the quarry is no longer at -home.” Then Gaston knew that someone had betrayed him. - -Thoroughly frightened, the pusillanimous prince passed from treachery -and conspiracy to base submission, “with the levity of a selfish and -thoughtless child, destitute of both moral sense and courage,”[35] and -on May 31, in the presence of the King, the Queen-Mother and the -Cardinal, he signed and swore on the Gospels to observe faithfully a -compact drawn up by Richelieu, in which he engaged that “no counsel -should ever be proposed or submitted to him by anyone whomsoever of -which he would not advise his Majesty; that he would not keep silence -concerning even the most trifling words that were spoken to him with the -object of arousing his resentment against the King and his advisers, and -that he would love and esteem those whom the King and the Queen-Mother -loved.” - -Gaston had sworn to and signed everything that had been put before him, -but, being as faithless as he was cowardly and selfish, he had not the -remotest intention of executing his engagement. In fact, while swearing -to inform his brother of everything contrary to his service that might -come to his knowledge, he said not a word of the great conspiracy which, -from the foot of the throne, had extended over the whole kingdom and far -beyond its borders; and, when he again found himself among his -partisans, he disclosed nothing of what had just taken place, renewed -all the promises which he had made them, and continued to preside over -their deliberations. - -Chalais likewise kept his counsel, and the conspirators appear to have -entertained no suspicion that they had a traitor in their midst, and -probably attributed the Fleury fiasco to some vague warning furnished -the Cardinal by one or other of the many secret agents whom he had in -his pay. Had Chalais promptly avowed his enforced betrayal of their -designs, they would certainly have proceeded with a great deal more -caution, even if they had not decided to abandon the enterprise -altogether. But, for a while, he appears to have been of opinion that -his wisest course was to say nothing to his friends, and to keep, at -least to some extent, his promise to report any fresh developments to -the Cardinal; and when at length his secret was forced from him by the -address of Madame de Chevreuse and he was involved anew in the -conspiracy, its leaders were already hopelessly compromised. - -Whether by Chalais or by one of his secret agents, Richelieu’s attention -was directed to the Duc de Vendôme, whose movements he caused to be -closely watched. Vendôme had resolved to offer _Monsieur_ an asylum in -his government of Brittany, and the Cardinal ascertained that he was -secretly preparing for war, and that he was in communication with the -authorities of La Rochelle. Recognising the importance of stifling at -its birth the insurrection in a great province so close to La Rochelle -and so exposed to an English invasion, he persuaded the King to proceed -thither in person to re-establish his threatened authority. But, since -he was doubtful if his Majesty could be brought to consent to the arrest -of his half-brothers, the duke and Grand Prior, he resolved to ascertain -how far he was prepared to support him, and accordingly requested -permission to retire, on the ground of failing health. Louis declined -his resignation in a letter which was equivalent to an oath of fidelity -from the King to his Minister, and concluded with these words: “Be -assured that I shall never change, and that, whoever may attack you, you -shall have me for second.” - -Armed with this promise, Richelieu no longer hesitated to represent to -the King the necessity of arresting the natural sons of Henri IV, and -Louis at once assented. On learning of the approach of the Court, the -Duc de Vendôme, who was at Nantes, became very uneasy; but since he -could not abstain from paying his homage to his sovereign without -practically proclaiming himself a rebel, he charged his brother the -Grand Prior to obtain an assurance of safety from the King. “I give you -my word,” said Louis, “that he will come to no more harm than you.” -Deceived by this gross equivocation, the duke joined the Court at Blois, -where it had arrived on June 6, and was very graciously received. But, -two days later, both he and his brother were arrested in their beds by -Du Hallier, Captain of the Guards, and conducted to the Château of -Amboise, where they were very strictly guarded (June 12). - -It would appear that, at this juncture, Richelieu was very far from -being aware of the wide range of the conspiracy or of all its chiefs; -otherwise, he would scarcely have left the Comte de Soissons behind in -Paris to command in the name of the King, or have allowed _Monsieur_ to -remain in the capital, subject to all the influences that were being -brought to bear upon him to induce him to raise the standard of revolt. -However, two or three days after the arrest of the Vendômes, the King -received warning that Soissons was meditating the abduction of Mlle. de -Montpensier, who had also remained in Paris, upon which he sent -Fontenay-Mareuil in all haste to Paris to bring the young lady to the -Court, and orders to Bassompierre, Bellegarde, and d’Effiat to accompany -them, with as many of their attendants as they could bring. -Bassompierre, who was just starting for Blois, had sent all his suite on -in advance, but the other two nobles were able to supply a -sufficiently-strong guard, under whose escort Mlle. de Montpensier left -Paris with the Duchesse de Guise. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII - - Alarm of the conspirators at the arrest of the Vendômes--Chalais, - at the instigation of Madame de Chevreuse, urges _Monsieur_ to take - flight and throw himself into a fortress--_Monsieur_ and Chalais - join the Court at Blois--The Comte de Louvigny betrays the latter - to the Cardinal--Chalais is arrested at Nantes--Despicable conduct - of _Monsieur_--Chalais, persuaded by Richelieu that Madame de - Chevreuse is unfaithful to him, makes the gravest accusation - against her, in the hope of saving his life--He is, nevertheless, - condemned to death--He withdraws his accusations against Madame de - Chevreuse--His barbarous execution--Death of the Maréchal - d’Ornano--Marriage of _Monsieur_--Bassompierre declines the post of - _Surintendant_ of _Monsieur’s_ Household--Indignation of Louis XIII - against Anne of Austria--Public humiliation inflicted upon the - Queen--Banishment of Madame de Chevreuse--Bassompierre nominated - Ambassador Extraordinary to England--Differences between Charles I - and Henrietta over the question of the young Queen’s French - attendants--The Tyburn pilgrimage--Expulsion of the French - attendants from England--Resentment of the Court of France. - - -The news of the arrest of the Vendômes, following upon that of Ornano -and the miscarriage of the Fleury affair, had filled the conspirators -with dismay. They feared the effect of these repeated reverses upon the -timid and vacillating mind of _Monsieur_, who, deprived of both the -marshal and the Grand Prior, the two persons who had exercised the most -influence over him, would be more difficult to decide than ever; and the -less resolute began to entertain serious doubts as to the wisdom of -proceeding with the enterprise. Madame de Chevreuse, however, refused to -be discouraged. She had surprised Chalais’s secret, won him back to the -cause and compelled him to commit himself more deeply than ever, and she -believed that she had, in the influence the young man possessed over -_Monsieur_, a means which, if well employed, might re-establish -everything. She proceeded to exploit it with her usual audacity and -address, and, spurred on by his passion for the beautiful duchess, -Chalais lost no occasion of urging the prince to take flight and to -throw himself into some fortified place. Gaston, however, could not make -up his mind to this course, and, though nearly persuaded, he was still -wavering, when orders came from the King to join him at Blois. - -_Monsieur_ left Paris, accompanied by Chalais and two of his young -favourites, Puylaurens and Bois d’Annemetz, the latter of whom has left -us an interesting, though not altogether reliable, account of the -conspiracy in which he was engaged.[36] They united their entreaties to -those of Chalais, and by the time the party reached Blois, _Monsieur_ -would appear to have at last decided to follow the counsels which had -been so long tendered to him in vain. It was then agreed that Gaston -should write to d’Épernon inviting him to declare, in his favour, and -that Chalais should despatch one of his friends, named La Loubère, to -the Marquis de la Valette, d’Épernon’s eldest son, who commanded in -Metz, requesting him to receive the prince in that fortress. - -While Chalais was labouring thus to merit the favours of Madame de -Chevreuse, whom he had the happiness of seeing again when he joined the -Court at Blois, to lull the suspicions of Richelieu he had continued to -profess the greatest devotion to his interests and gave him sometimes -useful information. It is not surprising that this double game should -have aroused the suspicion of some of his allies, and the author of the -_Mémores d’un favori_ accuses him of desiring to safeguard himself -whichever side was ultimately victorious. There can be no doubt, -however, that Madame de Chevreuse knew the secret of Chalais’s -communications with the Cardinal, and that he was acting with her full -approval. - -It was a dangerous game to play for long with a person so vigilant and -penetrating as Richelieu. The reports which daily reached the Cardinal -from his secret agents all tended to show that _Monsieur_ had grossly -violated the solemn pledge that he had given at Fontainebleau, and that -want of courage alone prevented him from throwing aside the mask; and he -found it difficult to reconcile Chalais’s assurances of devotion to -himself with those midnight visits _en robe de chambre_ lasting two or -three hours which his spies informed him the count was in the habit of -paying to Gaston’s apartments. Already he was more than half-convinced -that the young man was playing him false, when an act of shameful -treachery settled the question. - -On June 27 the Court left Blois for Tours, from which town Chalais -despatched La Loubère to Metz. - - “This La Loubère,” writes Bassompierre, “came to take leave of the - Comte de Louvigny,[37] in whose service he had been, and, knowing - him to be an intimate friend of Chalais, did not hesitate to tell - him where he was going and with what object. From Tours the King - journeyed along the River Loire to Saumur, and on the way Louvigny - had some dispute with M. de Candale,[38] with whom he was not on - good terms, owing to some _amourettes_.[39] However, this passed - without any disturbance. On the evening we arrived at Saumur, - Chalais and Bouteville[40] came to dine with me, and begged me to - reprimand Louvigny, which I did in their presence; and the others - told him that he must take care not to have any quarrel with M. de - Candale, if he did not wish to lose their friendship, because they - were bound to M. de Candale by particular obligations. He, on the - contrary, while going on the morrow from Saumur to the Ponts-de-Cé, - picked a quarrel with M. de Candale, and then all those whom he - thought his friends left him to offer their services to M. de - Candale. At which this malicious lad was so enraged, that on the - morrow, when the King arrived at Ancenis,[41] he requested to speak - to him, and informed him that La Loubère had gone to Metz by order - of Chalais, and of several other things which he knew or which he - invented.”[42] - -Other writers assert that the real cause of Louvigny’s treachery was -that he had, like Chalais, fallen violently in love with Madame de -Chevreuse and was jealous of the preference which that lady showed for -the Master of the Wardrobe; and it is therefore possible that the affair -of which Bassompierre speaks was only a pretext. Anyway, a few days -later Chalais was arrested at Nantes, where the Court had arrived on -July 3, and imprisoned in a gloomy dungeon in the basement of one of the -towers of the château. - - “_Monsieur_ was very astonished at his arrest,” says Bassompierre, - “and his friends also, and they were on the point of taking their - departure. But, at the same time, they received an answer from M. - de la Valette at Metz to the effect that, if M. d’Épernon declared - for him [_Monsieur_], he would declare for him likewise, but not - otherwise. _Monsieur_ wrote to M. d’Épernon, who sent the letter to - the King.” - -Gaston knew that the game was up. Richelieu requested the King to send -for his brother, and succeeded in reducing that miserable prince to a -condition of such abject submission that, despicable as had been his -conduct at Fontainebleau a few weeks earlier, he, on this occasion, far -surpassed it and plunged into a veritable abyss of infamy. - -Not only did he consent to the marriage against which he had so -indignantly protested, but he furnished the most damning evidence -against the leaders of the conspiracy of which he was the chief. He -revealed all the communications into which Ornano had entered with the -discontented nobles and with foreign princes, undeterred by the -knowledge that the unfortunate marshal, for whom he had professed so -much zeal, was already awaiting his trial on a capital charge. He -declared that it was the Grand Prieur de Vendôme, likewise in -Richelieu’s clutches, who had counselled him to go to Fleury and -assassinate the Cardinal, if he refused to set Ornano at liberty. He -denounced the Comte de Soissons, the Duc de Longueville, Soubise, and -many others, some of whom had but a very remote connection with the -conspiracy. And he gave so circumstantial an account of his relations -with Chalais and of the persistent efforts the latter had made to push -him into revolt, that he rendered it quite futile for that misguided -young man to attempt any defence. Finally, he confessed that Anne of -Austria had several times entreated him to refuse his consent to the -marriage proposed to him, except on the condition that Ornano should be -set at liberty, and declared that, more than two years before, Madame de -Chevreuse had advised him to remain unmarried, promising that, in the -event of the King’s death, he should marry the Queen. - -It was decided to bring Chalais to trial before one of those special -commissions to which Richelieu henceforth assigned most State -prosecutions, for greater certainty of result. It assembled at Nantes, -under the presidency of the new Chancellor, Michel de Marillac, and no -one doubted that Richelieu intended to make a terrible example of the -Master of the Wardrobe. - -The unfortunate young man comprehended this, and his courage failed him. -He would have led the most forlorn of hopes or faced the most -redoubtable of _bretteurs_ cheerfully enough, but he shrank in terror -from the shadow of the headsman’s axe. With the scaffold before his -eyes, he revealed himself as the most cowardly of poltroons and -rivalled in baseness even _Monsieur_ himself. - -But, while denouncing his accomplices, he, to the mortification of -Richelieu, kept faith with Madame de Chevreuse, and neither before the -commission, nor in the private examinations to which he was subjected, -could anything compromising to the duchess be extracted from him. His -passion for this woman who had lured him to his destruction was as -potent as ever, and from his gloomy dungeon he addressed to her letters -filled with extravagant expressions of adoration, which the lovers of -those days were wont to employ, but which come strangely from a man -menaced by a traitor’s death.[43] Madame de Chevreuse, not unnaturally, -refused to incriminate herself in writing, and though she sent, on more -than one occasion, verbal messages to the prisoner, these do not appear -to have reached him. Anyway, Richelieu, who was particularly anxious to -secure evidence against the duchess, whom he knew to be one of his most -dangerous enemies, contrived to persuade Chalais that she had forgotten -her hapless admirer and was occupied with other love-affairs, and that -she had not scrupled to save herself at his expense. Exasperated to the -last degree against the woman who, he believed, had repaid his devotion -by such base ingratitude, and in the delusive hope that further -important revelations might induce the Cardinal to spare his life, the -wretched Chalais was gradually led to make the gravest accusations -against the duchess. It was all useless. So soon as Richelieu judged -that he had extracted from the prisoner all the information he could -hope, the proceedings were hurried on, and on August 18 the court -pronounced the inevitable sentence, and “declared Henri de Talleyrand, -Sieur de Chalais, attainted and convicted of the crime of -_lèse-majesté_”; for reparation whereof it condemned him to be taken by -the executioner of the High Justice, and conducted, with bare head, to -the Place de Bouffay of Nantes, and there, on a scaffold which should be -erected for that purpose, to have his head struck off and placed on a -pike on the Porte de Sauvetour, his body to be quartered and fastened to -gibbets at the four principal avenues of the said town, and that, before -execution, he should be subjected to torture for the revelation of his -accomplices. The court further declared all his property forfeited to -the King, his posterity ignoble and _roturière_ and deprived of all the -privileges of the nobility, and ordered his residences to be demolished -and his woods cut down to within a man’s height of the ground. - -This barbarous sentence was modified by the King, who, “yielding to the -very humble prayer of the Dame de Chalais, mother of the said Chalais, -and to several of his faithful and affectionate subjects, to whom the -said Chalais was related,” remitted all that was uselessly cruel, and -directed that, after decapitation, the body should be given to his -mother for burial in holy ground. His Majesty also annulled the -attainder. - -Before going to execution, the condemned man withdrew all the -accusations he had made against Madame de Chevreuse, declaring that -“what he had written, he had written in the extremity of rage and by -reason of an erroneous belief which he entertained that she had deceived -him,” and, after signing the recantation, he sent for his confessor and -charged him to inform the King that everything he had said against the -Queen and Madame de Chevreuse was false. - -In the hope that the intercession of _Monsieur_, who had been shamed -into making some belated efforts to induce the King to spare Chalais’s -life, and that the gain of a few days might mean his salvation, the -friends of the condemned had bribed the executioner of Nantes to leave -the town. Their intervention merely served to make the unhappy man’s end -the more cruel, for, instead of postponing the execution until the -headsman of Nantes could be fetched, Richelieu sent for a criminal then -lying under sentence of death in the prison of Nantes, who, on the -promise that he should be accorded his life, undertook to replace him. -The improvised executioner bungled the business in the most shocking -manner, and, according to one contemporary account, more than thirty -blows were required before the head at last fell. Chalais’s body was -given to his mother, who caused it to be buried beneath the high altar -in the Church of the Franciscans at Nantes.[44] - -Such was the end of Chalais and of the conspiracy which is sometimes -known by his name, though it might with far more justice be called by -that of Madame de Chevreuse, since it was she who had pulled the strings -by which her luckless puppet of a lover danced to the scaffold. If it -had succeeded, it would have changed the face of the realm, but its -complete failure, which placed all its leaders, with the exception of -the Comte de Soissons who had prudently taken to flight, in the power of -Richelieu, immensely strengthened the government it was intended to -overthrow. On September 2 the Maréchal d’Ornano anticipated the -executioner by dying in prison,[45] and, two and a half years later, -the Grand Prior followed him to the grave. The Duc de Vendôme remained -in captivity until 1630, when he was set at liberty, though his -government of Brittany, which had made him so great a power for -mischief, was never restored to him. - -As for _Monsieur_, he was discharged in order that he might marry Mlle. -de Montpensier. The marriage contract was signed on August 5, and the -wedding celebrated the following day by the triumphant Richelieu. - -At the conclusion of the betrothal ceremony, the King, addressing -_Monsieur_ before Bassompierre, said: “Brother, I tell you before the -Maréchal de Bassompierre, who loves you well, and who is my good and -faithful servant, that I have never in my life accomplished anything -which has pleased me so much as your marriage.” _Monsieur_ then invited -Bassompierre to walk with him in the garden which is on the bastion [of -Nantes] and said to him: “Betstein,[46] you will see me now without -fear, since I stand well with the King.” He then proposed to -Bassompierre that he should enter his service as _Surintendant_ of his -Household and chief of his council, as Ornano had been, and begged him -to speak to the King and obtain his consent. The marshal, however, -begged to be excused, foreseeing that such a position, though very -honourable and lucrative, was likely to prove extremely embarrassing. “I -answered,” says he, “that if the King were to offer me 100,000 crowns a -year to enter his service, I should decline, not because I should not -deem it a great honour and that I have not an ardent desire to serve -you, but because it would be necessary for me to deceive one or the -other of you, and I am not skilful in that.” - -Mlle. de Montpensier brought her husband a revenue of 350,000 livres and -immense estates, amongst which was the sovereign principality of Dombes, -and Louis XIII, on the advice of Richelieu, gave _Monsieur_, as the -price of his honour and the lives of his friends, a rich appanage. He -exchanged the duchy of Anjou for those of Orléans and Chartres and the -county of Blois, with a revenue of 100,000 livres and pensions amounting -to more than six times that sum.[47] Little wonder, then, that he should -have received the news of the unfortunate Chalais’s death with -equanimity![48] - -The brother was pardoned, but the wife had transgressed beyond -forgiveness. The King, already violently irritated against the Queen by -her coquetry with Buckingham, was exasperated beyond measure at the part -which she was reported to have played in this miserable affair. His -jealous and suspicious nature easily persuaded him that there was some -intrigue between her and _Monsieur_, not perhaps to hasten his demise, -but to marry whenever that event should take place; and such remained -his settled conviction until the end of his life.[49] In the first -transports of his wrath, he summoned his consort to appear before a -special council, at which Richelieu and the Queen-Mother assisted. -Instead of being accommodated with the _fauteuil_ due to her royalty, -Anne suffered the indignity of having to sit upon a folding-seat, as -though she had been a criminal, the while the King upbraided her with -having conspired against his life, in order to have another husband. -“The Queen,” writes Madame de Motteville, “to whom innocence gave -strength, incensed by the cruelty of the accusation, spoke with firmness -and a generous boldness, and told him, as I have heard from her own -lips, that she had too little to gain by the change to blacken her soul -for so small a profit. Then, with the imperiousness of a princess of her -birth, she reproached the Queen-Mother with the persecutions which she -and the Cardinal de Richelieu were inflicting upon her.” - -Anne’s boldness, and particularly the disdainful answer which she had -given him, served only to exasperate the angry monarch still further, -and he resolved to punish her by a public humiliation. Accordingly, an -order was issued, signed by Louis and countersigned by the Cardinal, -forbidding entry to the Queen’s apartments to all nobles and gentlemen -other than those attached to her Household, unless they paid their -respects to her Majesty in the King’s presence and entered and quitted -her apartments in his suite. He also forbade the Queen to grant any -private audience without informing the Queen-Mother or the Cardinal, and -naming the person whom she proposed to receive and the object of the -interview. - -Madame de Chevreuse remained to be dealt with, and for a time it looked -as though matters were likely to go hardly with her. Her husband, -however, who was in high favour with Louis XIII, intervened and -persuaded the King to be content with her banishment from the Court, -promising to be answerable for her future conduct. She accordingly -retired to the duke’s château of Dampierre, near Rambouillet, where she -was kept under close surveillance, all communication with the Queen -being strictly forbidden her. She would appear, however, to have been so -imprudent as to disobey this command; anyway, six months later she -received orders to leave France. Her request that she might be -permitted to retire to England was refused, and she was obliged to seek -an asylum at Nancy, with her husband’s kinsman, Charles IV of Lorraine. - - * * * * * - -At the end of September of that year, Bassompierre was despatched on -another important diplomatic mission, this time to England, where the -differences between Charles I and Henrietta Maria over the thorny -question of the Queen’s French attendants had reached a crisis. - -In the marriage treaty, signed on November 24, 1624, the French -Government had succeeded in obtaining practically all that it had -demanded, though when one reads the articles of this astonishing -document, it is impossible to believe that James I, or Charles, when -after his accession he confirmed them, ever intended that they should be -carried out, or that they conceived it possible to do so. - -The treaty stipulated that the free exercise of the Catholic religion -should be permitted to Henrietta, and likewise to all the children who -should be born of the marriage, who were to be brought up by their -mother until they reached the age of thirteen. The Queen was to have a -chapel in all the royal palaces, “and in every place of the King of -Great Britain’s dominions where he or she should reside.” She was to -have in her house twenty-eight priests and ecclesiastics, almoners and -chaplains included, to serve in her chapel, and if there were any -regular clergy amongst them, they should wear the habit of their Order. -Her domestic establishment was to consist exclusively of French -Catholics, chosen by the Very Christian King. - -These terms, if decidedly obnoxious to British prejudice, were, with the -exception of the exclusively French composition of the Queen’s -Household--a most startling innovation and one which was bound to lead -to trouble--only what might have been expected if the King of England -chose for his wife a Catholic princess. But the treaty contained in -addition private or secret articles, which, admitting as they did the -right of a foreign power to meddle in domestic affairs, were unlikely to -be tolerated for a moment by a self-respecting people. These secret -articles stipulated:-- - -1. That the Catholics, as well ecclesiastical as temporal, imprisoned -since the last proclamation which followed the breach with Spain, should -all be set at liberty. - -2. That the English Catholics should be no more searched after nor -molested for their religion. - -3. That the goods of the Catholics, as well ecclesiastical as temporal, -that were seized since the aforementioned proclamation, should be -restored. - -The insertion of these secret articles in the marriage treaty is the -more extraordinary, since, on his return from Spain, Charles had pledged -his word, in response to a petition from the Commons, that, in the event -of his marrying a Catholic princess, “no advantage to the recusants at -home” should accrue from the match. He had therefore to choose between -breaking faith either with Parliament and the nation or with France. - -To aggravate the difficulty of the situation, Henrietta had been sent to -England as though she were a missionary of the Propaganda going forth to -fight her battle for God and the Church. Urban VIII had exhorted her to -prove the guardian angel of the English Catholics and told her that the -eyes of both worlds, earthly and spiritual, were upon her; while, on -taking leave of her, Marie de’ Medici had placed in her hands a lengthy -epistle, purporting to contain her own final counsels and admonitions, -though in all probability it was the work of her confessor Bérulle, in -which she was enjoined to model her conduct upon that of her ancestor -Saint-Louis, and, like him, to fight a good fight for the Christian -[_i.e._, Roman Catholic] religion, in defence of which he exposed his -life, dying faithful amongst infidels. The sequel leaves no doubt that -the child--she was but fifteen--took to heart the lessons which she had -received. - -Charles I’s dream of domestic happiness speedily vanished. On the road -to London there was a warm dispute between the royal pair on the -question of the precedence to be enjoyed by Madame de Saint-George, -Henrietta’s lady of the bedchamber, to whom the young Queen was tenderly -attached; and this affair appears to have embittered the early days of -their married life. Other troubles were not long in arriving, for -Henrietta was impetuous and indiscreet, Charles punctilious and -tactless. - -After a very short stay in London, their Majesties, to escape the plague -which was devastating the capital, removed to Hampton Court. A few days -later, a deputation from the Privy Council waited upon the Queen to -acquaint her with the regulations which the King desired should be -observed in his Household, which were substantially the same as those -which had been in force during the lifetime of his mother, Anne of -Denmark. - -Henrietta took umbrage at once. “I hope,” she replied pettishly, “I -shall have leave to order my house as I list myself.” Charles attempted -to argue the point with her in private, but the answer he received was -so rude that he did not venture to transcribe it when a year later he -sent a long account of his consort’s misdoings to his ambassador in -France, with the intention that it should be submitted to Marie de’ -Medici. - -As time went on, matters grew worse. The Queen obstinately declined to -make any attempt to learn the English language or to understand English -customs, and appeared to regard herself as in a foreign land, where -everyone was hostile to her. Even her almoner, the Bishop of Mende, a -prelate in no way inclined to be over-conciliatory, was forced to admit -that “it would be _à propos_ should the Queen show a greater degree of -courtesy towards the King and the great dignitaries of State; adding -that to none, of what rank soever, did she pay so much as a compliment.” - -Unfortunate as was the attitude adopted by Henrietta, it must be allowed -that she was not without cause for complaint. She had come to England in -the full persuasion that her arrival was to inaugurate an era of -liberation for the English Catholics, but scarcely had she set foot in -the country than Charles proceeded to evade his engagements. Faced with -the alternative of breaking his promise to his subjects or to the King -of France, he attempted to find a way out of the difficulty by steering -a middle course. He pardoned and set at liberty the priests who lay in -prison, and allowed them to leave the country in the train of the French -Ambassadors Extraordinary, Chevreuse and Ville-aux-Clercs, on the -understanding that they would not attempt to return, which done, he -announced to the Parliament that henceforth the laws against the -Catholics would be put into execution. - -This compromise satisfied neither party. The English, seeing so many -priests suddenly emerge from prison, not unnaturally asked themselves -whether the King was really sincere when he declared that the Penal Laws -were to be enforced; while the Queen and her ecclesiastical guides and -counsellors were indignant that he should thus attempt to evade his -pre-nuptial pledges, although, had they had the slightest acquaintance -with the state of public feeling, they would have known that to execute -them in full was impossible. - -The difficulties of the religious situation were accentuated by the -lamentable want of tact and patience displayed by both sides. The -priests in Henrietta’s suite, with the Bishop of Mende at their head, -seemed to be eager for battle, nor was Charles inclined to meet them in -a conciliatory spirit. The ecclesiastics were importunate to have the -Queen’s chapel at St. James’s completed; but the King, according to a -news-letter of the time, replied that, if her Majesty’s closet were not -large enough, they could say Mass in the great chamber; that were it not -wide enough, they might use the garden; if that would not serve their -turn, then the park was the fittest place. “So,” adds the writer, “they -wished themselves at home again.” On one occasion, when their Majesties -were dining together, there was an unseemly dispute between Henrietta’s -chaplain and the King’s as to which of them should say grace. The -Frenchman stole a march on his rival, upon which Charles rose, and -taking the Queen by the hand, left the table, refusing to partake of -meat thus irregularly blessed. On another, while they were staying at a -country-house, Henrietta and some of her ladies passed, talking and -laughing, through the hall where divine service was being held, and, to -make matters worse, returned shortly afterwards and caused a fresh -interruption. - -As the months passed, it became daily more apparent that, so long as -Henrietta’s French attendants remained in England, there could be no -hope of a good understanding between husband and wife. The Queen’s -ladies taught her to look upon the English of both sexes with distrust -and dislike. Her priests fomented by every means in their power the -indignation with which Charles’s broken promises in regard to his -Catholic subjects had inspired her, and encouraged her to make an -ostentatious display of her devotion to the observances of her Church. -When, on February 2, 1626, Charles’s coronation took place, they -persuaded her, not only to refuse to be crowned with him, but even to -decline to assist at the ceremony, though a latticed place in the church -had been made ready for her. Her absence involved that of Blainville, -the French Ambassador, which was regarded as a serious affront to the -sovereign to whom he was accredited, and did not serve to increase the -cordiality between the two Courts. - -When Henrietta was with her ladies she was as gay and light-hearted as -might have been expected from one of her age and nation. Her ill-humour -was reserved for her husband, in whose presence she gave herself the -airs of a martyr. Charles’s patience was rapidly becoming exhausted; -more than once he thought of “cashiering his Monsers,” as he expressed -it, of packing the whole company back to France; but the marriage treaty -protected them, and for a time he held his hand. - -Fresh disputes soon arose. The Queen desired to nominate some of her -French attendants to take charge of her jointure, to which Charles -refused to consent. One night, after the royal pair were in bed, high -words passed between them. “Take your lands to yourself,” exclaimed the -angry wife. “If I have no power to put whom I will into those places, I -will have neither lands nor houses of you. Give me what you think fit by -way of pension.” Charles took refuge in his dignity. “Remember,” said -he, “to whom you speak. You ought not to use me so.” The Queen declared -that she was miserable; she had no power to place servants, and business -succeeded the worse for her recommendation. She would have him to know -that she was not of that quality to be used so ill. She continued in -this strain for some time, refusing to listen to her husband’s -explanations. “Then,” wrote Charles afterwards, in giving an account of -the scene to Carleton, for the information of the French Government, “I -made her both hear me and end this discourse.” - -An incident which occurred at the end of June, 1626, brought matters to -a climax. - -One evening, after spending the greater part of the day in devotions in -her chapel at St. James’s, the Queen, with some of her French -attendants, amongst whom appear to have been several priests, strolled -out to breathe the fresh air in St. James’s Park. From there they made -their way into Hyde Park, and, by accident or design, directed their -steps towards Tyburn,[50] where stood the gallows on which so many of -their co-religionists had died. What happened then is uncertain. -Henrietta afterwards denied that she approached within fifty paces of -the gallows-tree, but it is possible, as Bassompierre admitted in his -speech before the Royal Commissioners appointed to discuss with him the -question of the dismissal of the Queen’s French attendants, that some -words of prayer for the souls of the Catholics who had suffered there -may have risen to her lips. - -A week or two passed before the story of that evening walk reached -Charles’s ears, much exaggerated, as one may suppose, in its passage, -through the mouths of men. The Queen of England, he was told, had been -conducted on a pilgrimage to offer prayers to dead traitors who had -suffered the just reward of their crimes.[51] The King’s indignation -knew no bounds, and, without apparently troubling to inquire into the -truth of the matter, he forthwith resolved that whatever the -marriage-treaty might say, those who were responsible for this scandal -should no longer remain in England. - -As, however, he felt that it would be advisable to do something to -lessen the indignation with which the news of the expulsion of his -wife’s French attendants would certainly be received in France, he found -a pretext for sending Carleton on a special mission to Louis XIII, in -order that he might be at hand to explain matters; but no sooner did he -learn that his Ambassador had crossed the Channel than he proceeded to -carry out his intentions. - -On July 31 the King and Queen dined together at Whitehall. When they -rose from table, Charles conducted his wife into his private apartments, -where, having locked the door, he informed her that her attendants must -return to France. Meanwhile, Lord Conway was informing the members of -the Queen’s Household that it was the King’s command that they should -remove forthwith to Somerset House--Henrietta’s dower-palace--where they -would learn his Majesty’s pleasure. The Bishop of Mende expostulated, -and the women “howled and lamented as if they had been going to -execution.” But the Yeomen of the Guard intervened, thrust them all out -and locked the doors after them. - -Charles’s task was not so easy. No sooner did the Queen realise what was -being done than she rushed to the window, in order to bid farewell to -her departing attendants. The King attempted to draw her away, bidding -her “to be satisfied, since it must be so.” But Henrietta, who was in a -violent passion, broke away from him, and since he prevented her from -opening the window, contrived to dash the glass to pieces, in her -determination to make her voice heard. Charles, it is said, dragged her -back, with her hands bleeding from the energy with which she clung to -the bars. - -The next day Conway went to Somerset House and informed the indignant -attendants of Henrietta that they must leave the country, with two or -three exceptions, which had been made at the Queen’s earnest entreaty. -Presents to the amount of £22,000 were offered them, and they were told -that if anything were owing to them, it should be discharged out of the -Queen’s dowry, which had not yet been paid, owing to a misunderstanding -between the two Courts. On various pretexts, however, they delayed -their departure for several days, until at last Charles, thoroughly -exasperated, wrote to Buckingham from Oaking as follows: - - “Steenie,--I have received your letter by Dick Graeme. This is my - answer: I command you to send all the French away to-morrow out of - the town--if you can, by fair means, but stick not long in - disputing; otherwise, force them away, driving them away like so - many wild beasts, until you have shipped them, and so the devil go - with them. Let me hear of no answer, but of the performance of my - command. - - “And so I rest your faithful, constant, loving friend, - - “C. R.”[52] - - - -The duke proceeded to give effect to his Majesty’s orders, and next day -despatched to Somerset House a number of coaches, carts, and barges for -the conveyance of the Queen’s retinue and their baggage. But the French -with one voice declared their determination not to depart, saying that -“they had not been discharged with the proper punctilios.” Thereupon a -body of heralds and trumpeters, accompanied by a strong detachment of -the Yeomen of the Guard, were marched down to Somerset House. The -heralds and trumpeters formally proclaimed the King’s pleasure at the -gates, after which the Yeomen advanced to execute it, their orders -being, if the French continued refractory, “to thrust them all out head -and shoulders.” These drastic measures, however, were not resorted to, -as, recognising that further resistance was useless, they departed that -same tide, and were conducted to Dover, where they embarked for France -so soon as the wind served. - -Charles’s high-handed action was, as might have been expected, deeply -resented by the Court of France. “The King of England,” says -Bassompierre, “sent the millord Carleton to make the King and the -Queen-Mother agree to what he had done. He was very badly received.” -Louis XIII told Carleton that his sister had been treated cruelly, and -that he proposed to send an Ambassador of his own to England, in the -person of the Maréchal de Bassompierre, to investigate the affair. When -he had received his report, he would decide what action he would take in -the matter; and from this resolution Carleton was unable to move him. - -On August 24 the Court left Nantes to return to Paris. Shortly after its -arrival in the capital, Charles sent Walter Montague to France to offer -his felicitations to the Royal family on the marriage of _Monsieur_. -Louis XIII, however, refused to receive him, and sent orders to him “to -make the best of his way back,” and, at the same time, pressed -Bassompierre to set out for England with as little delay as possible. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV - - Bassompierre arrives in England--His journey to London--He is - visited secretly by the Duke of Buckingham--He visits the duke in - the same manner at York House--Charles I commands him to send Père - de Sancy back to France--Singular history of this - ecclesiastic--Refusal of Bassompierre--His first audience of - Charles I and Henrietta Maria at Hampton Court--Firmness of - Bassompierre on the question of Père de Sancy--He visits the Queen - at Somerset House--His private audience of the King--He reproves - the presumption of Buckingham--Admirable qualities displayed by - Bassompierre in the difficult situation in which he is placed--He - succeeds in effecting a reconciliation between the King and - Queen--His able and eloquent speech before the Council--An - agreement on the question of the Queen’s French attendants is - finally arrived at--Lord Mayor’s Day three centuries - ago--Bassompierre reconciles the Queen with Buckingham--Stormy - scene between Charles I and Henrietta Maria at - Whitehall--Bassompierre speaks his mind to the Queen--Intrigues of - Père de Sancy--Peace is re-established--Magnificent fête at York - House--Departure of Bassompierre from London--He is detained at - Dover by bad weather--England and France on the verge of - war--Buckingham decides to proceed to France on a special mission - and proposes to accompany Bassompierre--Embarrassment of the - latter--He visits the duke at Canterbury and persuades him to defer - his visit--A disastrous Channel passage--Return of Bassompierre to - Paris--Refusal of the Court of France to receive Buckingham--An - English historian’s appreciation of Bassompierre. - - -On September 27 Bassompierre left Paris and proceeded to Richelieu’s -house at Pontoise, where he dined with the Cardinal and discussed with -him, Marillac, Schomberg, and d’Herbault various matters relating to his -mission. He slept that night at Beauvais and then proceeded slowly -towards Boulogne, stopping to inspect the Swiss troops who were in -garrison in the towns on his route. He reached Boulogne on October 1, -where he found his suite awaiting him, and the governor, the Duc -d’Aumont, gave a banquet in his honour; and on the following day -embarked for England, and, the wind being favourable and the sea calm, -accomplished the dreaded passage in safety and made Dover the same -afternoon. - - “I remained there until the morrow--the 3rd--in order to secure - conveyances for my suite. On the next day--the 4th--I slept at - Cantorberi [Canterbury]; the 5th at Sittimborne [Sittingbourne]; on - Tuesday--the 6th--I went on to Rochester, where the King’s great - ships-of-war lie, and came to sleep at Gravesinde [Gravesend]. The - sieur Louis Lucnar, the conductor of Ambassadors,[53] came to meet - me with the Queen’s barge, which she had sent me, and, on - Wednesday--the 7th--I embarked on the Thames and passed by the - warehouse of the East-India Company, and by Grennhuits [Greenwich], - a house of the King,[54] near which the Earl of Dorset, Knight of - the Garter, of the House of Sacfil,[55] came to receive me on the - part of the King, and having conducted me to the King’s barge, - brought me close to the Tower of London, where the King’s carriages - were awaiting me. These took me to my lodging, where the said Earl - of Dorset took leave of me. I was neither lodged nor entertained at - the King’s expense,[56] and they had even made a difficulty about - sending this Earl of Dorset, according to the usual custom, to - receive me. However, this did not prevent me from being well - lodged, furnished, and accommodated.[57] That same evening, after I - had supped, word was brought to the Chevalier de Jars,[58] who had - supped with me, that someone was asking for him. It was the Duke of - Bocquinguem and Montagu, who had come alone to see me without - torch-bearers, and begged him [Jars] to bring them into my chamber - by some private door, which he did, and then came to fetch me. I - was very astonished to see him [Buckingham] there, because I had - understood that he was at Hampton Court with the King; but he had - come from there to see me. He made at first many complaints to me - of France, and then also on the subject of certain persons;[59] to - which I replied the best I could, and then spoke of the grievances - which France had against England. These he excused as well as he - was able, and afterwards promised me all manner of assistance and - friendship, and I also made him ample offers of my service. He - requested me not to say that he had come to see me, because he had - done so unknown to the King, which I did not believe. - - “On Thursday--the 8th--the Ambassador Contarini, of Venice, came to - visit me, and at night I went to see the Duke of Buckingham in - secret at his house called Iorchaus,[60] which was extremely fine, - and so richly fitted up that I never saw one to equal it.[61] We - parted very good friends. - - “_Friday, the 9th (October)._ In the morning, the sieur Louis - Lucnar [Sir Lewis Lewkenor] came to me, on behalf of the King, to - command me to send back to France Père Sancy, of the Oratory, whom - I had brought with me. This I absolutely refused, saying that he - was my confessor, and that the King had no concern with my suite; - and that, if I were not agreeable to him, I would leave his kingdom - and return to my master. A little while after the Duke of - Bocquinguem and the Earls of Dorset and Salisberi[62] came to dine - with me, and I complained to them about this. After dinner the Earl - of Montgomery[63] Grand Chamberlain, came to visit me and to press - me, on the part of the King, to send away Père Sancy, to whom I - returned the same answer as I had made Lucnar.” - -[Illustration: CHARLES I. - -After the picture by Van Dyck at Dresden.] - -This Père de Sancy, whom Charles I was so anxious to drive from his -dominions, even, as we shall see presently, going the length of -threatening to refuse to receive Bassompierre in private audience until -he had sent him away, was a most extraordinary personage. The younger -son of Nicolas Harlay de Sancy, who had been Colonel-General of the -Swiss and _Surintendant des Finances_[64] under Henri IV, he had taken -Holy Orders and been provided with three fat abbeys and the bishopric of -Lavaur. But, on the death of his elder brother, the Baron de Maule, he -abandoned the cassock for the sword and served in several campaigns in -Italy, Germany, and Flanders. About 1611 he was sent as Ambassador to -Constantinople, where he remained for seven years and amassed a -considerable fortune, by methods which were common enough amongst the -diplomatists of those days, whose official salaries were quite -insufficient to meet the heavy expenditure which such positions -entailed. Part of this fortune Sancy spent in the acquisition of rare -Oriental manuscripts, for he was a man of really remarkable learning, -speaking fluently, it is said, modern Greek, Latin, Spanish, English, -Italian, and German, reading Hebrew texts with ease, and having a wide -acquaintance with mathematics, natural history, and chemistry. However, -in 1618, some unusually scandalous abuse of his official position so -enraged the Turkish Government, that it caused him to be, not only -arrested, but sentenced to a hundred blows with the bastinado. The Court -of France accepted the excuses of the Porte--Sancy himself seems to have -been only too anxious for the matter to be hushed up--and recalled its -Ambassador, who, on his return, resumed the cassock, entered the -Congregation of the Oratoire and attached himself to the fortunes of -Richelieu. In 1625 he was amongst the ecclesiastics who accompanied -Henrietta Maria to England, where he rendered himself particularly -odious to Charles I and his people by his ill-considered zeal. The King -had insisted on his being sent back to France not long after his -arrival, but, notwithstanding this, he now reappeared as chaplain to -Bassompierre’s embassy. This appointment, which could not be regarded as -other than a direct affront to the English Court, had been made, it -would seem, at the instance of Marie de’ Medici, and against the advice -of Bassompierre, who foresaw the embarrassments to which it was bound to -give rise. However, since he had been obliged to bring Sancy to England, -the dignity of his sovereign demanded that he should protect him, even -at the risk of compromising the success of his mission. - -After the Lord Chamberlain had taken his departure, Bassompierre -received visits from the Danish Ambassador and the agent of the ex-King -of Bohemia, the unfortunate Frederick V, Elector Palatine. In the -evening Walter Montague supped with him, and the following night he -entertained Edward Cecil, Viscount Wimbledon--which the marshal spells -“Houemelton”--who, the previous year, had commanded the expedition -against the coast of Spain, the failure of which had been mainly due to -the gross incapacity which he had displayed. Edward Cecil was an old -acquaintance of Bassompierre. He had met him for the first time when a -lad in Italy, and again when he visited England with Biron in 1601, -upon which occasion, he tells us, Cecil had shown him much courtesy. - -On the 11th Bassompierre had his first audience of the King: - - “The Earl of Carlisle came with the King’s coaches to convey me to - Amptoncourt [Hampton Court] to have audience of the King. At - Amptoncourt I was conducted to a room in which a beautiful - collation was spread. The Duke of Bouquinguem came to introduce me - to the audience, and told me that the King desired to know - beforehand what I intended to say to him, and that he did not wish - me to speak about any business to him, otherwise, he would not - grant me an audience. I told him that the King should know what I - had to say to him from my own mouth, and that it was not the custom - to limit an Ambassador in the representations he had to make to the - King to whom he was sent. He swore to me that the only reason which - obliged him [the King] to that, and which made him insist upon it, - was that he could not help putting himself into a passion in - discussing the matters about which I had to speak to him, which - would not be seemly in the Chair of State, in sight of the chief - persons of the Kingdom, both men and women; that the Queen his wife - was close to him, who, incensed at the dismissal of her servants, - might commit some extravagance and weep in the sight of everyone; - that, in short, he would not compromise himself in public, and that - he was resolved to break up this audience and grant me one in - private sooner than treat with me concerning any business before - everyone. He [Buckingham] swore vehemently to me that he was - telling me the truth, and that he had not been able to persuade the - King to see me save on this condition; and he begged of me to - suggest some expedient, whereby I should place him under an - obligation. I (who perceived that I was going to receive this - affront, and that he was asking me to aid him with my counsel, in - order to avoid the one and to insinuate myself more and more into - his good graces by the other) told him that I could not in any - manner whatsoever do anything but what was prescribed to me by the - King my master; but that, since, as my friend, he asked my counsel - as to some expedient, I told him that it depended on the King to - give or to take away, to abridge or to lengthen, my audience in - what manner he would, and that he might, after having permitted me - to make my reverence, and received, with the King’s letters - [_i.e._, his credentials], my first compliments, when I should come - to open to him the occasion of my coming, interrupt me and say: - ‘Sir Ambassador, you are come from London, and you have to return - thither; it is late, and this matter requires a longer time than I - could now give you. I shall send for you one of these days at an - earlier hour, and we will confer about it at our leisure in a - private audience. Meantime, I shall content myself with having seen - you and heard news of the King my brother-in-law and the Queen my - mother-in-law; and I will not delay longer the impatience which the - Queen my wife has to hear of them also from you.’ Upon which I - shall take leave of him to go and make my reverence to the Queen.” - -Buckingham appeared delighted with the way out of the difficulty which -the resourceful Bassompierre had suggested:-- - - “After I had said this, the duke embraced me and said: ‘You know - more about these things than we do. I offered you my assistance in - the affairs you are come to negotiate; but now I recall the promise - I gave you, for you can do very well without me.’ And so left me, - laughing, to go and acquaint the King with the expedient I had - proposed, which he accepted and punctually observed. - - “The duke returned to introduce me to the audience, and the Earl of - Carlisle walked behind him. I found the King on a stage raised ten - steps, the Queen and he seated in two chairs, who rose at the first - reverence I made on entering. The company was magnificent and the - order exquisite. I made my compliment to the King and handed him my - letters, and, after having said my words of civility, proceeded to - those of business. He interrupted me in the same form as I had - proposed to the duke. I then saw the Queen, to whom I said little, - because she told me that the King had given her permission to go - to London, where she could see me at leisure.[65] Then I withdrew. - - “The duke and the principal lords came to conduct me to my coach, - and, as the duke was talking to me expressly to give the Secretary - Convé[66] time to catch me, the said Secretary arrived and told me - that the King informed me that, although he had promised me a - private audience, nevertheless, he would not grant it me until I - should have sent Père Sancy back to France, as he had already - desired me to do three times without effect, at which his Majesty - felt himself offended.” - -However, Bassompierre was determined not to give way on the question of -Père Sancy:-- - - “I replied that, if it had been consistent with my duty or with - propriety to obey him, I should have done so at the first command, - and that I had no other answer to give him than one in conformity - with those which I had already given, with which I thought he ought - to be satisfied; and that his Majesty should content himself with - the respect I paid him, by keeping shut in my house one of my - servants who was neither guilty nor condemned nor accused, who, I - promised him, should neither act, nor speak, nor even show himself - at his Court or in the town of London, but remain in my own house - so long as I should be there, and not leave it except when I did, - which I would do on the morrow, if he ordered me; and that, if he - would not give me an audience, I should send to the King my master - to know what it pleased him should become of me after this - refusal, who would not, in my opinion, allow me to grow old in - England, waiting until the King took a fancy or had leisure to - listen to me. - - “These things I said loud enough, and in no wise moved, in order - that all the bystanders might hear me, and I then expressed more - resentment to the duke [Buckingham], whom I requested to speak to - me no more of this matter, upon which my mind was made up, unless - they wished to give me an order to leave London and the island - forthwith, which I should receive with joy. And with that I left - the company with the Earl of Carlisle and Montague, who brought me - back to London and remained to sup with me.” - -Bassompierre’s firmness was not without its effect upon the King and -Buckingham, who, realising that he was not to be browbeaten, became much -more conciliatory. The following evening Buckingham and Walter Montague -came to sup with him and he had a long and apparently amicable -conference with the former; while on the 13th, after visiting Henrietta -Maria at her “Palais de Sommerset,” he dined with the Duke at York -House. Finally, on the 14th, Montague came with a message from -Buckingham that, although he had not complied with the King’s wishes in -regard to Père Sancy, his Majesty was graciously pleased to give him -audience the following day. - -On the morrow the Earl of Bridgewater arrived with the Royal coaches to -convey the Ambassador and his suite to Hampton Court. Here he was -received by Buckingham, who conducted him into a gallery, where Charles -was awaiting him. The duke then withdrew a little distance, and a long -interview took place between Charles and Bassompierre, in which there -was much heated discussion. - - “He [the King] put himself into a great passion,[67] and I, - without failing in the respect I owed him, answered him in such - wise that, by yielding something to him, he conceded a great deal - to me. I witnessed an instance of the great boldness, not to say - impudence, of the Duke of Bocquinguem, which was that, when he saw - us the most heated in argument, he came up suddenly and placed - himself, as a third, between the King and myself, saying: ‘I am - come to make peace between you two (“_Je viens faire le hola entre - vous deux_”).’ Upon which I took off my hat, and so long as he - stayed with us, I would not put it on again, notwithstanding all - the entreaties of the King and of himself to do so. But, so soon as - he withdrew, I replaced it, without the King telling me. When the - audience terminated, and he [Buckingham] could speak to me, he - inquired why I would not cover myself while he was by, and that I - did so readily when he was no longer there. I answered that I had - done it to do him honour, because _he_ was not covered, and that I - should have been, which I would not suffer. For which he was much - pleased with me, and several times mentioned it afterwards in my - praise. But I had also another reason for so doing, which was that - it was no longer an audience, but a private conversation, since he - had interrupted it, by coming in as a third.”[68] - - “After my last audience was over, the King led me through divers - galleries to the Queen’s apartments, where he left me, and, after I - had had a long conversation with her, I was brought back to London - by the same Earl of Brischwater.”[69] - -It is evident, from Bassompierre’s despatches, that after his audience -with Charles I, he was, for the moment, tempted to despair of the -success of his mission, believing that the King was so embittered -against his wife’s French attendants that he would never consent to -their return, and that Buckingham, notwithstanding the desire he -professed for an amicable arrangement, was not to be trusted. - - “I did not fail,” he writes to Richelieu, “to represent - energetically to the King all the points of my commission, and to - inform him of the things which I have seen lately, in order to urge - him to give satisfaction to the King [Louis XIII]. But I found his - mind so opposed to the re-establishment of the officers of the - Queen his wife which was demanded of him, that he does not wish to - hear of it in any fashion, and that it is waste of time to think of - persuading him to it, as you will be able to judge from the letter - which I have written to the King, who will acquaint you with his - rude behaviour. I am so ill satisfied with him, that were it not - that I had received express orders not to break or conclude - anything without asking permission to do it, I should have taken - leave of him in the same audience. I await the order of the King by - the return of this courier, and the honour of your commands.” - -And to his brother-in-law, the Comte de Tillières, he writes:-- - - “Holland and Gorin[70] are honest men; the others, such as - Carlisle, Pembroc,[71] and Montgomari, discreet; the duke,[72] - flattering and deceitful, who writes me that he is in despair that - I have not received the satisfaction that I desire. I shall be - extremely anxious to return, and shall do so on the return of this - courier, which I beg you to arrange to send back to me promptly; - for I languish here without hope of effecting anything.”[73] - -However, Bassompierre did not receive orders to return to France, and in -the course of the next few days the attitude of Charles I and his Court -underwent a welcome change, and every influence was brought to bear upon -the Ambassador to induce him to represent to the French Government that -the religious and domestic difficulties which had led to the expulsion -of the Queen’s attendants had been such as to exonerate, if not to -justify, that high-handed action, and to persuade Henrietta Maria to -consent to some arrangement satisfactory to all parties concerned. -Buckingham called on him several times and brought him to Somerset House -for informal discussions. All the great nobles of the Court--Pembroke, -Carlisle, Carleton, Holland--whom he visited at -“Kinsinthon”--Montgomery, Bridgewater, and Conway, appeared anxious to -make amends for the coolness of his first reception by every kind of -civility and hospitality. He was permitted to have private audiences of -the Queen both at Somerset House and “Houaithall” [Whitehall], and -Charles even condescended to discuss his domestic troubles with him in -the presence of his consort. - -Bassompierre was ready enough to repay the courtesies and confidences -which were now lavished upon him by using the influence which the fact -that he had been one of her father’s most intimate friends, and had -known her since her childhood, gave him over the Queen to bring about an -amicable settlement. He recognised that there had been faults as well as -grievances on both sides, and, in his private conferences with -Henrietta, he pointed out to her that she had committed a very grave -error in surrounding herself so closely with her own people and -establishing, so to speak, a foreign camp in the midst of the English -Court. His task, however, was a far from easy one, and it was -complicated by the circumstance that Henrietta was convinced that -Buckingham was her personal enemy, and that, jealous lest she should -acquire influence with the King, he had made mischief perpetually -between them.[74] Eventually, however, by a happy combination of tact, -patience, and firmness, he brought her to take a more reasonable view of -the situation, though her Majesty’s temper was very uncertain, and more -than once, when he flattered himself that differences were -satisfactorily adjusted, fresh trouble arose, and he had to begin his -work over again. But let us turn to his journal, wherein he has noted -the progress of his negotiations from day to day:-- - - “_Friday, the 16th_ [October].--The King and Queen returned to - London. The duke [Buckingham] sent to ask me to come to Somerset - [House], where we spent more than two hours debating our affairs. - - “_Saturday, the 17th._--I went to salute the Queen at Houaithall - [Whitehall], and to render her an account of all that I had - conferred with the duke about the preceding day. - - “_Sunday, the 18th._--I was visited by the Secretary Convé - [Conway], who came to see me on behalf of the King. Then the Earl - of Carlisle and millord Carleton came to see me. - - “_Monday, the 19th._--I went to visit the Queen at Houaithall - [Whitehall]. - - “_Tuesday, the 20th._--The Viscount Houemelton [Wimbledon] and - Goring came to dine with me. After dinner I was heard at the - Council [Privy Council]. - - “_Wednesday, the 21st._--I wrote a despatch to the King [of - France]. I went to see the Queen and to confer with the duke at - Somerset [House]. - - “_Thursday, the 22nd._--The duke and the Earls of Carlisle and - Holland, with Montague, came to dine with me.... Then I went to the - Queen’s, and in the evening to the house of Madame de Strange.[75] - - “_Friday, the 23rd._--I went to see the Earl of Carlisle.... - - “_Saturday, the 24th._--I went to see the Queen. The King came - there, and she quarrelled with him. The King took me into his - chamber, and talked to me for a long while, making many complaints - of the Queen his wife. - - “_Sunday, the 25th._--The Earls of Pembroch and Montgomery came to - see me. Then I went to find the duke, whom I brought to the Queen’s - apartments, where he made his peace with her, which I effected - after infinite difficulties. Afterwards the King arrived and was - also reconciled with her. He bestowed many caresses upon her, and - thanked me for having reconciled the duke with his wife. He then - led me into his chamber and showed me his jewels, which are very - beautiful.[76] - - “_Monday, the 26th._--After dinner I went to visit the Queen at - Somerset [House], with whom I fell out.[77] - - “_Tuesday, the 27th._--The Duke, the Earls of Dorset, Holland and - Carlisle, Montagu, Kere[78] and Gorin came to dine with me. I went - afterwards to see Pembroch and Carleton. In the evening a courier - from France arrived. - - “_Wednesday, the 28th._--In the morning I went to Houaithall - [Whitehall] to speak to the duke and the Secretary Convé, because - the King was going to Amptoncourt. After dinner I went to see the - Queen at Somerset [House], with whom I made friends. In the evening - the duke and the Earl of Holland took me to sup with Antonio - Porter,[79] who feasted Don Augustine Fiesque, the Marquis de - Piennes,[80] the Chevalier de Jars and Gobelin.[81] After supper we - had music. - - “_Thursday, the 29th._--In the morning I received a visit from the - Earls of Holland and Carlisle.... - - “_Friday, the 30th._--I went to see the Queen at Somerset [House], - and afterwards the duke at Valinfort.[82] - - “_Saturday, the last day of October._--The Ambassador of Denmark - came to see me. Then I went to Madame de Strange’s house. - - “_November.--Sunday, first day of November, and of All Saints._--I - made my devotions. Afterwards I went to visit the Duchess of - Lennox[83] and the Secretary Convé [Conway]. On this day a council - was held to deliberate upon my affairs. - - “_Monday, the 2nd._--In the morning I went to see the Earl of - Holland. Then the duke having given me a rendezvous in the Queen’s - gallery, we conferred there together for a very long time. After - dinner I returned to see the Queen, in order to render her an - account of my conversation with the duke, at which she was uneasy, - because we had parted on bad terms. - - “_Tuesday, the 3rd._--The duke brought his little daughter[84] to - my house as a pledge of reconciliation. He remained there to dine - with Montague, Keri and Porter, and then took me to see the King, - who was going to play tennis; and I went to visit the Queen to tell - her of my reconciliation with the duke. - - “_Wednesday, the 4th._--I went to see the Duchess of Lennox. I - wrote to the duke on the subject of my business, and then went to - find the Queen to show her the copy of what I had written. In the - evening the duke sent Montague to sup with me, and to assure me - from him that he would arrange all my business in accordance with - my wishes. I forthwith sent to apprise the Queen of this.” - -On the Thursday, Conway arrived to request Bassompierre to come on the -following day to the Council, where he should receive an answer to -proposals which he had made. The next day Buckingham came to dine with -him, and afterwards took him to Whitehall, and left him in a room in the -King’s apartments, with Goring, Montague, and Lewkenor to entertain him, -while he himself went to the Council. - - “A little while after he came to seek me, and told me that the - answer the Council proposed to make me was worth nothing [_i.e._, a - mere formality], but that I should not be uneasy about it, but that - I should reply firmly, on the spot, and that afterwards he would - arrange everything in such a way that I should be satisfied. A - little while after Convé [Conway] came to call me into the Council, - where after they had placed a chair for me at the upper end, the - gentlemen of the Council acquainted me, by the mouth of Carleton, - of what they had resolved in reference to the proposition that I - had made to the same Council some days before. They handed me this - answer in writing, and then had it read to me.”[85] - -The first part of this document contained a long and elaborated defence -of Charles I’s action in summarily expelling the Queen’s attendants from -the country, by which, the commissioners maintained, neither the letter -nor the spirit of the marriage-treaty had been violated, since “the said -persons had been sent back as offenders, who had by their ill-conduct -disturbed, in the first place, the affairs of the kingdom, and, -secondly, the domestic government of the house of his Majesty and of the -Queen his dearly-loved consort, whereon depended the happiness of their -lives.” - - * * * * * - -The Bishop of Mende and his priests (to whom the ambassador, M. de -Blainville, had also lent his hand) had endeavoured, by their intrigues, -to create factions and dissensions amongst the subjects of his Majesty, -exciting fear and mistrust in the Protestants, encouraging the Roman -Catholics, and even instigating the disaffected in Parliament against -everything connected with the service of the King and the public -tranquillity of the kingdom. - -The Queen’s house they had converted into a rendezvous of Jesuits and -fugitives, and a place of security for the persons, property, and papers -of such as had violated our laws. - -By subtle means they discovered what was passing in private between the -King and Queen, and laboured to create in the gentle mind of the Queen a -repugnance to all his Majesty desired or ordered, even to what he did -for the honour of his dignity, and avowedly fomented discords between -their Majesties, as a thing essential to the welfare of their Church. - -They had endeavoured by all means to inspire her with a contempt for our -nation and a dislike of our usages, and had made her neglect the English -language, as if she neither had, nor wished to have, any common interest -among us, who desire nothing more than to promote the happiness of her -Majesty. - -They introduced, by means of the priests, strange orders and -regulations, unheard of in times past, and disapproved by others of -their profession. - -They had subjected the person of the Queen to the rules of a, as it -were, monastic obedience, in order to oblige her to do many base and -servile acts, which were not only unworthy of the majesty of a queen, -but also very dangerous to her health.[86] Witness what had befallen a -person of distinction amongst her attendants, who had died therefrom, -and declared at her death that they were the cause of it. - - * * * * * - -It is perhaps needful to explain that this poor lady died from the -severities of the discipline inflicted upon herself, and not upon her -royal mistress. The commissioners are not too luminous on this point. - -Finally, as the crown of all these delinquencies, came the supposed -pilgrimage to Tyburn, already referred to, which, said the -commissioners, had exhausted the sorely-tried patience of the King and -decided him to rid the country of her Majesty’s French attendants. - -The latter part of the document dealt with the non-fulfilment of the -engagements respecting the English Roman Catholics, which was defended -on the ground of expediency, while it was contended that the article -promising liberty of worship had been agreed to by the English -commissioners, and accepted by the French, “simply as a matter of form -to satisfy the Roman Catholic party of France and the Pope.” - -The commissioners concluded by observing that “the visit and deportment -of M. de Bassompierre had been very agreeable to his Majesty” and that -the King of France might rest assured that in all matters touching the -conscience of the Queen the treaty should be strictly observed, and that -his Majesty, “from the love he bore to his dear consort,” would show all -the indulgence to the Roman Catholics which the constitution and -security of his State would allow. - -Bassompierre requested the Council’s permission to reply forthwith, and, -this being granted, “he did so with great vehemence and better to his -own liking than he had ever spoken in his life.” We can understand his -satisfaction, for it was undoubtedly a very able and eloquent speech, -and gives us a high opinion of his promptitude and address. The turn he -gives to the “Tyburn pilgrimage”--the act which the commissioners -asserted had driven Charles I to extremities--is extremely ingenious. He -admits that the Queen went with her French attendants to Tyburn, but it -was in the course of one of her customary evening walks in the park of -“St. Jemmes” and the “Hipparc,” which adjoins it--a walk such as she had -often taken in the company of the King her husband. But that she had -made it in procession, or that she had approached within fifty paces of -the gallows, or that she had offered up any prayers, public or private, -or that she had fallen on her knees, holding the hours or chaplets in -her hands, he most strenuously denies. For the rest, to have thought a -little of God at sight of the gibbet seems to him a small offence. -“Granted,” says he, “that they prayed for those who died on the gibbet, -they did well, for however wicked the men might have been who died on -it, they were condemned to death, and not to damnation. And never has -one been forbidden to pray to God for such. You tell me that is to blame -the memory of the kings who had them put to death. On the contrary, I -praise the justice of these kings, and implore the compassion of the -King of kings, in order that He may be satisfied with their bodily -death, and that He may pardon through our prayers and intercessions (if -these be sufficient) the souls upon whom neither the justice nor the -pardon of the kings of this world can have any effect. To conclude, I -deny formally that this action has been committed, and offer, at the -same time, to prove that they would have done very well to commit it.” - -Bassompierre’s oration lasted an hour, “and when I came out,” says he, -“I went to find the Queen to show her the fine answer which they had -given me, and the substance of what I had replied and protested.” - -In the evening Buckingham sent the Ambassador word that all of the -Council who could speak or understand French would call upon him the -following morning, and that he might hope for a favourable conclusion; -“for the King had told him that it was his intention to satisfy the King -his brother and to send him [Bassompierre] away content.” - -At seven o’clock next morning, Lord Dorset came to tell him that he -should have satisfaction and that the Council would come soon afterwards -to meet him, adding that “it only depended upon himself that all should -go right.” - - “He found me,” says Bassompierre, “in a bad state for discussion, - for either the weather, which was very foggy,[87] or my - constitution, or the long and vehement reply that I had made the - preceding day, had reduced me to such a condition that I had lost - my voice, and, notwithstanding all my efforts, he could scarcely - hear me.” - -Buckingham and the rest of the Council arrived soon afterwards, and -Carleton, on behalf of his colleagues, replied to Bassompierre’s speech -of the previous day in a very conciliatory tone, pointing out the -mischief that would result from a rupture between the two countries, and -proposing that they should leave no means untried to come to some -amicable arrangement, which, he knew, was the most earnest desire of the -King. - - “Upon this we then got to work,” says Bassompierre, “and we did not - experience much difficulty; for they were very reasonable, and I - moderate in my demands. The greatest difficulty was over the - question of the re-establishment of the priests, but in the end we - came to an agreement upon that. I then entertained them to a - magnificent banquet, and, when they had taken their departure, I - went to visit the Queen to inform her of the good news of our - treaty.” - -On the following day Buckingham and Holland came to dine with him, and -he afterwards received a visit from the young Duke of Lennox. Then he -proceeded to Whitehall, where he had a private audience of Charles I, -“in which,” he says, “he confirmed and ratified all that his -commissioners had negotiated and concluded with me, of which he showed -me the draft and made me read it.”[88] - - “In the evening, the resident of the King of Bohemia came to - congratulate me and to sup, as did also _largely_ the Ambassador of - Denmark.”[89] - -The day which followed Charles I’s ratification of the arrangement -intended to secure his domestic peace was Lord Mayor’s Day, and it will -doubtless be very gratifying to any member of the Corporation of London -who may chance to peruse these pages to learn the respect in which that -civic festival was held three centuries ago:-- - - “Monday, the 9th, which is the day of the election of the Mayor, I - came in the morning to Somerset [House] to meet the Queen, who had - come there to see him pass along the Thames, in the midst of a - magnificent procession of boats, on his way to Voestminster - [Westminster] to take the oath. Then the Queen dined, and - afterwards placed herself in her coach and placed me at the same - door with her.[90] The Duke of Bocquinguem, by her command, - likewise placed himself in her coach and we went into the street of - Schipsay [Cheapside] to see the pageant pass, which is the grandest - which takes place at the reception of any official in the world. - While waiting for it to pass, the Queen played primero with the - duke, the Earl of Dorset and me. Then the duke took me to dine at - the house of the new Mayor, who that day gave a dinner to more than - eight hundred persons. Afterwards, the duke and the Earls of - Montgomery and Holland, having brought me back to my house, I went - to walk in the Morsfils.”[91] - -Notwithstanding that the Queen had done Buckingham the honour to invite -him to witness the Lord Mayor’s procession with her the previous day, -her Majesty and the duke had not entirely made up their differences; for -on the following day we learn that Carlisle came to see Bassompierre “in -order to conclude the reconciliation” which the Ambassador succeeded in -negotiating. - -“On the 11th Bassompierre went with Holland and M. Harber, who had been -Ambassador in France”[92] to dine with Lord Wimbledon at the manor from -which he took his title, which the marshal thought a very fine house. -Wimbledon’s sister-in-law, the Countess of Exeter, had come to assist in -doing the honours to the distinguished guests, who were “magnificently -entertained.” - -Bassompierre’s belief that the Queen was satisfied with the arrangements -that had been made in regard to her Household received a rude shock a -day or two later, when a more stormy scene took place at Whitehall than -had yet occurred. - - “_Thursday, the 12th._--I went to see the Stuart Earl of - Pembroch[93] and the Secretary Convé, and, not finding them, - repaired to the Queen’s apartments, to which the King came. They - fell out with one another, and I afterwards with the Queen on this - matter.” - -Bassompierre, out of all patience at seeing Henrietta continue to play -the vixen after her grievances had been redressed, told her his mind -plainly, without caring for her rank:-- - - “I told her that I should next day take leave of the King and - return to France, leaving the business unfinished, and should - inform the King [Louis XIII] and the Queen her mother that it was - all her fault. When I returned home, Père Sancy, to whom the Queen - had written about our falling out, came to accommodate it, with - such impertinences that I got very angry with him.” - -This last sentence constitutes a full justification of Charles’s -persistent demands, when Bassompierre first arrived in England, that -Sancy should be sent back to France. It is evident that, although the -Ambassador had doubtless kept his promise that this meddlesome -ecclesiastic should not approach the Court nor even leave his house, the -latter had all along been in correspondence with the Queen, had -contributed to keep her mind in a most mischievous state of agitation, -and now, just when everything seemed to have been settled -satisfactorily, was pushing her to fresh demands, so unreasonable that -even Bassompierre could not attempt to justify them. There can be no -doubt that Sancy was acting under the instructions of the Queen-Mother -and Bérulle, and had come to England with the express purpose of -establishing secret relations with Henrietta; but it is not a little -surprising to find the English Court so early and so well apprised of -his mission as it appears to have been. - -The next day, Friday the 13th, the Queen, to whom Sancy had, of course, -reported the unfavourable reception which his overtures on her behalf -had received, sent for Bassompierre to come to her; but the Ambassador, -who was determined to bring her Majesty to reason, begged to be excused. -His refusal had the desired effect, for on the Saturday “the Earl of -Carlisle came to visit him for the purpose of reconciling him with the -Queen,” and peace was re-established. - -On the 15th, to celebrate the amicable termination of Bassompierre’s -mission, Buckingham gave a magnificent _fête_ in the Ambassador’s honour -at York House, which the King and Queen graced with their presence:-- - - “I went to meet the King at Houaithall [Whitehall], who placed me - in his barge and brought me to the duke at Iorchaus [York House], - who entertained me to the most superb banquet that I ever saw in my - life. The King supped with the Queen and myself at a table which - was served by complete ballets at each course, and there were - divers representations, changes of scenery, tables and music. The - duke attended upon the King at table, the Earl of Carlisle upon the - Queen, and the Earl of Holland upon me. After supper they conducted - the King and us into another room, where the company assembled; - they entered by a turnstile, as in monasteries, without any - confusion. Here took place a superb ballet, which the duke danced, - and afterwards we danced country-dances[94] until four hours after - midnight. Then we were conducted into vaulted apartments,[95] where - there were five different collations.”[96] - -On the following day the King, who with the Queen had spent the night at -York House, sent to invite Bassompierre to return there to hear a -concert given by the Queen’s musicians. The concert was followed by a -ball, and the ball by a play, at the conclusion of which the Ambassador, -who had been dancing until the small hours of the morning, must have -experienced considerable difficulty in remaining awake. - -During the next fortnight Bassompierre appears to have entertained, or -been entertained by, all the distinguished persons of the Court. At one -dinner-party which he gave his guests were: Buckingham, Carlisle, -Holland, Theophilus Howard, Earl of Suffolk, Carleton, Walter Montague, -Goring, Orazio Gentileschi, the celebrated painter, Thomas Cary, son of -the Earl of Monmouth, and a poet of some note in his time, and -Saint-Antoine, the King’s French equerry, who is depicted by Vandyck -holding his royal master’s helmet in the magnificent picture of Charles -I mounted on a white horse; while after dinner William Cecil, Earl of -Exeter, and Edward Montague, Lord Mandeville, afterwards Earl of -Manchester, joined the party. Seldom can a more interesting company have -been gathered round one table. - -On November 29 he began to make his adieux: - - “The Earl of Carlisle and Lucnar [Lewkenor] came to fetch me with - the King’s coaches, to bring me to take leave of their Majesties, - who gave me public audience in the great hall of Houaithall - [Whitehall]. I then returned with him [the King] into his - bedchamber, into which he made me enter; and afterwards I went to - sup in the chamber of the Earl of Carlisle, who entertained me - superbly. Lucnar came to bring me from the King a very valuable - present of four diamonds in the form of a lozenge, with a big pearl - at the end. The same evening, the King sent for me to come and hear - an excellent English play.[97] - - “_Monday, the 30th._--I went to take leave of the millord Montague, - President of the Council, the Earls of Pembroch and Montgomery, of - the Earl of Exeter, of the countess his wife, of the Countess of - Oxfort, his daughter, and of the millord Carleton. Thence I went to - have a private audience of the Queen.” - -The following day was occupied in further farewell visits, and in the -evening--the last which he was to spend in London--the Countess of -Exeter gave in his honour “a magnificent banquet, followed by a ball.” - -On December 2 the Ambassador took his departure: - - “The Earl of Barcher[98] came to bid me adieu, and afterwards all - the Queen’s Household. The Earl of Suffolk sent me a horse.[99] I - went to take leave of the Queen, who gave me a beautiful diamond. - Next I took leave of the ladies of the bedchamber, and afterwards - of the Earl of Carlisle, who had hurt himself very much in the head - the previous evening.[100] Then I came to the duke’s chamber, - where I remained for a rather long while, awaiting my despatches - and the letters which the King had promised me abolishing the - pursuivants of England.[101] Finally, I took leave of the duke and - the other lords of the Court, and, accompanied only by Lucnar and - the Chevalier de Jars, for I had sent my people on in advance, I - took my place in one of the Queen’s coaches and proceeded to - Gravesinde [Gravesend], where I passed the night. On Thursday, the - 3rd, I slept at Sittimbourne, the next night at Cantorberi, and on - Saturday, the 5th, I arrived at Dover, with a retinue of 400 - persons who were to cross the sea with me, including seventy - priests[102] whom I had delivered from the prisons of England.” - -Bassompierre, it will be remembered, had encountered no difficulty in -crossing the Channel on his way to England; but now there was a very -different tale to tell. No sooner had his retinue embarked than the wind -changed and blew half-a-gale from the South; and for four days it was -impossible for the vessels to leave the harbour. This delay was the more -exasperating, since he had undertaken to defray the travelling expenses -of his whole suite, including the liberated priests, in the fond belief -that they would be able to sail within a few hours of their arrival at -Dover, and every day they lingered on English soil meant several hundred -crowns out of the unfortunate Ambassador’s pocket. - -On the 8th, Tuesday, Walter Montague came riding into Dover and informed -Bassompierre that Charles I had decided to send Buckingham on a special -embassy to the Court of France, and that the duke proposed to start -immediately. The reasons which had led to this decision were as -follows:-- - -In the many conferences which had taken place between Bassompierre and -the English Ministers, other matters besides the re-establishment of the -Queen’s French attendants and the treatment of the English Catholics had -come under discussion. The most important of these was that thorny -question which for centuries has been the cause of so much ill-feeling -whenever this country has been at war--the right of searching neutral -vessels for contraband of war--but which no naval Power in its sound -senses would dream for a moment of abandoning. It was indisputable that, -since the outbreak of hostilities with Spain, a large trade had been -carried on between Spain and Flanders under the French flag; but it was -likewise true that the English cruisers had conducted the blockade of -the Flemish coast with more zeal than discretion, and that an -unreasonably long time had been permitted to elapse between the seizure -of quite innocent French vessels and their release. Thus, in the -previous September, three ships belonging to Rouen, with extremely -valuable cargoes on board, had been seized, and, notwithstanding the -strongest protests from the French Government, were still detained in -our ports. - -In the discussions on the maritime question, Bassompierre took up the -same firm yet moderate attitude which he had observed during the -negotiations on that of the marriage-treaty, admitting the -reasonableness of England’s objections to the trade which was being -carried on under the protection of the French flag, but urging that some -understanding should be arrived at by which the perpetual interference -of the English cruisers might be obviated. It is quite probable that a -treaty prescribing the conditions upon which neutral vessels should be -liable to arrest might have been the outcome of these conferences, had -not events occurred to exasperate both nations. - -Towards the end of November, news arrived that d’Épernon, now Governor -of Guienne, who detested Richelieu and his policy of peace with England, -had seized a fleet of 200 English and Scottish vessels which were about -to sail from Bordeaux with a full cargo of wine, upon which duty had -already been paid. It was an open act of war; the London merchants -clamoured for letters of marque to defend their vessels and retaliate -upon the French “pirates,” and Charles I issued an Order in Council for -the seizure of all French vessels in English waters. Short of an actual -declaration of war the peace had been broken between the two countries; -but Buckingham, blinded by an extraordinary optimism, still believed -that, if he were to cross over to France with the friendly and -moderate-minded Bassompierre, who, he had learned, was detained at -Dover, the dispute might be satisfactorily arranged; and accordingly -persuaded the King to appoint him Ambassador Extraordinary to the French -Court, and sent Walter Montague to inform the marshal of the mission -which had been entrusted to him. - -Bassompierre was greatly astonished and embarrassed by the news that -Montague brought. He was aware that it was the intention of Charles I to -send an ambassador to France, but had never dreamed that Buckingham, -after the very plain hint which he had received the previous year that -his presence at the French Court would not be tolerated, would have the -effrontery to take upon himself the mission. The thought of the -indignation of Louis XIII and Richelieu if he were to return to Paris -accompanied by the presumptuous favourite was a most unpleasant one; and -he therefore begged Montague to inform Buckingham that he advised him -strongly to abandon his intention of coming to France, as he very much -feared that he would not be received, and sent him back in all haste to -London. Then, in order to leave nothing to chance, at two o’clock the -next morning he embarked with his suite for Calais, notwithstanding that -it was still blowing hard. - -He was not, however, to escape Buckingham so easily, for the storm -carried them towards Dieppe, and, after beating about the Channel for -some time, in a vain attempt to make the French coast, they were obliged -to return and land near Dover, to which they sadly made their way back. -The bad weather continued for several days, and on the 12th Buckingham, -who had learned that Bassompierre was still detained at Dover, sent -Montague to beg him to meet him at Canterbury, whither he proposed to -come on the following day. - -The duke arrived, accompanied by Carlisle, Holland and Goring and the -Chevalier de Jars, and, says Bassompierre, “wished to show me his -splendour by entertaining me in the evening to a magnificent banquet.” -After supper the marshal had a long conference with Buckingham, in which -he endeavoured to persuade him to abandon his proposed visit to France; -but the latter appeared absolutely determined upon it, and was still in -the same mind when they adjourned to bed. - -Next morning, however, Bassompierre returned to the charge, and, though -the duke refused to hear of giving up his journey, he at length -consented to postpone it until the marshal had submitted the proposed -embassy to Louis XIII. It was arranged that Balthazar Gerbier should -accompany Bassompierre to Paris and bring back word to his patron -whether the French Court were prepared to receive him. “At dinner,” says -Bassompierre, “he entertained me to as magnificent a banquet as that of -the preceding evening; and then we embraced, never to see one another -again.” - -Much relieved at having extricated himself from a very awkward -situation--for had the duke insisted on accompanying him back to France, -Bassompierre would undoubtedly have got into serious trouble--the -marshal returned to Dover, to find that his suite, acting presumably on -his instructions, had taken advantage of a change in the weather and -sailed for Calais. Although it was not until several days later that -the Ambassador himself was able to cross the Channel, it would have been -infinitely cheaper for him had his attendants elected to remain at -Dover, notwithstanding the heavy expense which their maintenance there -entailed: - - “They encountered such ill-fortune,” says he, “that they were - unable to reach Calais for five days, and were obliged to cast into - the sea my two fine coaches, in which by mischance there were - clothes to the value of more than 40,000 francs which I had - purchased in England for presents. I lost, further, twenty-nine - horses, who died of thirst during those five days, because no fresh - water had been laid in for this passage, which in fine weather does - not occupy more than three hours.” - -On the morning of the 18th, although the sea was still very rough, -Bassompierre embarked once more and about noon arrived safely on the -French shore, after no worse misadventure than a violent attack of -sea-sickness, which prostrated him to such a degree that he was unable -to continue his journey until the following day. - -Seldom can anyone have had more cause to anathematise the Channel -passage than the luckless Bassompierre. The maintenance of himself and -his suite at Dover had alone cost him, he tells us, 4,000 crowns; he had -lost 40,000 francs worth of clothes, two fine coaches, which must have -been worth a large sum, and nearly thirty horses, including probably -most of those presented to him by Carlisle and other English nobles, all -of which were, of course, valuable animals. In short, in the fortnight -which had elapsed between his arrival at Dover and his landing at -Calais, he must have lost at the very lowest computation the equivalent -of half-a-million francs in money of to-day. - -On the 20th he reached Amiens, whose governor, the Duc de Chaulnes, -ordered the guns of the citadel to fire a salute in his honour, and -entertained him magnificently; and two days later he arrived in Paris. -Here, as he had, of course, foreseen, he found that “the coming of the -Duke of Bocquinguem was not agreeable,” and Louis XIII ordered him to -write to the duke to that effect. - -Since certain writers appear inclined to question the ability shown by -Bassompierre in his mission to England, it may be as well to cite here -the opinion of so high an authority on the period as Gardiner:-- - - “He [Bassompierre] knew the world well, and he had that power of - seizing upon the strong point of his opponent’s case which goes far - to the making of a successful diplomatist. To the young Queen he - gave the best possible advice; told her to make the best of her - situation and warned her against the folly of setting herself - against the current ideas of the country in which she lived and of - the man to whom she was married. In the question of her household - he was at the same time firm and conciliatory. He acknowledged that - Charles had a genuine grievance and that the Queen would never be a - real wife to him as long as she was taught by a circle of - foreigners to regard herself primarily as a foreigner; while, at - the same time, he spoke boldly of the breach of contract which had - been committed. In the end, he gained the confidence both of the - King and of Buckingham, and, with the consent of the King of - France, a new arrangement was agreed to, by which a certain number - of French persons would be admitted to attend upon the Queen, - whilst a great part of her household was to be formed of natives of - England.” - -The historian also praises the conduct of Bassompierre in the -discussions on the maritime question. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV - - The Assembly of the Notables--Bassompierre nominated one of the - four presidents--The “sorry Château of Versailles”--The ballet of - _le Sérieux et le Grotesque_--Execution of Montmorency-Boutteville - and Des Chapelles for duelling--Death of _Madame_--Preparations for - war with England--Louis XIII resolves to take command of the army - assembled in Poitou--The King falls ill at the Château of - Villeroy--Bassompierre is prevented by Richelieu from visiting - him--Intrigue by which the Duc d’Angoulême is appointed to the - command of the army which ought to have devolved upon - Bassompierre--Descent of Buckingham upon the Île de Ré--Blockade of - the fortress of Saint-Martin--Investment of La Rochelle by the - Royal army--Bassompierre, the King, and Richelieu at the Château of - Saumery--The Cardinal assumes the practical direction of the - military operations--Provisions and reinforcements are thrown into - Saint-Martin--Refusal of the Maréchaux de Bassompierre and - Schomberg to allow Angoulême to be associated with them in the - command of the Royal army--Schomberg is persuaded to accept the - duke as a colleague--Bassompierre persists in his refusal and - requests permission of the King to leave the army--He is offered - and accepts the command of a separate army, which is to blockade La - Rochelle from the north-western side--He declines the government of - Brittany--Dangerous situation of Buckingham’s army in the Île de - Ré--Unsuccessful attempt to take Saint-Martin by - assault--Disastrous retreat of the English. - - -During Bassompierre’s absence in England, Louis XIII had paid him the -very high compliment of nominating him one of the four presidents of the -Assembly of the Notables, which was opened at the Tuileries by the King -on December 2, 1626, and continued sitting until February 24 of the -following year. This assembly, from which Richelieu had systematically -excluded all the makers of cabals at the Court--that is to say, -practically all the great nobles--voted in accordance with the -Cardinal’s desires and recommended the reduction of useless expenditure, -pensions, and the King’s Household, the re-organisation of the Army, -which, when on a peace footing, was not to exceed 20,000 men, the -strengthening of the Navy, the relief of the lower noblesse as a -counterpoise to the greater, and the destruction of all the -fortifications of towns and châteaux not required for the defence of the -frontiers. - -Bassompierre, being the junior of the four presidents,[103] does not -appear to have spoken very often, but a sentence in one of his speeches -is worth recording, in the light of subsequent events. Praising Louis -XIII for the economy he had shown in not erecting any new buildings and -even suspending the completion of these commenced before he came to the -throne, he continued:-- - - “This shows that he had no inclination to build, and that the - finances of France will not be drained by sumptuous edifices - erected by him; unless someone wishes to reproach him with having - built _the sorry Château of Versailles_, of the construction of - which even a simple gentleman would not wish to boast.” - -It was this “sorry Château of Versailles”--then a mere -hunting-lodge--which, under Louis XIII’s successor, was to be -transformed into the most costly and magnificent royal palace in Europe. - -During the winter Bassompierre took part in a ballet organised by the -King at the Louvre and the Hôtel de Ville, in which his Majesty danced -himself. In this ballet, which was entitled _le Sérieux et le -Grotesque_, what appeared to be a number of gigantic bottles entered -from one wing and a party of Swiss officers from the other. The officers -hastened eagerly towards the bottles, which, however, suddenly -transformed themselves into women, whereupon the Swiss fled in alarm. -But the ladies produced goblets brimming with wine, at the sight of -which the officers returned, and Bassompierre, representing the -Colonel-General of the Swiss, declaimed several stanzas in praise of -Cupid and Bacchus: - - “Lorsqu, Amour me faisait mourir, - Bacchus m’est venu secourir - Et rendre à jamais redevable; - Et toutesfois ce petit Dieu - Dans mon cœur qu’il rend miserable - Prétend d’avoir le premier lieu.” - -And so forth. - -In the course of the spring an event occurred which created an immense -sensation and showed that Richelieu was no respecter of persons and was -resolved to enforce obedience to the royal authority, even at the -expense of the noblest blood in France. - -One of the greatest social evils of the age was that of duelling, which, -bad as it had been in the troublous times of the last Valois, had become -even worse under Henri IV, during whose reign it is computed that no -less than 8,000 gentlemen lost their lives on the “field of honour.” -During the early years of Louis XIII’s reign the evil continued -unabated; duels were of almost daily occurrence; men quarrelled and -fought for the most trifling difference; they drew upon one another in -the public street; they exchanged challenges to mortal combat even in -the King’s chamber. From time to time various edicts against duelling -had been issued, but the penalties attaching to their infraction had -been seldom enforced, and it was not until Richelieu came into power -that the first serious attempt to put a stop to it was made. In March, -1626, the Cardinal persuaded the King to issue a new and severe edict -against the practice, which was to be punished by confiscation of -property, by exile, and, in aggravated cases, by death. At first, -however, the edict would not appear to have been taken very seriously, -and duels continued to be fought without any very unpleasant -consequences to the offenders. But Richelieu was only waiting for a -chance to make a terrible example. - -In March, 1627, the Seigneur de Boutteville, a member of the great -House of Montmorency and one of the most notorious _bretteurs_ of the -time, had an “affair” with the Marquis de la Frette, captain of -_Monsieur’s_ guards, in which Boutteville’s second, a gentleman named -Bachoy, was killed. As this was not the first occasion on which M. de -Boutteville had defied the edict,[104] the King, in high indignation, -ordered Bassompierre to send three companies of the Swiss Guards to -invest the delinquent’s château of Précy-sur-Oise, to which he was -reported to have retired, and sent the Grand Provost with them to arrest -him. When, however, the Grand Provost and the Swiss reached Précy, they -found that their bird had flown and had taken refuge in Lorraine. - -If Boutteville had had the sense to remain there until the affair had -blown over, all might have been well, as in his duel with La Frette he -had not been the aggressor. But, indignant at the sentence of exile -which had been pronounced against him, he boasted that he would fight -his next duel in the middle of the Place-Royale. This bravado he duly -accomplished some weeks later, and his second, the Comte des Chapelles, -killed Bussy d’Amboise, who was acting in the same capacity to -Boutteville’s adversary, the Marquis de Beuvron.[105] Beuvron fled to -Italy, while Boutteville and Des Chapelles made for Lorraine; but, on -their way, they stopped for a night at Vitré-le-Français, of which place -Bussy d’Amboise had been governor, and the mother of the dead man, who -had sent one of her servants after them, learning of their arrival, -informed the authorities of the town, who caused them to be arrested. - -Boutteville and Des Chapelles--the latter was also a Montmorency, on -his mother’s side--were conducted to the Bastille and brought to trial -before the Parlement. The Procurator-General was instructed to demand -the extreme penalty, and they were both condemned to death. What was -more, the sentence was duly carried out, for, notwithstanding the -entreaties and remonstrances of all the great nobles in France, the -King, thanks to Richelieu’s efforts, was inexorable, and on June 22, -1627, they were beheaded in the Place de Grève.[106] - -This most necessary example had, for a time, a very salutary effect, -for, however reckless men might be, few cared to face the executioner’s -axe. But after Richelieu’s death the practice was renewed, and, though -it never attained to anything like the proportions it had reached in the -early part of the seventeenth century, duels were still both numerous -and sanguinary, as will be gathered from the fact that during the eight -years of Anne of Austria’s regency more than a thousand gentlemen lost -their lives in them. - -On May 29 _Madame_ gave birth to a daughter--the celebrated Mlle. de -Montpensier--“contrary to the expectation and the desire of their -Majesties and of _Monsieur_ her husband, who would have preferred a -son.” The poor lady only survived the birth of her little daughter a few -days, and her death cast a gloom over the Court, and from a political -point of view was most unfortunate, since it afforded Richelieu’s many -enemies an opportunity for fresh intrigues. - -About the same time, news arrived of the formidable armament which -Buckingham was assembling at Portsmouth, and the French Government did -not doubt that the duke was meditating a descent upon the western coast -of France, and that his arrival there would be the signal for the -Rochellois and probably the bulk of the Huguenots to take up arms. No -time, therefore, was lost in assembling an army in Poitou, and Louis -XIII gave the command to _Monsieur_, and appointed Bassompierre and -Schomberg as his lieutenant-generals. The King decided also to go to the -West himself, and on June 28--the day after Buckingham’s expedition -sailed from Portsmouth--he left Paris. - -On the morning of his departure, he went with Bassompierre to the -Arsenal to inspect the artillery, and then proceeded to the Parlement to -take leave of that body and to hold a Bed of Justice for the purpose of -securing the registration of the Code Michaut.[107] At the conclusion of -the ceremony Bassompierre gave him his hand to assist him to descend -from his seat, upon which the King remarked: “Marshal, I have an attack -of fever coming on, and did nothing but tremble the whole time I was on -my Bed of Justice.” “That is, nevertheless, the place where you make -others tremble,” replied the ready courtier; “but if that be the case, -Sire, why are you going into the country with a fever upon you? Remain -here for two or three days.” Louis, however, declared that it was the -crowd of persons who had come to take leave of him that day which had -caused him to feel ill, and that, so soon as he got into the country, he -would probably be better. But he told Bassompierre to send one of his -servants after him to Marolles, where he was to sleep that night, and he -would send him news of his health. Meantime, he was to hasten his -preparations for leaving Paris, as he wished him to join him so soon as -possible. - -Next day, the servant whom Bassompierre had sent after the King reported -on his return that he had left his Majesty just entering his coach to go -to the Château of Villeroy, and that he had bidden him inform his master -that he was worse and desired him to come and see him on the morrow. - -In the morning, accordingly, Bassompierre, accompanied by Guise, -Chevreuse, and Saint-Luc, who had asked to come with him, started for -Villeroy. On their arrival at the château they were met by Richelieu, -“with whom,” says the marshal, “I had fallen out a little”--who, after -greeting the princes, turned to Bassompierre and said: “The King would -be very pleased to see you, but he is in such a condition that the -company which has come with you would inconvenience him. He has broken -out in a great perspiration. That is why I advise you not to see him. I -will inform him that you have come, and will convey the compliments of -these princes to him.” With which he went back to the King’s chamber, -and Bassompierre and his friends returned to Paris. - -As he was leaving the château, Bassompierre learned that the Duc -d’Angoulême was with the King, but he did not attach any importance to -this at the time. However, the next day, in Paris, he met that prince -riding in his coach, when Angoulême stopped, alighted and embraced the -marshal, saying: “I bid you adieu, as I am leaving in two hours’ time -for Poitou.” “For what purpose?” inquired Bassompierre. “To command the -army there,” was the reply. - -Bassompierre was profoundly astonished at this news, for, if the King -were too ill to continue his journey and _Monsieur_ remained with him, -the command of the army naturally devolved upon himself, as the senior -marshal of the two lieutenant-generals who had been appointed. He felt -convinced that he had been the victim of some intrigue, and this proved -to be the case. - -It appears that Bassompierre’s conduct of his mission to England had -given great dissatisfaction to the High Catholic party in France, and, -in particular, to the Bishop of Mende, who complained bitterly that the -marshal had blamed his conduct generally, and several of his actions in -particular, during the time that he had been Grand Almoner to Henrietta -Maria. This prelate, in consequence, had conceived the bitterest hatred -of Bassompierre, and, to avenge himself, was doing everything in his -power to injure him with Richelieu, whose relative and protégé he was. - -In this he had succeeded, the more easily since Richelieu invariably -looked with a jaundiced eye upon those who enjoyed the personal -friendship of the King, and had apparently persuaded the Cardinal that -Bassompierre had become on such intimate terms with Buckingham and other -English statesmen during his embassy, that he ought to be regarded with -distrust. The consequence was that when, on Louis XIII being taken ill, -Angoulême, who entertained an absurdly exaggerated idea of his military -capacity, had suggested that, since _Monsieur_ would, of course, remain -with his Majesty, he should be sent to Poitou to organise the army -there, on the ground that it consisted largely of light cavalry, of -which he was Colonel, he supported this proposal, although he was well -aware that the prince hoped that his temporary command would become a -permanent one. - -The King objected. “And Bassompierre,” said he, “what will he do? Is he -not my lieutenant-general?” “Yes, Sire,” answered the Cardinal; “but -since he has never been of opinion that the English would make a descent -on France, he will not be so solicitous to place your army in a fit -state to take the field; and M. d’Angoulême does not pretend to any -command--as he will tell you himself--and will retire so soon as your -Majesty arrives, knowing well that the command belongs by right to the -marshals of France.” Angoulême was then admitted, and, after some -further persuasion, the King yielded and signed an order giving him -command of the army. - -In the course of the next few days Louis XIII became so ill that his -physicians were seriously alarmed, and it was deemed advisable for the -two Queens to proceed to Villeroy and establish themselves at the -château. Bassompierre, however, did not again visit the King, -“contenting himself with sending every day to learn news of his health,” -apparently because he feared that his presence at Villeroy might give -umbrage to the Cardinal. The Duc de Guise, however, was a frequent -visitor, and one day the King called him to his bedside and said: “M. du -Bois”--he often called Bassompierre by this name, though why the marshal -does not tell us--“is angry with me; but he is under a wrong impression. -I beg you to bring him with you the next time you come, and tell him -this from me.” - -Accordingly, a day or two later, Bassompierre went with the duke to -Villeroy; but Richelieu accompanied him into the King’s chamber, and the -Queen-Mother came in shortly afterwards, and he had no opportunity of -speaking to his Majesty. However, while his mother and Richelieu were at -dinner, the King sent Roger, his first valet of his Wardrobe, to request -Bassompierre to return, when he told him that he did wrong to be annoyed -because he had sent Angoulême to Poitou; that he had been forced to do -so; that he had not entrusted him with any powers; and that, so soon as -his health would permit him to travel to the army, he intended to revoke -the commission which he had given the prince, and place the troops under -the marshal’s orders. Upon which Bassompierre assured him, like a true -courtier, that “he was not troubling himself about the matter; that he -could think of nothing for the moment but his Majesty’s health (for the -restoration of which he was offering up constant prayers to God), and -that, being his creature, he approved everything that he did, though it -were to his own prejudice.” - -Notwithstanding these assurances, however, it is evident that the -marshal was deeply mortified at seeing himself superseded. - - * * * * * - -In the afternoon of July 10, the English expedition, which consisted of -forty-two ships-of-war and thirty-four transports, with 6,000 infantry -and 100 cavalry on board, arrived off Saint-Martin-de-Ré, the principal -town of the Île de Ré, opposite La Rochelle. If Buckingham had made his -descent upon Fort Louis, as the Huguenots who accompanied him desired, -this fortress, shut in between the English and the Rochellois, must -inevitably have been captured, as Toiras, who, on the death of the -Maréchal de Praslin in the preceding year, had succeeded him as governor -of Aunis, had withdrawn the greater part of its garrison to strengthen -Saint-Martin-de-Ré, and the result of the fall of Fort-Louis would have -been disastrous to France. But the Rochellois had so far refused to -commit themselves definitely to an alliance with England; and, apart -from this, there were reasons which made Buckingham particularly anxious -to get possession of Ré. If it should fall into English hands, it would -be a veritable thorn in the side of French, and to a less degree of -Spanish, commerce, since its ports within the still waters of the -straits which divided it from the mainland would afford an admirable -lair for privateers; while its proximity to the Protestant populations -of South-Western France would open the door to a skilful use of -religious and political intrigue. Its salt marshes, moreover, would -afford a very valuable source of revenue to the English exchequer. - -On the morning of the 12th a council of war was held, as a result of -which it was decided that Sir William Becher, accompanied by Soubise and -an agent of Rohan, should proceed to La Rochelle to ascertain whether -the citizens were prepared to accept the hand which his Britannic -Majesty was holding out to them, and that the troops should be landed at -once. - -Toiras had collected about 1,000 foot and 200 horse to oppose the -landing, which began about five o’clock in the afternoon, under cover of -the fire from the ships. There was a painful lack of discipline amongst -the troops, which was not surprising, considering that they were chiefly -composed of raw material; and the first boatloads which disembarked -gathered in clusters along the beaches instead of falling into line. -Buckingham, cudgel in hand, hurried up and down “beating some and -threatening others”; but when two regiments were on shore, he was -obliged to return to the fleet to do the like there, as some of the -troops showed a marked disinclination to leave the shelter of the ships. - -Hardly had he reached it, when Toiras, perceiving his opportunity, -launched his cavalry upon the disorderly groups on the beach, and, -despite the efforts of their officers to rally them, drove them headlong -into the sea. Had the French cavalry been properly supported by their -infantry, the two regiments must have been destroyed or captured almost -to a man; but the infantry were far behind, and, meantime, Buckingham, -who, with all his faults, lacked neither courage nor energy, perceiving -what had happened, hurried back, and by his exertions, aided by those of -their officers, succeeded in rallying the fugitives and forming them -into line. Reinforcements were landed, and, after some fierce fighting, -numbers prevailed, and the French were obliged to retreat to -Saint-Martin. The English lost about 500 men, the French about 400, -including a number of nobles and gentlemen, amongst whom were a younger -brother of Toiras and the Baron de Chantal, father of Madame de Sévigné. - -While this combat was in progress on the shore of the Île de Ré, Sir -William Becher and Soubise had arrived at La Rochelle. They found the -gates shut, however; and it was only when the dowager Duchess of Rohan, -who was immensely popular with the Rochellois, went out to meet her son -and the envoy of Buckingham and demanded that they should be admitted, -that they were allowed to enter the town, “to the great joy of the -people, but against the will of the mayor and those who governed.” -Having been conducted to the Hôtel de Ville, Becher offered the -authorities of the town, in the name of Charles I, powerful support on -land and sea against the tyranny of their own Government, provided that -they would engage to make no treaty without the advice and consent of -the King of England, “promising the same on his part.” The municipality -replied that they thanked the King of England for his sympathy with the -Protestants of France, but that La Rochelle was only one of the Reformed -Churches and could not come to a decision except in concert with the -others. - -The middle classes, in fact, not only at La Rochelle, but in the other -Huguenot towns of France, feared war. The party had now only two chiefs, -Rohan and his brother Soubise. Bouillon was dead; Sully was old and less -than ever disposed to revolt; La Force and Châtillon had accepted the -bâton of marshal of France as the price of their loyalty; La Trémoille -was about to change his religion. The nobles were deserting the cause. -The revolt was, besides, difficult to justify. Louis XIII had certainly -refused to demolish Fort Louis, but he had only promised to do so when -he should judge its maintenance to be no longer necessary; while the -fortifications recently constructed on Richelieu’s advice at Brouage, -Marans, and on the Îles de Ré and d’Oléron, might be explained as much -as by fear of the English as by hostility towards La Rochelle. The most -clear-sighted amongst the citizens felt that the Government entertained -hostile intentions, but their apprehensions were their only proofs. - -The Protestants of the South were as undecided as those of La Rochelle. -Rohan, determined on war, did not venture to convene a General Assembly -of the Churches, but contented himself with summoning deputies from the -Cévennes, and those towns of Lower Languedoc upon whose support he could -rely, to meet at Uzès. This assembly, inflamed by the duke’s -exhortations, invited him to resume the post of general-in-chief of the -Protestant forces, and decreed the taking up of arms and an alliance -with England. At the same time, the deputies “solemnly protested before -God that they wished to live and die in obedience to the King, their -legitimate and natural prince.” Rohan hoped, by the example of these -towns, to draw the rest of the Reformed Churches into the struggle; but -in this he was disappointed, as most of them condemned his action and -decided to stand aloof. - -Having landed the remainder of his troops, with the artillery and -stores, an operation which was conducted in so leisurely a manner that -it occupied several days, Buckingham advanced upon Saint-Martin, -occupied the town without opposition, and proceeded to reconnoitre the -citadel, a recently-constructed fortress of considerable strength -crowning a steep rock above the town. He would have well been advised -had he begun by the reduction of La. Prée, a small fortress to the -south-east of Saint-Martin, but this he neglected to do. It was an -omission which he subsequently had good reason to regret. - -Buckingham and his officers at first believed that in a short time they -would be able to reduce Saint-Martin; but ere many days had passed they -were of a different opinion. The place was strongly garrisoned and -vigorously defended, while the surrounding soil was rocky and ill-suited -for siege operations. They were therefore obliged to convert the siege -into a blockade, with the object of starving the garrison out; and, -since it was recognised that it would be very difficult to effect this -in the face of the threatened succour from the French army gathering on -the mainland, unless reinforcements and stores could soon arrive from -England, Becher was sent home to explain the situation and press for -their despatch. - -By the middle of August the works surrounding Saint-Martin had been -completed. On the side of the sea, the approach to the fort was guarded -by the English ships, disposed in the form of a half-moon, and by about -a score of well-armed shallops, which at night lay close under the -citadel. Buckingham had also devised an additional means of -strengthening the blockade by throwing a boom across the waterway made -of great masts, supported at the end by small boats. - -For some time those about the person of Louis XIII did not venture to -break the news of Buckingham’s descent upon Ré to the sick monarch, from -fear of aggravating his malady, and, when they did so, they minimised -the importance of the affair as much as possible. _Monsieur_ was -impatient to go to the army and was bitterly incensed against Richelieu, -who declined to advise the King to let him do so, until his Majesty was -convalescent. When, however, the King grew better, he accorded -_Monsieur_ the permission he desired; but scarcely had he departed than -Louis, “jealous of the glory which his brother might acquire,” sent a -messenger after him to recall him. Finally, however, at the intercession -of the Queen-Mother, he was allowed to continue his journey. - -Although a small band of ardent spirits had made their way from La -Rochelle to Ré and joined Buckingham, the authorities of the town had -not yet accepted the English alliance, and still remained nominally -loyal to their sovereign. As a precautionary measure, however, -_Monsieur_ and Angoulême had already invested La Rochelle, on its -southern side, their headquarters being at Aytré--often written Nétré by -contemporary writers--about a league from the town. - -Towards the end of August, Louis XIII was sufficiently recovered to -remove to Saint-Germain. He had declared his intention of joining the -army and personally superintending the measures being taken for the -relief of Saint-Martin so soon as he was strong enough to mount his -horse, and, in the second week of September, he sent for Bassompierre -and told him to prepare to accompany him to La Rochelle in five days’ -time. Bassompierre inquired “in what quality his Majesty was pleased -that he should accompany him.” The King replied that he would, of -course, do so as his lieutenant-general, upon which Bassompierre pointed -out that the Duc d’Angoulême occupied that position, and that, since the -army, when the King was present, had never yet been commanded except by -marshals of France, “he begged him very humbly not to take him there to -put an affront upon his office.” Louis declared that Angoulême’s command -was but a temporary one, and that he intended to send him an order to -retire; but Bassompierre, who knew how easily Richelieu could persuade -the King to go back on his word, asked if the King would direct the -Cardinal to give him an assurance that the prince should not continue in -the command, since his Eminence, having advised the appointment, might -wish to retain him. This Louis promised, and, a day or two later, gave -the marshal the assurance he desired. - -The King left Saint-Germain on September 17 and travelled by easy stages -towards the West. Bassompierre remained in Paris until the end of the -month, when he received a message from Louis telling him to follow him -as quickly as possible. He set out at once and joined the King and the -Cardinal at the Château of Saumery, near Blois. They both received him -most cordially and told him that the King had sent orders to Angoulême -to leave the army and join his Majesty at Saumur. - -Although obliged to remain near the person of the King, Richelieu had -practically assumed the direction of the military operations. All his -efforts were at present directed towards the re-victualling of -Saint-Martin-de-Ré, the situation of which was rapidly becoming -desperate. His ecclesiastical lieutenants, the Bishops of Maillezais and -Mende, the Abbé de Marsillac and Père Placide de Brémond, a Benedictine -monk, who entitled himself the “Knight of the Crusade,” hurried from one -harbour to another along the coast, assembling shallops and -flat-bottomed boats, arming them, loading them with stores, and -despatching them towards Ré. “I swear to you,” wrote the Cardinal to his -brother-in-law, the Marquis de Brézé, “that I would as lief die as see -M. de Toiras perish from want of provisions.” - -At Langeais, where the King arrived on October 4, he received news from -_Monsieur_ that the garrison of Saint-Martin was reduced to such -straits[108] that it was impossible for them to hold out for more than -another week. Louis, in great distress, thereupon proceeded to the -church of Notre-Dame-des-Ardilliers, which belonged to the Oratorians, -and was held in great veneration in all the country round, to offer up -prayers for the relief of his brave soldiers. - -On the following day they arrived at Saumur, where, to the great -satisfaction of Bassompierre, the King informed Angoulême, who had come -to meet him, that so soon as he (the King) reached La Rochelle, he would -have to resign his post of lieutenant-general and content himself with -that of Colonel of the Light Cavalry. - -On the 8th Bassompierre left his Majesty to pay a visit to his friend -Bertrand d’Eschaux, Archbishop of Tours, at the Abbey of l’Hort de -Poitiers, but rejoined him next day at Niort, where good news awaited -him. On the night of the 7th-8th, a flotilla of thirty-five boats and -small vessels, laden with men and provisions which had been collected at -the Sables d’Olonne, had set out to make an attempt to run the blockade, -to the cry of “_Passer ou mourir_,” and, aided by the darkness of the -night and a strong north-west wind, the great majority of them had -succeeded in getting through the English fleet and in bringing to the -famished defenders of Saint-Martin-de-Ré a reinforcement of 400 men and -provisions for a month. - -This success turned the tables on the besiegers, who were themselves -running short of food, while sickness was making such havoc in their -ranks that there were now only 5,000 men fit for duty. The French -forces, too, were gathering on the mainland, and an attempt to relieve -the fort might be expected at any moment. In these circumstances, it had -already been decided to raise the siege, when news arrived that an -expedition under Lord Holland, which Charles I had, after infinite -difficulties, at length succeeded in organising, was on the point of -sailing from Plymouth, while, at the same time, the Rochellois, after -two months of tergiversations, decided to throw in their lot with the -Protestants of the South and the English, and signed a treaty with -Buckingham.[109] - -On the 11th Louis XIII reached Surgères, where he was met by his -brother, Angoulême, and Louis de Marillac. _Monsieur_ spoke to the King -in favour of Angoulême, and recommended that he should be allowed to -retain his command, and “M. d’ Angoulême recommended himself.” But the -King replied that he had appointed Bassompierre and Schomberg as -lieutenant-generals of his army and that he could not do anything to -their prejudice. However, as it was known that his Majesty - -[Illustration: GEORGE VILLIERS, FIRST DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM. - -After the picture by Gerard Honthorst in the National Portrait Gallery. - -(Photo by Emery Walker).] - -was seldom in the same mind for two days together, except when Richelieu -had made it up for him--and they believed that the Cardinal was none too -well disposed towards Bassompierre--Angoulême’s friends continued to -press his claims. - -The following day the King took up his quarters at Aytré, _Monsieur_ -having removed to the Château of Dompierre, to the north-east of La -Rochelle, on the road between that town and Niort, and, to the intense -mortification of Bassompierre, who had flattered himself that the matter -was settled, his first business was to hold a council to discuss the -position of Angoulême. The Council summoned the duke before it and -called upon him to state his case, when he declared that, having served -the King faithfully as lieutenant-general for three months, he would -regard it as an affront if he were called upon to resign in favour of -the Maréchaux de Bassompierre and de Schomberg, who, while he had been -enduring all the toils and hardships of active service, had been passing -their time agreeably in Paris; that he could see no reason why he should -not be associated with them in the command, unless it were the enmity -which the Maréchal de Bassompierre bore him, because he happened to be -the half-brother of Mlle. d’Entragues, and that he did not believe that -the Maréchal de Schomberg would make any difficulty were it not that he -was instigated thereto by his colleague. And he cited various precedents -to show that marshals of France had several times served under Princes -of the Blood. - -Angoulême then withdrew, and the King sent for Bassompierre and -Schomberg, who had been waiting in an adjoining room, and Richelieu -having read to them the substance of the duke’s speech, invited them to -reply. Bassompierre, as the senior of the two marshals, thereupon rose -and harangued the Council at great length--his speech occupies several -pages of his _Mémoires_--maintaining that his Majesty had repeatedly -assured him that M. Angoulême’s command was to be but a temporary one -and that he would be removed so soon as the King joined the army; that -it was contrary to all precedent for anyone but marshals of France to -command, or to be associated in the command of, an army when the -Sovereign was present, and that, though it was certainly true, as M. -d’Angoulême had stated, that marshals had served under Princes of the -Blood, they had never done so when the King had been with the army. -Finally, he declared that rather than acquiesce in so great a -degradation of his office, he would prefer to lay down the bâton which -the King had given him and return to Paris, “to live the life of a -citizen, while awaiting the honour of his Majesty’s commands to serve -him in some other capacity.” - -It is a singular illustration of the morals of the time to find -Bassompierre, in the course of this speech, making the following -reference to his former relations with Marie d’Entragues:-- - - “He [Angoulême] has done very wrong to say that I wish him ill on - account of his sister. That would be, on the contrary, a reason why - I should wish him well. I seek with too much care the affection of - the relatives of the ladies with whom I am in love. I might have - wished him ill if he had done to my sister what I have done to his; - but he does not practise the same thing on others, from fear of - having too many enemies on his hands.” - -Schomberg followed in much the same strain as his colleague, after which -the two marshals withdrew and went to inspect the Fort d’Orléans, a -partially-finished work which Angoulême had erected near the point of -Coreilles, to the south-east of La Rochelle. On their return to Aytré -the King inquired of Bassompierre what he thought of Fort d’Orléans. The -marshal replied that it was “a useless work, situated in the most -unsuitable spot that could have been chosen in all Coreilles, three -times as large as was necessary, badly constructed, a great expense, -and of little profit, built not according to the rules which ought to be -observed in constructing a fort intended only to serve during a siege, -but as a permanent work, and, in short, defective as a whole and in -every part.” The King then told him that he spoke thus out of -professional jealousy, and that, if he himself had caused this fort to -be constructed, he would find as many reasons to praise it as he now -found to condemn it. Bassompierre retorted that he was not so foolish as -to condemn a work which the King could go and judge of himself, and that -he saw clearly that his Majesty had changed his mind and intended to -support the pretensions of M. d’Angoulême. The King replied that he had -not changed his mind, but that he would be very pleased if the marshal -could accommodate himself to an arrangement which would be for the good -of his service. - -That night Angoulême sent two of his friends, Louis de Marillac and the -Marquis de Vignolles, to Schomberg to endeavour to persuade him to -accept the prince as his colleague in the command of the army. If we are -to believe Bassompierre, they pointed out to Schomberg that if -Bassompierre were to carry out his threat to retire, he would have all -the power in the army, since Angoulême pretended only to the rank of -lieutenant-general and would never dream of disputing his authority, -whereas, if Bassompierre, who was the second marshal of France, a -favourite of the King, and very popular with officers and soldiers -alike, were to remain, he would occupy a subordinate position; and that, -by these insidious arguments, they succeeded in so inflaming the -marshal’s ambition that, regardless alike of his honour, the dignity of -his office, and the claims of friendship, he consented to what they -proposed. - -However that may be, next morning Schomberg went to the King and -informed him that he was prepared to accept Angoulême as his colleague -in the lieutenancy-general of the army, since he was already established -in that post, adding that he considered that Bassompierre had been very -ill-advised to contest the point so warmly. - -An hour or two later, when Bassompierre went to the King’s quarters to -accompany him to Le Plomb, some two leagues to the north of La Rochelle, -where a fine view of the English fleet and Saint-Martin-de-Ré was -obtainable, his Majesty received him very coldly and avoided speaking to -him; and he learned that Louis had complained to _Monsieur_, the -Cardinal, and others that his obstinacy was hindering the operations of -the army. Before they left Aytré, Du Hallier came up to Bassompierre and -told him that he had been sent by the King to persuade him to be -reconciled to M. d’Angoulême. This the marshal refused to hear of, and -told Du Hallier that it was his intention to retire from the army two -days later. - -On the way to Le Plomb, Richelieu also spoke to the marshal on the -subject, and then Schomberg rode up, and counselled him to yield to the -King’s wishes, “like a good courtier.” Upon which Bassompierre angrily -declared that “though his King and his master might abandon him, his -friends betray him, and his colleague, united to him by the same -interest, leave him, he would not abandon or betray himself,” and that -he (Schomberg) might, if it pleased him, remain with infamy, but, for -himself, he preferred to retire with honour. - -On the following day Bassompierre learned that the King had directed -_Monsieur_, the titular general of the Royal army, to inform the two -marshals that he had decided that the Duc d’Angoulême was to serve -conjointly with them. Bassompierre declared that he absolutely refused -to be associated with M. d’Angoulême, and next morning the disgruntled -veteran presented himself before the King and addressed his Majesty as -follows:-- - - “Sire, in order to avoid doing anything unworthy of myself, and - which might do injury to the office of marshal of France, with - which you have honoured me, I am obliged, with an extreme regret, - to retire from your army and to beg your Majesty very humbly to - permit me to leave it. I am going to Paris to wait until the honour - of your commands summons me to some place where I may be able to - continue the same very humble services which I have performed in - the past, demanding meanwhile, as a special favour, that you will - not give credence to the evil reports which my enemies will spread - abroad concerning me, until you have proved them to be true. For - myself, I shall assure you that I shall be in the future what I - have been in the past, to wit, your very humble and very faithful - creature.” - -Louis XIII must have had some little difficulty in preserving his -gravity during this grandiloquent oration. He had, however, not the -least intention of dispensing with the marshal’s military services, -which he valued highly, and he knew that his retirement would create an -exceedingly bad impression in the army, where he enjoyed great -popularity. He was, besides, attached to Bassompierre, so far as his -cold nature permitted him to be attached to anyone, and his lively -company would contribute not a little to relieve the monotony of the -long and tedious siege upon which he was about to enter. He therefore -endeavoured to persuade him to remain and accept Angoulême as his -colleague, and then, “perceiving that he was unable to conquer him,” -bade him adieu, after having first made him promise that he would go and -see the Cardinal. He then sent one of his gentlemen to Richelieu with -instructions to induce Bassompierre to remain at any cost. - -When the marshal arrived at Richelieu’s quarters, the Cardinal received -him with a great display of affection and “even shed tears,” after which -he begged him to name the terms on which he would consent to continue to -give his Majesty the benefit of his military services. Bassompierre -replied that under no consideration would he prejudice the dignity of -his office by being associated with Angoulême, but that if he were -willing to give him a separate army, quite distinct from that of the -King, with his own artillery, commissariat and so forth, to besiege La -Rochelle on the other side of the canal, he would remain. The Cardinal -embraced him, assured him that he would give him all he demanded, and -asked him to name the troops of which he desired his force to be -composed; and the same day he was appointed to the command of an army, -composed of three companies of the Swiss Guards, the Navarre Regiment, -and five other regiments, _Monsieur’s_ company of gensdarmes and six -companies of light cavalry, together with the garrison of Fort Louis. -His headquarters were to be at Laleu, a village situated about a league -and a half to the north-west of La Rochelle. - -This arrangement, so far as Bassompierre was concerned, was a very -satisfactory termination to the dispute; but, by accepting a separate -command, he lost a far greater opportunity for military distinction than -had yet come his way. For the task of relieving Saint-Martin-de-Ré and -driving Buckingham from the island was entrusted by the King to -Schomberg, whereas if Bassompierre had consented to serve as -lieutenant-general, it would certainly have been given to him, as the -senior of the two marshals. It was a heavy price to pay for the -gratification of his _amour-propre_. - -Bassompierre established himself at Laleu on October 23, where three -days later he held a review of his army, several hundred men from which -were subsequently detached to go with Schomberg to the Île de Ré. At the -beginning of November, while returning from a visit to the King at -Aytré, he fell into an ambuscade which the Rochellois had laid for his -benefit. His usual good fortune, however, did not desert him and he -succeeded in effecting his escape. - -A day or two later news arrived of the death of the Maréchal de -Thémines, who had succeeded the imprisoned Duc de Vendôme as Governor -of Brittany. The King offered the vacant post to Bassompierre, but, -though this most important and lucrative office, which until the -disgrace of Vendôme had generally been reserved for a Prince of the -Blood, might well have tempted him, the marshal refused it. “I told -him,” he says, “that I rendered very humble thanks for the honour which -he did me in deeming me worthy of it, but that, for my part, I did not -desire these great governments, which obliged me to reside there, -because they were not suited to my disposition and would divert me from -the course of my fortune.” - - * * * * * - -Meantime, the situation of Buckingham’s army in the Île de Ré was -becoming every day more difficult and perilous. It is true that since -the treaty which the duke had signed with La Rochelle, a great number of -their sick and wounded had been admitted to that town, and they were -better provided with provisions; but the weather was cold and wet, and -the troops suffered severely in consequence. What was worse was that by -October 20 more than 2,000 French troops had succeeded in getting across -to the island from the mainland, and had been received within the walls -of Fort La Prée and the entrenchments which had been thrown up in front -of it, and their numbers might be expected to increase every day. - -Everything now depended upon the arrival of Holland. If he arrived -before the French in the island were sufficiently numerous to take the -offensive, and Buckingham succeeded meantime in preventing Saint-Martin -from being again revictualled, the place must fall, for by the second -week in November he calculated that the provisions of the garrison would -be exhausted. If, however, Holland’s arrival were delayed beyond the -first days of that month, he dared not, with his steadily dwindling -forces, take the risk of having to give battle to superior numbers and -would be obliged to abandon the enterprise. - -Buckingham and his officers “blinded themselves with looking” for the -first signs of the coming of Holland’s fleet, but it came not. Endless -difficulties had to be surmounted before it was ready to start, for men -were hard to obtain and money still harder, and those charged with the -fitting out of the expedition were deficient in both capacity and -energy, though the King and Holland appear to have done their utmost to -spur them on. At last, on October 19, Holland, with part of the -expedition, sailed from Portsmouth, but was driven back to the coast by -a storm. For ten days the wind blew strongly from the South-West; then -on the 29th it changed, and the fleet again set sail, this time from -Plymouth. But in the night a violent westerly gale came on, and it was -again forced to return, with some of the ships severely damaged. - -Before the end of the first week of November, Buckingham, obliged to -recognise that his position was fast becoming untenable, reluctantly -yielded to the counsels of those who urged him to raise the siege. He -could not, however, bring himself to abandon the prey which had been so -nearly his, without one last attempt to seize it; and learning that -Toiras had but 500 men left capable of bearing arms, he determined to -endeavour to carry the place by assault, notwithstanding that almost -from the first an assault had been regarded as a hopeless operation. - -The attempt was made on the morning of November 6. The raw troops who -had landed in the island in July were by this time seasoned soldiers, -and they advanced to the attack gallantly enough. But Toiras had been -forewarned, probably owing to Buckingham’s want of reticence; and the -assailants were received with a murderous fire, while huge stones were -rained down upon them as they clambered up the rocky slope on which the -fortress stood. When they reached the walls, their scaling-ladders were -found to be too short; the troops from La Prée came out to threaten -their rear, and they were obliged to retreat with the loss of several -hundred men. - -During the following night, Schomberg, who had been waiting his -opportunity for some days, sailed out of the Charente, evaded the -English fleet and disembarked at Sainte-Marie, in the south-east of Ré, -with his relieving army. Then, having been joined by the troops at La -Prée, at the head of over 6,000 men he advanced towards Saint-Martin. -Buckingham, however, had already raised the siege and retreated towards -the Île de Loix, a narrow tongue of land separated from the rest of Ré -by marshes and a canal, where he intended to re-embark. - -On Schomberg’s arrival at Saint-Martin, Toiras at once proposed that he -should join him with all his men who were fit to take the field, and -that they should follow and attack the English at once, declaring that -the enemy was so demoralised and enfeebled by sickness that, in that -case, not one of them would escape. Louis de Marillac, who commanded -under Schomberg, strongly opposed this suggestion, and, though finally -it was decided to follow Toiras’s advice, so much time had been lost in -disputing that the greater part of Buckingham’s army had already gained -the Île de Loix. The rearguard, however, were still defiling across a -narrow wooden bridge which had been thrown across the marshes and the -canal which separated Ré from the Île de Loix; and the French generals -saw at a glance that, owing to the carelessness with which the -preparations for retreat had been made, these hapless troops were -entirely at their mercy. - -An entrenchment had been constructed on the further side of the bridge, -but, by some blunder, the causeway which led to the bridge was quite -unguarded, except by a handful of cavalry. The French horse, who -outnumbered this detachment by nearly four to one, charged and routed -it, and the flying cavalry, galloping wildly towards the bridge, threw -the infantry into hopeless confusion. Almost simultaneously a body of -French infantry fell on the rear of the troops crossing the bridge, who -were, of course, unable to offer any effective resistance. It was a -massacre rather than a fight. Hundreds were killed, while a great -number fell from the bridge, which was unprotected by a parapet, and -were drowned. The troops who had been detached to guard the entrenchment -on the Île de Loix were at first borne away by the rout; but they soon -rallied and drove back the enemy, and when night fell were still in -possession. Next morning the bridge was destroyed, and the remnant of -Buckingham’s unfortunate army re-embarked without any interference from -the French. - -The English losses in this lamentable affair have been variously stated, -but Bassompierre’s estimate of 1,200, which includes prisoners, is -probably well within the mark. What is certain is that, although on -October 20 6,884 men drew pay at Saint-Martin-de-Ré, only 2,989 were -landed at Portsmouth and Plymouth three weeks later. - -More than forty English standards which had been captured were displayed -amid great rejoicings in Notre Dame on Christmas Day; and Paris saw in -it a proud victory over her rival, on that rival’s own element. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI - - Siege of La Rochelle begins--Immense difficulties of the - undertaking--Unwillingness of the great nobles to see the Huguenot - party entirely crushed--Remark of Bassompierre--Courage and energy - of Richelieu--His measures to provide for the welfare and - efficiency of the besieging army--The lines of - circumvallation--Erection of the Fort of La Fons by - Bassompierre--The construction of the mole is begun and proceeded - with in the face of great difficulties--Responsibilities of - Bassompierre--The Duc d’Angoulême accuses the marshal of a gross - piece of negligence, but the latter succeeds in turning the tables - upon his accuser--Louis XIII returns to Paris, leaving Richelieu - with the title of “Lieutenant-General of the Army”--Critical state - of affairs in Italy--Unsuccessful attempts to take La Rochelle by - surprise--Intrigues of Marie de’ Medici and the High Catholic party - against Richelieu--The King rejoins the army--Guiton elected Mayor - of La Rochelle. - - -The departure of the English left Richelieu face to face with La -Rochelle, “like a lion with his prey.” But the Cardinal was well aware -that it was a prey which could not be secured without a long and -terrible struggle. With its strong walls, covered on two sides by -marshes and on a third by the harbour, and its brave and hardy -population, largely composed of seafaring men inured to perils and -hardships, La Rochelle was one of the most difficult places to subdue -which it was possible to imagine. Old men remembered how the Duc d’Anjou -(afterwards Henri III) had besieged the town for months after the St. -Bartholomew, and had had nothing to show for his trouble but the graves -of 20,000 of his soldiers, and predicted that Louis XIII and Richelieu -would meet with no better fate. In fact, so long as La Rochelle retained -command of the sea, it was deemed impregnable. - -Richelieu, appreciating the immense difficulties of the enterprise, -would fain have avoided it altogether; but the alliance of the -Rochellois with the English had left him no alternative, and, once -committed to it, he was resolved to carry it through, cost what it -might. For this siege, in which, as he said, “he had to conquer three -kings, those of France, England, and Spain,” he set aside all other -work, and concentrated upon it all the resources of his genius. For this -he closed his eyes momentarily to the death-struggles in Germany, to the -Austrian menace on the eastern frontier, and to the intrigues of the -Dukes of Savoy and Lorraine, and contented himself with merely holding -Rohan’s rebellion in the South in check the while he was preparing to -strike his decisive blows elsewhere. - -The Cardinal had recognised, in arriving before La Rochelle, that it -would be necessary for him to supervise everything himself, and that the -obstacles which he would have to overcome were well-nigh as formidable -in the Royal camp as in those of the enemy. The majority of the great -nobles, by whom the Cardinal was feared and disliked, did not wish to -see the Huguenot party completely crushed, foreseeing that, when this -was accomplished, Richelieu would assuredly proceed to curtail their own -power; and Bassompierre undoubtedly voiced their opinion when he -exclaimed one day, laughing: “We shall be very foolish to take La -Rochelle.” Bassompierre was too loyal a servant of the Crown not to do -his duty as a soldier, whatever opinions he might hold; but there were -others who were more logical, and already, during the siege of -Saint-Martin-de-Ré, the conduct of more than one officer and more than -one army-contractor had been distinctly suspicious. This ill-will would, -unless effective means were taken to frustrate it, undoubtedly manifest -itself on a much greater scale as time went on, and would not fail to -take advantage of the least checks and the least sufferings to spread -discouragement throughout the army. - -Richelieu faced the situation boldly and resolved to attack the evil at -its root. He secured the good-will and confidence of the people of the -surrounding country, and assured the provisioning of the camp, by an -ordinance which forbade the soldiers, under pain of death, to take away -the cattle of the peasants or to interfere with the work in the fields, -and instituted a special commission to receive the complaints of the -peasants against the military. He gained, at the same time, the -affection of the soldiers by the solicitude which he showed for their -welfare, arranging with the neighbouring towns for the supply of winter -clothing for the whole army and directing that the men should receive -their pay each week from the commissaries of the Treasury, instead of -allowing the money to pass, as had hitherto been the custom, through the -hands of the captains of companies, in which a good proportion of it -invariably remained. Thus, the company-officers were no longer able to -defraud the soldier of his pay or to deceive the Ministers or the -generals as to the number of effectives who were serving under them; -and, thanks to this precaution and the rigorous surveillance exercised -over the treasurers and contractors, the army employed at the siege of -La Rochelle, though larger than that which had besieged Montauban five -years before, did not cost the State even half as much. Never had a -French army taken the field in which the soldiers were better cared for -or better disciplined; never had the country surrounding a beleaguered -town been less harried and annoyed. The camp, in fact, was a pattern of -all the military virtues, which Richelieu afterwards himself compared to -a “well-ordered convent.” The comparison seems to have been justified by -the swarm of Capuchins who descended upon the Royal army in the train of -Richelieu’s confidant, the celebrated Père Joseph--“_Son Eminence -grise_”--to catechise the soldiers, and by the group of warlike -prelates--the Bishops of Maillezais, Mende, Nîmes, and others--whom the -Cardinal gathered round him to aid him in the surveillance of the -officers and contractors. - -While the welfare and efficiency of the army was thus being provided -for, the siege was being busily pressed on. Lines of circumvallation -three leagues in extent, flanked by eleven forts and eighteen redoubts, -were undertaken, with the object of cutting off all approach to La -Rochelle on the land side. One of the most important was the Fort of La -Fons, to the north of the town, which was intended to intercept the -supply of pure water. On November 18 Louis XIII sent for Bassompierre -and informed him that he and the Cardinal were most anxious that a fort -should be constructed at La Fons. So soon as possible _Monsieur_ had -charged himself with this task, but, as he had left the army and -returned to Paris, the King had requested Angoulême to undertake it. -That prince, however, was unwilling to do so, unless he could have a -force of 500 horse and 5,000 foot at his disposal, as he felt certain -that the besieged would make the most determined efforts to prevent the -construction of the fort. It would be very difficult to spare so many -troops, and the King had therefore sent for Bassompierre to ascertain -whether he would undertake the work and what reinforcements he would -require for the purpose. The marshal replied that he would not require -any, and that he would engage that the approach to La Rochelle on that -side should be effectually closed within a fortnight. The King appeared -to think that Bassompierre was jesting, and asked if three more -regiments and three companies of light cavalry would be enough. The -marshal answered that, if his Majesty insisted on reinforcing him, he -must decline to undertake the affair; that on the morrow he would survey -the ground and trace out the fort, on the following day make his -preparations, and on the next take up his quarters there and begin the -work. Louis inquired what force he proposed to employ, and, on being -told that 400 infantry and 40 horse were all that he should take, “told -him that he was making game of him and that he would not suffer him to -do it.” The marshal said that, in that case, the King had better entrust -the work to someone else, as he declined to employ another man beyond -the number he had mentioned. Finally, the King allowed him to have his -way, recommending him, however, to take every precaution. - -It is probable that Bassompierre would not have been nearly so ready to -offer to undertake under the protection of a few hundred men a dangerous -and important duty, for which ordinary prudence would have enjoined the -employment of a very considerable force, had not Angoulême been present -at the Council and the temptation to humiliate that prince proved too -great to resist. He had reckoned, however, on his long experience of war -to enable him to deceive an enemy who could possess little or no -knowledge of the ruses of the battlefield, and he judged rightly. The -spot where he proposed to construct his fort was flanked by two sunken -roads, and at the head of each of these roads he erected a barricade, -which he lined with troops, while the rest of his force he disposed in -the space between them. The Rochellois sallied out to the number of -1,000 or 1,200 men, but, finding themselves confronted by several -hundred soldiers, concluded that they formed but the advance-guard of a -large force which lay concealed in the sunken roads behind the -barricades, and did not venture to attack, contenting themselves with a -cannonade, which did but little damage. Thus the resourceful -Bassompierre was able to carry out the work entrusted to him with the -loss of very few men, and was highly complimented by the King on his -success. - -The lines of circumvallation were, however, of but secondary importance, -for there was no serious attack to be feared from the Huguenots of the -South. It was not the land but the sea which it was necessary to close -at any price, for it was impossible to believe that the English, more -exasperated than dejected by the reverse they had sustained, would not -sooner or later make a vigorous effort to succour the metropolis of -French Protestantism. They were, indeed, in honour bound to come to the -assistance of the Rochellois, since it was they who had drawn them into -revolt. - -In 1621 an Italian engineer had conceived a project of blocking the -canal of La Rochelle; but the means which he proposed--an elaborated -floating bar, an iron chain laid across vessels and rafts, and -stretching from shore to shore--was found insufficient. - -However, at the end of November, another scheme was mooted. - - “_Saturday, the 27th_ [November],” writes Bassompierre, “two master - masons or architects of Paris, the one named Méteseau, the other - Tiriot,[110] came to propose to construct a mole of solid stone in - the canal of La Rochelle, in order to close it. The Cardinal sent - them to me, and I approved their project, which had already been - proposed to the King by Beaulieu.”[111] - -It was accordingly decided to undertake the gigantic task of blocking up -the canal with solid masonry. From the point of Coreilles, which was -beyond the range of the cannon of La Rochelle, a mole was to be thrown -out some seven hundred paces towards the opposite shore, where -Bassompierre commanded; whence, to meet it, another mole of four hundred -paces was to be constructed. The whole breadth of the canal is here -seventeen hundred paces, so that there would be, after all, a distance -of some six hundred still open, for here the water was so deep as to -render it impossible to carry the mole across it. It was therefore -decided that in this opening a number of vessels should be sunk; while -others, with their bows outward, were to be lashed together, and made -fast to the ends of the mole, so as to close the passage with a kind of -floating and armed bridge. A small squadron of the Royal fleet was to be -stationed between the mole and the inner harbour, to prevent the -vessels of the Rochellois from sallying out to burn the moored ships, -while the main part of the fleet would cruise between the canal and the -islands of Ré and Oléron to watch for the coming of the English. - -The construction of the mole was begun forthwith, but it was a -heartbreaking task, and it is probable that with anyone less inflexible -than Richelieu to supervise it it would soon have been abandoned. For -more than once the stormy sea destroyed in an hour the work of a week; -and, on one occasion, the result of three months’ labour was entirely -lost, through the fault of Louis de Marillac, who had caused the mole to -be made upright, instead of slanting. But the patience of man eventually -triumphed over the fury of the elements, and little by little the -gigantic work advanced towards completion, despite the winds and the -waves. - -Bassompierre, although, for political reasons, he may, like most of the -great nobles, have wished to spare the great stronghold of the Huguenot -party, carried out the duties entrusted to him with his customary zeal -and efficiency. Never probably had so much responsibility rested upon -him. He had to see that the soldiers and labourers engaged upon the mole -upon his side of the canal were promptly supplied with all they -required, so that the work might not be interrupted even for an hour. He -was responsible for the construction of all the forts and redoubts on -the western and north-western side of La Rochelle, which appear to have -been made from plans which he himself drew. He had constantly to be on -the alert, by day and night, to repel the sallies which the garrison -directed against the unfinished works, and to prevent the attempts -which, until the lines of circumvallation had been completed, were -constantly being made under cover of darkness to revictual the town. - -One morning in January, 1628, the marshal received a visit from the -Marquis de Grimault, who informed him that he had been sent by the -King, who had gone to spend a few days at a château near Nantes, to -express to him his Majesty’s displeasure to learn that he had been so -negligent as to allow a large herd of cattle to be driven through his -lines into the town. In great astonishment, Bassompierre inquired who -had accused him of this, and was told that it was the Duc d’Angoulême, -from whom the King had received a letter that morning. The marshal at -once despatched one of his officers, named Lisle-Rouet, who was a noted -huntsman and could be trusted to identify the track of any animal, to -investigate the affair; but Lisle-Rouet could find no sign of a herd of -cattle having passed through their lines. He then proceeded to examine -the country on the other side of La Rochelle, where the main part of the -Royal army under Angoulême and Schomberg lay, and, by good fortune, came -upon the track of the cattle near the village of Périgny, to the -south-east of the town. He returned and reported his discovery to -Bassompierre, who at once despatched him to the King, to whom, says the -marshal, “he expressed just resentment that I had been blamed for the -faults of others, and that without having heard me or had the matter -confirmed, the King should have not only judged but condemned me on the -mere statement of my enemy”; and he offered to prove, if his Majesty -would send someone who was a huntsman with him, that the cattle had -entered the town through Angoulême’s and Schomberg’s lines. - -Louis thereupon sent for the two commanders, before whom Lisle-Rouet -repeated what he had told the King. They, of course, declared that the -thing was impossible, upon which his Majesty suggested that they had -better go and examine the ground over which the cattle were said to have -passed themselves, and sent with them one of his gentlemen named -Croysilles, who, like Lisle-Rouet, was an experienced huntsman. -Croysilles confirmed the opinion of the other, and Angoulême and -Schomberg were reluctantly obliged to acknowledge that it was with -themselves, and not with Bassompierre, that the blame for a particularly -gross piece of negligence lay. - -It seems probable, however, that the admission of the cattle into La -Rochelle was due to something worse than negligence, at least so far as -Angoulême was concerned. Anyway, he was most severely reprimanded both -by the King and the Cardinal, the latter being furiously indignant that -the success of operations involving so much labour and such enormous -expense should be compromised in this fashion. As for Bassompierre, the -King, “satisfied him by many words of his esteem and affection for his -person”; but it must, nevertheless, have been very galling to the -marshal to find how ready his Majesty was to credit the most unfounded -accusations against even his most intimate friends. - -It was this very same unfortunate trait in Louis XIII’s character which -was just then causing his great Minister the keenest anxiety. To assure -his influence with the King it was necessary to be with him constantly, -so as to be in a position to disabuse his gloomy and fickle mind of the -suspicions which the enemies of the Cardinal were perpetually -endeavouring to implant there. Well, Louis had grown weary of the -monotony of the siege and had announced his intention of returning to -Paris. The Cardinal was profoundly alarmed. To follow the King was to -renounce La Rochelle, for no other than Richelieu was capable of -finishing the work of Richelieu; to remain, to separate from the King, -was to risk his political existence, for in Paris were his most -dangerous enemies, who would not fail to take the fullest advantage of -this opportunity his absence afforded them. How could he tell whether -some malign influence might not succeed in undermining the inconstant -monarch’s trust in him, and bringing the whole fabric of his ambition, -upon which alone it was reared, crashing to the ground? For a moment he -had almost determined to go with the King; but Père Joseph is said to -have persuaded him to stay, pointing out that, if he went, the -operations would almost certainly fail, and be followed by an outcry -which would ruin him. Anyway, he decided to remain, and Louis, who -appears to have recognised that his Minister’s resolution had something -magnanimous about it, took his departure for Paris on February 10 with -the promise that he would soon return, and left him with the title of -“Lieutenant-General of the Army,” the marshals, Bassompierre and -Schomberg, themselves being directed to take their orders from him. - -“It was a singular spectacle,” says Henri Martin, “this general in the -red hat, with his staff in mitre and cowl. But the Cardinal knew how to -render terrible what so nearly touched the grotesque. He had acted up to -then in the shadow of the King; he was henceforth general, admiral, -engineer, munitioner, intendant, paymaster. He communicated the fire of -his soul to all who surrounded him. The Bishop of Mende, who was -directing under him the construction of the mole, died meanwhile, giving -orders that his body was to be interred in La Rochelle. The spirit of -the soldiery and of the lesser nobility, who did not share the mental -reservations of the grandees, rose to the same pitch.” - -Meantime, however, storms were gathering on various parts of the -horizon, and all the enemies of France appeared to be striving to -prevent her achieving her political unity. Threatening preparations for -the relief of La Rochelle were going forward in the English ports; -Wallenstein was carrying all before him in Germany, and the fainting -princes of the North were sending despairing appeals for assistance; -while, worst of all, the Spaniards from the Milanese and the Duke of -Savoy had invaded the duchy of Mantua and the marquisate of Montferrato, -to which Charles of Gonzaga, Duc de Nevers, had succeeded on the death -of Vincenzo I, Duke of Mantua, in 1627, and were threatening Casale, on -the Po, a fortress which it was of the most vital importance to France -to save from falling into unfriendly hands.[112] - -But, until La Rochelle was taken, France could do little or nothing to -aid her hard-pressed ally, for all the troops which could be spared from -the defence of the frontiers, save those engaged to hold Rohan and the -Huguenots of the South in check, were concentrated before the Protestant -stronghold; all the money which could be raised was being thrown into -the mud of its canal. Recognising the impossibility of abandoning the -siege, but sorely troubled by the news from Italy, Richelieu determined -to make an attempt to take La Rochelle by surprise, although he was well -aware that his chance of success was of the slightest. On March 11, -accordingly, he sent for Bassompierre and informed him that that night -he was sending Marillac to endeavour to blow up the Porte des Salines, -and instructed the marshal to have 2,000 foot and 300 horse in readiness -to support him. Bassompierre assembled his troops with all due secrecy -at the place appointed, where he was joined by the Cardinal, with a -force about equal to his own. They waited there all night, expecting -every moment to hear the sound of the explosion; but nothing happened, -and it subsequently transpired that Marillac and the men who were -carrying the petard had lost their way in the darkness. - -In the early morning of the 13th another attempt was made, this time on -the south-eastern side of the town; but it failed completely, and more -than forty men were killed and wounded. - -After this second fiasco, Richelieu prudently abandoned the idea of -taking La Rochelle by a _coup de main_, and, feeling very uneasy as to -what was happening in Paris, wrote to the King pressing him to hasten -his return to the army, in order to discuss with him the situation. - -The Cardinal did well to be uneasy at Louis’s absence, for his enemies -at the Court had been very busy indeed, more so, in fact, even than he -appears to have imagined. This time the Queen-Mother was of the plot. -Marie, as we have seen, had supported Richelieu warmly so long as she -believed him to be her creature, prepared to place France at the mercy -of her petty passions; but gradually the unpalatable truth had begun to -dawn upon her sluggish mind that the Cardinal had been using her favour -merely as a stepping-stone to that of the King, and that it was upon the -son, and not upon the mother, that he intended to lean. The discovery -exasperated the Queen-Mother, and there were not wanting persons about -her to sympathise with her complaints against the neglect and -ingratitude of the Cardinal. Chief among these was Bérulle, recently -elevated to the cardinalate, Michel de Marillac, the Keeper of the -Seals, and other members of the High Catholic party. Loudly as these -pious souls had fulminated against the stubborn heretics of La Rochelle -in the past, they were now as little anxious for the fall of the town as -were the great nobles, though for a different reason. They knew that -with Richelieu religious considerations counted for very little in -comparison with political, and foresaw that, once the Huguenot party was -overthrown, he would make no attempt to interfere with that liberty of -conscience which the _dévots_ regarded with such indignation, and would -make use of his victory, not to revoke the Edict of Nantes, but to -thwart the designs of the House of Austria to crush the Protestant -princes of Northern Europe. - -Marie and her friends had recourse to all kinds of means to detain the -King in Paris, but they did not succeed; and on April 25 he rejoined the -army, which he found larger by several thousand men than when he had -quitted it at the beginning of February, while all the works were -approaching completion. - -On the following day a herald was sent to summon La Rochelle to -surrender in the name of the King; but the inhabitants refused to -receive him. - -The most violent party had gained the day in this unhappy town, and the -mayoralty had become a dictatorship. On March 3 the famous admiral of -the Rochellois, Jean Guiton, had been elected mayor, against his will. -“You know not what you are doing in nominating me,” said he. “Remember -that with me there must be no talk of surrender. If anyone says a word -about that, I will kill him.” And, drawing his poniard, he threw it on -to the table of the Hôtel de Ville and gave orders that it should be -left there. - -The King and the Cardinal thought for a moment of converting the -blockade into a regular siege with approaches in form, and endeavouring -to take La Rochelle by assault. But the council of war which they called -to discuss the matter objected that the only part of the fortifications -which was approachable was of immense strength, and that to attempt to -storm it would only entail a useless sacrifice of life. If Richelieu had -been as sure of the officers as he was of the soldiers, he would perhaps -have disregarded this advice, but he could not expose himself to the -chance of a serious reverse. He therefore decided that there was nothing -to be done but to continue the blockade and starve the place out. As for -the Italian situation, it was recognised that it was impossible for -France to intervene directly so long as La Rochelle remained untaken, -but authority was given to raise a force of volunteers, who were to -enter Italy by way of the Valtellina and throw themselves into Casale. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII - - Arrival of the English fleet under the Earl of Denbigh--Its - composition--Daring feat of an English pinnace--Retirement of the - fleet--Probable explanation of this fiasco--Indignation of Charles - I, who orders Denbigh to return to La Rochelle, but this is found - to be impossible--The Rochellois approach Bassompierre with a - request for a conference to arrange terms of surrender--The arrival - of a letter from Charles I promising to send another fleet to their - succour causes the negotiations to be broken off--La Rochelle in - the grip of famine--Refusal of Louis XIII to allow the old men, - women and children to pass through the Royal lines: their miserable - fate--Movements in favour of surrender among the citizens - suppressed by the Mayor Guiton--Terrible sufferings of La - Rochelle--Bassompierre spares the life of a Huguenot soldier who - had intended to kill him--Difficulties experienced by Charles I and - Buckingham in fitting out a new expedition--Assassination of - Buckingham--The vanguard of the English fleet, under the command of - the Earl of Lindsey, appear off La Rochelle--Narrow escape of - Richelieu and Bassompierre--The King takes up his quarters with - Bassompierre at Laleu--Arrival of the rest of the English - fleet--Feeble efforts of the English to force their way into the - harbour--The Rochellois, reduced to the last extremity, sue for - peace--Bassompierre conducts deputies from the town to - Richelieu--Surrender of La Rochelle--Bassompierre returns with the - King to Paris. - - -Bassompierre, who early in April had had an exceedingly narrow escape of -his life, a cannon-shot from the town having killed three soldiers to -whom he was speaking and covered him with earth, was busily employed -during the days which followed the King’s return to the army in erecting -a formidable battery on the Chef de Baie, a promontory at the -north-western extremity of the canal, opposite Coreilles, for the -arrival of the English fleet was now daily expected. - -To the profound mortification of Charles I, who considered the -deliverance of La Rochelle a matter of personal honour, the difficulty -of obtaining both money and men had delayed the fitting out of the -expedition until the spring was well advanced; but at the end of April -it sailed from Portsmouth, under the command of the Earl of Denbigh, -Buckingham’s brother-in-law, and on May 11 appeared off the Île de Ré. - - “On Thursday the 11th,” writes Bassompierre, “M. de Mailsais (the - new Archbishop of Bordeaux),[113] and several others, being come to - dine with me, I brought them at noon to the battery of Chef de - Baie, at which time the English fleet appeared off Baleines.[114] - It was perceived by a sentinel who had been posted for that purpose - in the belfry of Ars, in the Île de Ré, and Toiras, on being - informed, sent in all haste to give the signal from the Fort de la - Prée which he had arranged with me: three cannon-shots and a thick - smoke. I caught sight of it also at the same moment, from the - battery of the Chef de Baie, where I stood with the gentlemen of - whom I have spoken, and ordered the signal to be given to warn our - armies on sea and land, which was three cannon-shots from the said - battery, and sent to warn the Cardinal (who had come to lodge on my - side of the town, at a château called La Saussaye, half a league - from La Fons). Then our naval armament, under the command of the - Commandeur de Valençai, set sail, and advanced towards the - promontory of Saint-Blanceau. At two o’clock in the afternoon, the - advance-guard of the English appeared near Saint-Martin-de-Ré. The - King was forthwith warned of it by the Cardinal, who came to - Coreilles with him to witness the approach of the naval army of the - enemy. The Cardinal went to lodge at Aytré, in order to look to - matters on that side. The whole fleet, which was advancing in three - lines, was composed of fifty-two vessels, to wit, four of the - King’s great ships-of-war, seven other vessels of five hundred tons - burden, and forty-one little vessels of one hundred tons and less, - both fire-ships and ships laden with provisions, so far as one - could conjecture. But what made us quite confident that they would - be unable to effect anything, and that our fleet would be - incomparably stronger than theirs, was that neither the King’s - ships-of-war nor the other great vessels would find sufficient - depth of water to enter the canal. - - “About seven o’clock in the evening the English fleet approached to - anchor at Chef de Baie. But, to prevent them, I ordered the battery - to fire fifty cannon-shot upon the vessels of the advance-guard, of - which three struck the hulls of the vessels and killed a few men, - and the others pierced their sails. This caused them to stand out - to sea towards the Straits of Antioche,[115] where they cast - anchor.” - -The English appear to have imagined that they had only to show -themselves to enter the harbour, as they had been informed that the -French had only a few ships and that the mole was but little advanced. -They were astonished to behold the approach barred by twenty-nine -vessels and a swarm of boats and armed shallops. The flanks of this -fleet were protected by the batteries which bristled on the two -promontories of Chef de Baie and Coreilles and on both sides of the -canal. Even supposing that they were able to force this formidable -barrier, they would find themselves confronted by the mole, now almost -completed, which was fortified by four batteries, one at each extremity, -and one on either side of a narrow opening left for the passage of the -tides. A little fort, built in the canal, covered this opening on the -side of the sea, and this fort was covered, in its turn, by twenty-four -vessels lashed together in the shape of a half-moon. On the other side -of the mole, a second floating stockade of armed boats prevented the -Rochellois from communicating with their allies. - -It may be questioned, as Gardiner very justly observes, whether Drake or -Nelson, followed by crews as high-spirited and as energetic as -themselves, would have made an attack successfully. But Denbigh’s fleet -was for the most part manned by pressed men, carried off against their -will from their ordinary occupations to a service of danger, in which -the reward was but scanty pay, or, most probably, no pay at all. Many of -them were soldiers converted into sailors from sheer necessity. Such men -could have had but little stomach for the business in hand, nor was -Denbigh the kind of commander to inspire those under him with a more -daring spirit. - -Denbigh would appear to have founded some hope on the superiority of his -ships-of-war over any which the French could oppose to them; but he was -assured by the Rochellois _émigrés_ who were with him that these great -vessels would undoubtedly run aground in the shallow waters of the -canal. He therefore decided to wait until the next spring tide made the -attack easier for his fire-ships; but, in any case, it would have been -impossible for him to have attempted anything of importance for nearly a -week, as during that time, Bassompierre tells us, the wind was blowing -hard off the coast. - -More than one attempt, however, was made by small vessels to run the -blockade under cover of darkness; and during the night of the 14th-15th, -Bassompierre learned that an English pinnace had passed through the -opening in the mole. He sent at once to warn the vessels which lay -between the mole and the inner harbour; but the pinnace succeeded in -evading them and reached the town in safety. It was a most daring feat -and worthy of the best traditions of the Navy. - -On the 15th there was an alarm that the English fleet was getting under -way, and Richelieu sent the Swiss Guards and Vaubecourt’s regiment to -reinforce Bassompierre at Chef de Baie. However, nothing happened. - -On the following day the English sent a fire-ship against the French -fleet, but the boats succeeded in towing it to the shore of the canal. -It was thought probable that the enemy might attempt an attack that -night, and the King came to spend it in Bassompierre’s quarters, the -marshal sleeping in his coach. - -On the 18th Louis XIII dined and held his Council at Bassompierre’s -quarters, and then went with him to Chef de Baie to watch the enemy’s -fleet in the Straits of Antioche. He then started to return to Aytré, -accompanied by the marshal; but, after they had proceeded some little -distance, happening to glance back, they observed great activity aboard -the English ships: anchors were being weighed, sailors were going aloft -hoisting sails, and it was evident that a general movement was about to -take place. - -Bassompierre returned in all haste to Chef de Baie, and the French on -land and sea began hurriedly preparing to meet the expected attack. - -Presently, the great ships-of-war stood in towards the canal, until they -had got within range, when they tacked, discharged their broadsides into -the French vessels, and then stood out to sea, as did the whole fleet. -The French watched them with astonishment, scarcely daring to believe -that they really intended to leave the beleaguered city to its fate -without any serious attempt to force their way into the harbour; but -they held on their course, running rapidly before the wind, and ere long -the last of their sails disappeared below the horizon. “Then,” says -Bassompierre, “we returned to our quarters to make good cheer without -fear of the enemy and with good hope of the speedy reduction of La -Rochelle.” - -It is very difficult to decide who was to blame for this fiasco, for the -evidence is exceedingly conflicting. The English officers, when they -came home, threw all the blame on the Rochellois refugees who -accompanied them, while the Rochellois bitterly retorted the accusation. -The explanation given by Gardiner, who is always scrupulously fair in -his criticism of naval and military operations, is as follows:-- - - “On the morning of the 8th [the 18th according to French - chronology] a fresh apprehension seized on the commander [Denbigh]. - The wind was blowing from Rochelle, and if he could not set fire to - the ships of the enemy, the French might possibly set fire to his. - He therefore gave the order to weigh anchor, that the fleet might - retire to a little distance. When the minds of men are in a state - of despondency, the slightest retrograde movement is fatal. The - Rochellois weighed anchor as they were told, but they understood - the expedition had been abandoned and made all sail for England. - Thus deserted, the whole fleet followed their example.” - -When the news that the expedition which he had only succeeded in sending -out after so many difficulties and delays was on its way home, Charles -I, who, only a day or two before, had sent orders to Denbigh to hold on -at La Rochelle so long as possible and to send for reinforcements if he -required them, was furiously indignant. He at once despatched Lord -Fielding, Denbigh’s son, to Portsmouth to press into the King’s service -every vessel he found there, and to direct his father to return at all -hazards to La Rochelle and to await the reinforcements and supplies -which would be sent him. But it was impossible for Denbigh to carry out -these orders. His ships were full of sick men and very short of -provisions, while some of them were urgently in need of repairs, and to -send them to sea again before these were effected would, if bad weather -came on, entail the loss of them and their crews. Besides this, three of -his merchant-vessels laden with corn for La Rochelle had been snapped up -by Dunkirk privateers within sight of the English coast, and they and -their freights would have to be replaced. The King reluctantly -acknowledged the force of Denbigh’s representations and sent orders to -him to refit, while all the available maritime force of the country was -being got ready to accompany him. - -The retreat of the English produced a profound impression both in France -and abroad. The clergy, assembled at Fontenai, in Poitou, voted a -subsidy of three millions to aid the King to finish his work. The Comte -de Soissons, who had contemplated raising the standard of revolt in -Dauphiné and joining Rohan, sued for pardon and came to the Royal camp -to make his peace with the King; while the Duc de la Trémoille, the -greatest noble of Poitou, hastened to abjure the Protestant faith, and -was received into the Catholic Church by Richelieu, who promptly -rewarded his “conversion” by the command of the light cavalry. It -appears to have been the almost general belief that the surrender of La -Rochelle was near at hand, a belief which was strengthened when, a week -after the departure of the English fleet, the Rochellois made an -unsuccessful attempt to send their “_bouches inutiles_” through the -lines of the besiegers, thus admitting that the town was already -beginning to feel the pinch of hunger. - -But those who counted on the early surrender of La Rochelle understood -but little the grim tenacity of that people, so well personified by the -inflexible seaman whom it had chosen as its chief. The mayor Guiton, -ably seconded by the old Duchesse de Rohan and the eloquent minister -Salbert, exhorted their fellow-citizens to endure all things for the -sake of their faith and to choose death rather than dishonour. -Nevertheless, so great was the despondency which followed the departure -of the English that these zealots were unable to prevent negotiations -being opened with the Royal army, though it is probable that they had no -intention of allowing them to be carried through. Anyway, on May 31, a -drummer from the town came to Bassompierre’s quarters; informed him that -the citizens were debating the question of surrender, and requested that -he would send someone to arrange for a conference. Bassompierre -despatched the Comte, afterwards the Maréchal, de Grancey to La -Rochelle, and sent to inform the King and the Cardinal, who expressed -their approval; and on the following day commissioners were appointed on -both sides. On the morrow, however, the negotiations were abruptly -broken off by the Rochellois: - - “_Friday, the 2nd_ [June].--The Rochellois received a letter from - the King of England by which he promised them to hazard his three - kingdoms for their salvation, and that in a few days he would send - such a fleet as would render them effectual aid. This encouraged - the zealots to make the people resolve to suffer the last - extremities rather than surrender. They instructed Grancey to - inform me of this and sent me a copy of the letter.” - -Alas for the unhappy Rochellois! Distracted by troubles at home and at -his wits’ end for money, many weeks were to pass before Charles was to -be in a position to redeem his promise, and long before that time the -last extremities had come upon the people whom he and his favourite had -so wantonly incited to revolt. - -During the ensuing weeks an occasional attempt was made to revictual La -Rochelle on the land side, but without success, and by the end of June -the town was in the grip of famine. Half the population was already -subsisting on vegetables, roots, and shell-fish, but soon these -resources failed, and they were obliged to have recourse to all the -deplorable expedients which hunger can impose on the revolted senses. -Soon there was not a cat or dog in the town, and when these had -disappeared, parchments, skins and leather were cut into shreds, soaked -in water, boiled, and eaten, with a little syrup to season the dish. -Some endeavoured to support life on bran and chopped straw; others -declared war on rats and mice. - -Several attempts were made to send the old men, women, and children out -of the town; but Louis XIII, who had none of his father’s kindly heart, -which had led him to have compassion on the fugitives at the time of the -siege of Paris, gave orders for them to be driven back. Those who -persisted in trying to pass through the Royal lines were taken and -hanged. Guiton, more inflexible even than the King, ended by refusing to -open the gates to the poor creatures whom he had expelled, and numbers -of them perished miserably between the besieging army and the walls of -the town. - -About the middle of July, a rising in favour of peace broke out amongst -the least zealous inhabitants. It was, however, speedily put down by the -fanatical party, and Guiton caused several of the leaders to be -executed. Early in August, however, a more regular attempt was made in -the council of the town itself. Several of the magistrates of the -Présidial inclined to submission, and one of them declared that they -ought to surrender, provided that the King would leave them their walls -and their religious liberty, pointing out that if the English fleet had -been unable to effect anything when the canal was only partially closed, -it could not reasonably be expected to be more successful now that the -mole was completed. Guiton did not make use of the poniard which still -lay on the council-table against the speaker, but he struck him with his -fist. Another councillor then struck the mayor, and this unseemly brawl -terminated by the Council ordering the arrest of Guiton. The latter -however, raised the people against the moderate party, and the two -councillors who had offended him had to go into hiding to escape being -torn to pieces by the mob, who had been persuaded that there was no -mercy to hope for from the King, and that, if they opened their gates, -the men would be massacred and the women abandoned to the soldiers. - -Day after day, from the top of the ramparts, the famished citizens -scanned the sea in the hope of catching sight of the approaching sails -of the English fleet; day after day their hopes mocked them. The -deputies of La Rochelle in England addressed to Charles I the most -touching remonstrances in the name of their perishing city, but the King -could do nothing until the necessary subsidies for the equipment of -another expedition had been voted by Parliament, and even when these had -been obtained, as the price of his surrender on the question of the -Petition of Right, fresh obstacles arose to delay the departure of the -fleet. And, meanwhile, the condition of La Rochelle was growing daily -more terrible. - -The markets were deserted, the shops closed, numbers of houses were -unoccupied, every member of the families who had once occupied them -having perished. Dead bodies were constantly found in the streets--the -bodies of those who had wandered hither and thither in a vain search for -food, and at last had lain down and died, too weak to crawl back to -their homes. And there they often remained for days, since it was -difficult for the authorities to procure men with enough strength left -to carry them away and bury them. - -Amid all the horrors of the famine there were numerous instances of -heroic self-devotion. For a week a father kept his child alive by -nourishing it with his own blood, and many preferred death to sharing -what little food they could get with those whom they loved. The -preachers went about amongst the people, exhorting them to faith in -Heaven, and the old Duchesse de Rohan ably seconded their efforts. As -for Guiton, he was as inflexible as ever; nothing could bend that iron -will. “One of his friends,” writes Pontis, “pointed out to him a person -of their acquaintance who was dying of hunger. ‘Are you astonished at -that?’ he answered coldly. ‘It is what you and I will assuredly have to -come to!’ And when another observed to him that the whole town was -famishing to death, he replied with the same coldness: ‘If one man -remains to close the gates, it is enough!’” - -The garrison, for whom the scanty supplies of the town had been -husbanded to the utmost, fared better than the citizens; but by the -middle of August it was found necessary to reduce their rations to what -barely sufficed to enable even the strongest to carry out their duties. -Many of the soldiers, who were not sustained by the same religious zeal -as the Rochellois, attempted to surrender to the enemy; but, for the -reasons which had caused the refugees to be driven back, orders were -issued that their surrender was not to be accepted. - - “_On Monday the 14th_ [August],” writes Bassompierre, “fifty - soldiers of the town came out towards Fort Sainte-Marie and asked - to speak to me. They wished to surrender and to bring two hundred - others with two captains; but I refused them.” - -And on the following day:-- - - “A number of soldiers from La Rochelle came again to demand to be - allowed to leave; but it was in vain.” - -A few days later a single soldier presented himself at Bassompierre’s -quarters and asked to speak to him in private. The marshal granted his -request, but took the precaution to have him searched first. It was well -that he did so, for a loaded pistol was found under the man’s doublet. -“I sent him back,” says Bassompierre, “being unwilling to do him any -harm.” Which act of forbearance does him great credit, though it is open -to question whether the poor, starving wretch would not have much -preferred to be hanged. - -The following night some of the garrison, rendered desperate by their -sufferings, endeavoured to make their way through Bassompierre’s lines -and killed one of his sentries. They were all shot down. - -Although the money required for the expedition to La Rochelle had been -obtained, the preparations for its departure were still far from -complete, for the Navy was in a deplorable condition, the ships badly in -need of repairs, the men without discipline, the officers without -enthusiasm. Towards the middle of August, Charles I went down to -Southwick, a country-house near Portsmouth, to supervise personally the -fitting out of the fleet, leaving Buckingham, who was to take command of -the expedition, in London to hasten the despatch of the supplies that -were needed. No man in England believed any more in the duke or his -undertakings, and it was only with the utmost difficulty that he could -get his officers to carry out his orders. “I find nothing,” he wrote to -Conway, “of more difficulty and uncertainty than the preparations for -the service of Rochelle. Every man says he has all things ready, and yet -all remain as it were at a stand.” - -On August 17 Buckingham went down to Portsmouth to consult the King -concerning certain proposals to bring about peace between England and -France which he had just received from the Venetian Ambassador, -Contarini. Both he and Charles had now begun to realise their folly in -engaging in a war with France while they had so many troubles at home, -and while their hapless allies in Germany and Denmark, to whom they were -powerless to render any effective aid, were justly imputing to them -their misfortunes. They appear to have thought less of fighting, for -they could not disguise from themselves that the difficulty of relieving -La Rochelle must by this time be almost insuperable, than of obtaining -for the Rochellois, by a great display of force, tolerable terms. -Buckingham, however, was never again to see the shores of France, as on -the morning of August 23 he was assassinated by Felton. - -The duke’s death did not alter the situation, but it, of course, delayed -the departure of the fleet, and it was not until more than a fortnight -later that it at last sailed, under the command of the Earl of Lindsey, -who had succeeded to Buckingham’s office of Lord High Admiral. It was an -infinitely more powerful fleet than that which Denbigh had commanded, -and consisted of some 120 vessels of various sizes, including fire-ships -and vessels loaded with bombs to blow up the stockades. - -In the afternoon of the 28th the sentinel in the belfry of -Saint-Martin-de-Ré signalled to Bassompierre the approach of the -English, and towards night the advance-guard cast anchor in a bay off -the Île de Loix. - -On the following morning the English ships got under way and approached -the canal, but the wind changed and they returned to their stations. The -Cardinal, who had come to Chef de Baie, offered to take Bassompierre -back to the marshal’s quarters in his coach. On the way they both had a -narrow escape, a cannon-shot from the town ploughing up the ground close -to the coach and filling it with earth. - -In the afternoon Louis XIII sent to inform Bassompierre that he proposed -to do him the honour of taking up his quarters with him at Laleu, adding -that he was to make what arrangements for his reception he thought fit -and was to put himself to as little inconvenience as possible. His -Majesty arrived, accompanied by his whole entourage, and more than -twelve hundred gentlemen, to say nothing of his Household troops: -Musketeers, Light Horse, Gensdarmes and Gardes du Corps, for all of whom -Bassompierre had to find accommodation. However, he rose to the occasion -and “received and entertained the company in such fashion that everyone -marvelled.” The King remained five weeks at Laleu, and as he was -graciously pleased to regard himself as the guest of the marshal, the -latter had, of course, to defray the expenses of his stay, which -amounted to 800 crowns a day. - -Another squadron of the English fleet arrived that evening, and two -more, including sixteen powerful ships-of-war, on the following day. -During the afternoon some of the King’s ships stood in towards Chef de -Baie and exchanged shots with Bassompierre’s batteries, after which they -all came to anchor in the Straits of Antioche. - -On October 1 the remainder of the English fleet came in, but contrary -winds prevented any forward movement during that and the following day. -But towards morning on the 3rd the wind changed, and Bassompierre -judged, from the boats passing continually to and fro between the -vessels, that an attack was preparing. He was right, for, so soon as -morning broke, the English ships got under way and stood in towards the -canal. - -The marshal at once ordered the drums to beat to quarters and sent to -warn the King and the Cardinal. They both hastened to Chef de Baie, -where Louis announced his intention of remaining, while the Cardinal -went to take up his station on the mole. - -Favoured by wind and tide, the English fleet approached in three -divisions. It was an imposing spectacle. The French fleet, under the -orders of Valençay, filled the canal. The mole, which since the -departure of Denbigh’s expedition had been completed and strengthened by -the erection of a double row of gigantic _chevaux de frise_, the two -floating stockades, the forts, the cliffs, the banks of the canal, -bristled with guns and soldiers. Thousands of volunteers from all parts -of France had flocked to La Rochelle to take part in the long-expected -combat and filled the ships and the boats. Standing on the mole, in the -centre of the great scene, the Cardinal calmly contemplated the coming -of the enemy; while on the ramparts of the beleaguered town the famished -citizens awaited in silence the issue of the battle which was to decide -their fate. - -Alas for the unhappy Rochellois! The sufferings which they had endured -with such heroic fortitude were all in vain. The officers and crews of -Lindsey’s fleet were no more ready to follow him into danger than those -of Denbigh’s had been to follow their commander in the spring. The -masters of the armed merchantmen, which formed the advance-guard, -complained that they were being deliberately sacrificed to save the -King’s ships, which had been ordered to follow in support. The King’s -ships drew too much water to come to close quarters, and the admiral -could only order them to stand in as far as possible without running -aground. They took good care that there should be no possibility of -that. - -The merchantmen approached just within range of the French fleet and -the batteries on the promontories, discharged a broadside, went about, -discharged another broadside and then fell back, while the King’s ships -advanced and did the same. This performance was repeated three times, -while the guns of the French fleet and of the batteries at Chef de Baie -and Coreilles[116] blazed away at them. The noise was terrific, but the -range was too long for much damage to be suffered by either side,[117] -and, after the action--if such it can be called--had lasted a couple of -hours, the tide turned, and the English ships returned to their -anchorage. No attempt had been made to close with and board any of the -French vessels, though Lindsey’s despatches show that he believed that -this operation was perfectly feasible. - -At daybreak on the 4th the English renewed the attack, but with no more -effect than on the previous day. In vain orders were sent to the -captains to stand in closer to the French fleet and send in fire-ships -against it. A few fire-ships were sent drifting in, but without any -attempt to direct their course; and the French boats, braving the fire -of the enemy’s guns, advanced to meet them, towed them aside, and ran -them ashore beneath the cliffs of Chef de Baie, where they could do no -harm. Not a French ship was set on fire. Not a man on either side -killed. A more futile affair could not be imagined. - -After the English ships had returned to their anchorage, the Rochellois -_émigrés_ who were with them sent to demand a parley, and Bassompierre -despatched Lisle-Rouet to bring two of them ashore, whom he took in his -coach to Richelieu’s quarters. The deputies asked that they might be -allowed to enter La Rochelle, in order to see for themselves the state -which the town was in, and make a report to their friends; but their -request was refused. That night Bassompierre had the satisfaction of -laying his hands on a famous spy from La Rochelle named Tavart, who had -already been arrested twice before, but on each occasion had contrived -to effect his escape, in consequence of which the Grand Provost, La -Trousse, who had been responsible for his safe custody, had been -disgraced. The marshal, however, took care that this bold fellow should -not be allowed a third chance, and caused him to be hanged the next -morning. He deserved a better fate. - -On the 5th _Monsieur_ returned to the army, accompanied by a suite of -thirty gentlemen, and took up his quarters temporarily with -Bassompierre, who was called upon to defray the expenses of the prince -and his entourage. The siege of La Rochelle threatened to prove almost -as costly an affair for the unfortunate marshal as his embassy to -England. - -In the course of the day it came on to blow hard and the English fleet -had an unpleasant time of it. On the following morning, as the gale -showed no sign of abating, they weighed, and retired to the safer -anchorage of the Île d’Aix. Despite the pitiable results of his attacks -on the 3rd and 4th, Lindsey could not make up his mind to relinquish -hope, and had decided to wait a few days, when the spring tide would -enable him to bring his larger ships nearer to the mole. Time, however, -pressed. A message reached the fleet that La Rochelle was now reduced to -the last extremity and could hold out at furthest but a few days longer; -and as the prospect of being able to relieve the town was, at best, -exceedingly dubious, it was decided to send Walter Montague, who had -accompanied the expedition, to interview Richelieu, on the pretext of -arranging for an exchange of prisoners. - -Montague came to see the Cardinal on the 14th; he returned on the -following day, and again on the 16th, when Richelieu and Bassompierre -took him to see the mole and the other defence works. “He expressed his -astonishment at our work,” says the marshal, “and declared to us that it -was impossible to force the canal.” - -The Cardinal told the English envoy that the King could not tolerate the -mediation of a foreign prince between him and his revolted subjects; but -a truce of a fortnight was granted, in order to allow Lindsey to -communicate with his Government, with a view to bringing about peace -between England and France, in which La Rochelle would be included. In -the interval, however, the town surrendered. - -On the 22nd the Huguenot refugees in the English fleet sent a request to -Bassompierre for a safe-conduct, as they desired to see the Cardinal. -This was granted, and on the following day six of them landed and were -driven in the marshal’s coach to the Cardinal’s quarters at La Saussaye; -while Bassompierre himself went to the Fort of La Fons to meet the -deputies from La Rochelle, who were also demanding to see Richelieu. At -the Cardinal’s request, he brought them to La Saussaye, where they were -conducted into a gallery to await his Eminence’s pleasure. - - “Then the Cardinal, with whom were M. de Schomberg, M. de - Bouthillier[118] and myself, ordered those who had come from the - sea to be admitted and gave them audience. They told him in - substance that they begged him to permit them to see those of La - Rochelle, and that they felt sure that after they had spoken to - them they would return to their duty. Those of La Rochelle were - next admitted, and demanded permission to communicate with their - fellow-citizens who were in the English fleet, and said that - afterwards they would surrender the town into the King’s hands, - begging the Cardinal very humbly to secure for them tolerable - conditions. Upon that the Cardinal answered that, if they would - promise not to speak to them, he would show them the deputies from - the fleet. This they promised, and the Cardinal went into his - gallery and told the deputies from the ship that, if they would - assure him that they would not speak to the Rochellois, he would - let them see them at once. This being agreed, he brought them into - his chamber, where the Rochellois had remained with us. They - saluted one another with an astonishment which it was amusing to - see, after which he made them [the deputies from the fleet] return - to the gallery. Then they [the deputies from La Rochelle] offered - to return to their obedience to the King, and besought the Cardinal - to procure his pardon for them. This he promised them, telling them - that the King had gone on an excursion for a week, but that, when - he returned, he would speak to him about it. Upon which one of the - deputies cried: ‘How, Monseigneur, a week? There is not food in La - Rochelle for three days!’ Then the Cardinal spoke to them gravely, - and pointed out to them the state to which they had reduced - themselves, adding that, nevertheless, he would endeavour to - incline the King to show them some mercy; and forthwith he caused - the articles of the capitulation to be drawn up for them to carry - back to La Rochelle; and they said that assuredly they would accept - them. And so they went back again, and those from the ships - likewise, who had permission to speak to their fellow-citizens, and - they begged to be included in the amnesty with them. And to this - the Cardinal consented, under the good pleasure of the King.” - -The capitulation, drawn up in the form of letters of pardon, was signed -on the 28th. The refugees who were in the English fleet, or who had -remained in England, received their pardon also, on condition that they -returned to France within three months. - -On the following day a deputation from the town came to make their -submission to the King. The _maréchaux de camp_, Marillac and Le -Hallier, met the deputies at the Porte Neuve of La Rochelle and -conducted them to the entrance to the Royal lines, where Bassompierre -was awaiting them. The marshal then conducted them to Laleu and -presented them to the Cardinal, who, in his turn, presented them to the -King, “to whom, throwing themselves on their knees, they made very -humble submission. The King then spoke a few words to them, and the -Keeper of the Seals at greater length, and finally the King pardoned -them.” - -On the 30th the town was occupied by the French and Swiss Guards. The -sights they beheld were heartrending. The houses, the streets, the -squares were encumbered with dead bodies which the living had not had -the strength to bury; and as the troops passed along they were assailed -by a crowd of living spectres, who, ravenous with hunger, snatched at -the ammunition-bread suspended from the soldiers’ bandoliers. Nearly -15,000 people--that is to say, about half the population of La -Rochelle--had perished; in all the town there were not 150 men capable -of bearing arms. - -The Cardinal made his entry the same day into the conquered town, -preceded by a great convoy of provisions. Although ill and weak with -fever, he had decided to make his entry on horseback, like a victorious -general. Guiton, the man who had defied him for so many months, came, in -his capacity as mayor, to receive him, escorted by six archers. The -Cardinal sternly ordered him to dismiss his escort, as the office of -Mayor of La Rochelle was henceforth abolished. Then he inquired of -Guiton what he thought of the Kings of France and England. “I think,” -was the reply, “that it is better to have for master the King who has -taken La Rochelle than the King who was unable to defend it.”[119] - -On November 1 Richelieu, transformed from the general into the priest, -celebrated Mass in the Church of Sainte-Marguerite, assisted by his -faithful lieutenant, Sourdis, Archbishop of Bordeaux. Then he went to -take the keys of the town to Louis XIII, who made his entry late in the -day, the Cardinal riding “all alone before the King, as though to show -to all that he was the second person in France.” - -Some days later a royal declaration was issued, the preamble of which -announced that the King had conquered by the aid of the Divine -Providence, and by the “counsel, prudence, vigilance and toil” of the -Cardinal. The mayoralty and all the other municipal offices of La -Rochelle were abolished, the privileges of its citizens suppressed, and -all its fortifications, save the three towers of La Lanterne, La Chaine -and Saint-Nicholas and the ramparts facing the sea, were to be razed to -the ground. The Pope was to be petitioned to make the town into a -bishopric. - -On the whole, however, it is impossible to deny that La Rochelle was -treated with remarkable leniency. The town, it is true, lost its -independence, which was, indeed, incompatible with the sovereignty of -the King, but there was no vengeance taken, no victims sacrificed, no -wanton mockery or insult offered to the vanquished. The lives and -property of the inhabitants were spared, and their liberty of worship -secured to them. - - * * * * * - -After the fall of La Rochelle, the Cardinal sent for Bassompierre and -proposed to him that he should continue in command of the division of -the army now serving under him, lead it to the Rhône, and there await -orders to march into Italy to the relief of Casale. But the marshal -begged his Eminence to excuse him, pointing out that though, in ordinary -circumstances, he would be only too happy to have such a command, he had -disbursed during the siege, largely in entertaining the King and other -illustrious persons, no less a sum than 120,000 crowns, and that, in -consequence, it was absolutely imperative that he should proceed to -Paris, “for the purpose of putting his affairs in order.” The Cardinal -accepted his excuses, and on November 18 Bassompierre set out with the -King for Paris, into which Louis XIII made a triumphal entry, to -celebrate his victory over the last great French town which was ever to -stand up against the Monarchy, until in 1789 Paris rose and swept that -ancient institution away. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII - - The Duc de Rohan and the Huguenots of the South continue their - resistance--Opposition of Marie de’ Medici and the High Catholic - party to Richelieu’s Italian policy--The Cardinal’s memorial to - Louis XIII--_Monsieur_ appointed to the command of the army which - is to enter Italy--The King, jealous of his brother, decides to - command in person--Twelve thousand crowns for a dozen of - cider--Combat of the Pass of Susa--Treaty signed with Charles - Emmanuel of Savoy--Problem of the reception of the Genoese - Ambassadors--Anger of Louis XIII at a jest of Bassompierre--Peace - with England--Campaign against the Huguenots of Languedoc--Massacre - of the garrison of Privas--“_La Paix de Grâce_”--Surrender of - Montauban--Richelieu and d’Épernon--Bassompierre returns to Paris - with the Cardinal--Their frigid reception by the - Queen-Mother--Richelieu proposes to retire from affairs and the - Court, but an accommodation is effected. - - -Although the great bulwark of Protestantism had fallen, Richelieu did -not have his hands entirely free. The obstinate Rohan, by great -exertions, prevented the Huguenot party from dissolving beneath this -staggering blow; and it was decided by a General Assembly which met at -Nîmes not to submit unless their rights were preserved to them by a -treaty guaranteed by the King of England. However, the continued -resistance of the Huguenots of the South was not a matter of urgent -importance, since the Royal troops already engaged there were well able -to hold Rohan in check, until such time as the Cardinal was at leisure -to undertake a vigorous offensive against him; and he therefore decided -to bend all his energies to the more pressing task of relieving Casale. - -The duchy of Mantua had not been seriously attacked, the Spaniards and -the Piedmontese having concentrated their efforts on the conquest of -Montferrato. Charles Emmanuel had promptly seized upon his share of the -spoil; but the governor of Milan, Don Gonzalez de Cordoba, had shown -little skill and less energy in the conduct of his operations, and had -been unable to prevent Casale, gallantly defended by the French -volunteers, from being revictualled on several occasions. However, the -town was now being closely besieged, and though the garrison, ably -seconded by the citizens, could be trusted to offer a stubborn -resistance, it was imperative that help should arrive with as little -delay as possible. - -Richelieu had, however, to gain a new victory at the Court before being -able to go to the succour of the allies of France beyond the Alps. The -Queen-Mother, who hated the Gonzaga family, and had an old grudge -against the Duc de Nevers, now become Duke of Mantua, strenuously -opposed the intervention of France in the affairs of Italy. Indifferent -to the fact that neither the honour nor the interest of France would -permit the sacrifice of such old allies as the Gonzagas, she urged that -the King ought to permit the aggrandisement of the House of Savoy, the -heir of which was the husband of his sister. The High Catholic party in -the Council, indignant that Richelieu, instead of devoting himself to -crushing the remnant of the Huguenots, proposed to make war on the King -of Spain, supported her warmly; and it is not improbable that their -combined efforts might have been successful, had not the astute Cardinal -had recourse to an expedient which he had already employed with success -on more than one previous occasion. - -First, he presented to the King a memorial, in which he outlined the -policy, foreign and domestic, which he considered it essential that his -Majesty should follow for his own glory and the welfare of his realm. -Then, in his character of priest, he pointed out, with audacious -frankness, the grave defects in his Majesty’s character: his idleness, -his inconstancy, his neglect of even his most faithful and devoted -servants, and so forth, which it was most necessary he should endeavour -to remedy if he - -[Illustration: MARIE DE’ MÉDICISÎle, QUEEN OF FRANCE. - -From an old print.] - -desired to be a great king. And, finally, he tendered his resignation, -on the pretext that his health was no longer equal to the cares of -office. - -Richelieu had little doubt what the answer would be. Louis, aware of his -personal incapacity, and unwilling to renounce the power and glory which -his great Minister had promised him, and which, as he well knew, he -alone was capable of securing for him, accepted his advice and refused -his resignation. - -Marie de’ Medici, finding herself unable to prevent the Italian -expedition, demanded for _Monsieur_ the command of the army, under the -pretext of saving the King from the hardships and dangers of a winter -campaign in the Alps. Richelieu did not see his way to oppose the -Queen-Mother’s request, and Louis consented; but his jealousy of his -brother soon asserted itself, and, to the intense mortification of Marie -and _Monsieur_, the arrangement was cancelled. - - “After the King had given him [_Monsieur_] this command,” writes - Bassompierre, “he fancied that the glory which _Monsieur_ his - brother was going to acquire in this expedition would be - detrimental to his own (so much power has jealousy amongst near - relations), and his head, or more properly his heart, was so full - of this idea that he could not rest. On the 3rd of January he came - to Chaillot, where by chance I had come to see the Cardinal, who - was then staying there, and, being closeted with him, began to tell - him that he could not suffer his brother to go to command his army - beyond the mountains. The Cardinal said that there was only one way - of cancelling the appointment, which was for the King to go - himself, and that, if he resolved upon this step, he must set out - in a week at the furthest. To this he cordially assented and, at - the same time, turned round and called me from the other end of the - room. As I approached, he said: ‘Here is a man who will go with me - and serve me well.’ I asked him where. ‘Into Italy,’ said he, - ‘where I am going in a week to make them raise the siege of Casale. - Get ready to go and to serve me as my lieutenant-general, under my - brother, if he chooses to go.’ Upon this the King returned to Paris - and informed the Queen-Mother, and she informed _Monsieur_, who was - not best pleased at the arrangement. Nevertheless, he affected to - be so and got ready to depart.” - -On January 15, 1629, Louis XIII, having entrusted to Marie de’ Medici -the task of pursuing the negotiations for peace with England, left Paris -for Grenoble, where the army with which he proposed to enter Italy was -assembled. - - “The evening before the King set out,” says Bassompierre, “he asked - me for some cider, as I had been in the habit of giving him some - very good, which my friends sent me from Normandy, knowing that I - liked it. I sent him a dozen bottles, and in the evening when I - went to him for the password he said: ‘Betstein, you have given me - twelve bottles of cider, and now I give you 12,000 crowns. Go and - find Effiat, who will give you the money.’ ‘Sire,’ said I, ‘I have - the whole case at home, which, if it please you, I will let you - have at the same price.’ He, however, was satisfied with the dozen - bottles, and I with his liberality.” - -This might seem an act of great munificence on the part of Louis XIII, -did we not remember that the royal donor had been the guest of the -recipient of his bounty for several weeks during the siege of La -Rochelle, and had thereby put the latter to an expense which must have -far exceeded the cost of the cider. - -At Grenoble the King remained for some three weeks to negotiate with the -Duke of Savoy. Charles Emmanuel was unable to believe that Louis really -intended to cross the Alps while the Huguenots of the South were still -unsubdued, and, esteeming himself the arbiter between France and Spain, -he refused to abandon the Spaniards, unless the King would undertake to -assist him to conquer the Milanese or Genoa or sacrifice to him Geneva. - -The King and the Cardinal thereupon resolved to descend into Piedmont -by way of Mont-Genèvre and Susa. The Duc de Guise, Governor of Provence, -was directed to create a diversion by way of Nice and Liguria, an -operation which he executed very slowly and inefficiently. At Grenoble, -however, the utmost activity prevailed, and though, when Richelieu -arrived there, the army was deficient in artillery, munitions, transport -and, in short, nearly everything required for a campaign, thanks to his -unwearying exertions, in a surprisingly short time it was ready to take -the field, and on February 22 the advance began. On March 1 the army -passed Mont-Genèvre, notwithstanding the severity of the weather, and on -the 3rd the advance-guard, some 10,000 to 12,000 strong, under -Bassompierre and Créquy, encamped at Chaumont, the last village on the -French side of the frontier, at the entrance to the Pass of Susa. - -Two or three days were occupied in _pourparlers_ between Richelieu, who -had left the King at Oulx, and the Prince of Piedmont, who had hurried -to Susa on receiving the news that the French had crossed the mountains. -The Cardinal, however, recognised that the prince and his father sought -only to gain time to enable them to fortify the Pass of Susa and to -allow of the arrival of the Piedmontese and Spanish troops whom they had -summoned in all haste. The negotiations were accordingly broken off, and -at two o’clock in the morning of the 6th the King arrived from Oulx, -accompanied by Longueville, Soissons, the Comte de Moret, Henri IV’s son -by Jacqueline de Beuil, and Schomberg, and the army crossed the frontier -and advanced towards the head of the pass. - -The Pass of Susa was a defile about a quarter of a league in length and -in places less than twenty paces wide, obstructed here and there by -fallen rocks. The enemy had not been idle and had erected three -formidable barricades, strengthened by earthworks and ditches, while the -rocky heights on either side were crowned with soldiers and protected -by small redoubts. On a neighbouring mountain stood a fort called by the -French the Fort de Gelasse, from the name of a little watercourse hard -by, and the cannon of this fort commanded the open space between -Chaumont and the entrance to the pass. It was one of those positions -which a handful of resolute men might successfully defend against an -entire army; and, as the Piedmontese had already between 3,000 and 4,000 -men there, the probability of the invaders being able to force a passage -through the defile, unless at a heavy sacrifice of life, seemed very -slight. - -The French troops before the pass consisted of seven companies of French -Guards, six of the Swiss, the greater part of the Regiments of Navarre, -the Baron d’Estissac and the Comte de Sault, and the Musketeers of the -Guard. The Musketeers, who had dismounted from their horses, were under -command of the Seigneur de Tréville, the erstwhile private soldier of -the French Guards who, it will be remembered, had so distinguished -himself at the siege of Montauban.[120] The Comte de Sault’s regiment -was detached from the main body, and, guided by peasants of the -neighbourhood, sent to make a _détour_ through the mountains, which -would bring it to a spot overlooking the town of Susa, whence it could -descend and take the enemy in the rear; while the rest of the troops -were drawn up just out of range of the guns of Fort de Gelasse. - -At dawn the Sieur de Cominges was sent forward with a trumpeter to -demand, in the name of the King, passage for his Majesty’s person and -army from the Duke of Savoy. To his request the Count of Verrua, who -commanded the Piedmontese, replied that the French did not come as -people who desired to pass as friends; that he was fully prepared to -resist them, and that if they endeavoured to force a passage, “they -would gain nothing but blows.” - -The three marshals of France, Créquy, Bassompierre, and Schomberg, had -come to an arrangement by which each in turn commanded the army for -three days at a time; and, when Cominges returned with this bellicose -answer, Bassompierre, who happened to be in command that day, approached -the King, who had taken up his position a little way behind the storm -troops, and said to him: “Sire, Sire, the company is ready; the -musicians have come in to demand permission to begin the _fête_; the -masks are at the door. When it pleases your Majesty, we will dance the -ballet.” The King replied sharply that the marshal knew very well that -they had only light guns with them, which would have no effect upon the -barricades, and that they must wait until their heavy artillery came up. - - “I said to him,” continues Bassompierre: “‘It is too late now to - think of that. Must we abandon the ballet because one of the masks - does not happen to be ready? Allow us to dance it, Sire, and all - will go well.’ ‘Will you answer to me for it?’ said he. ‘It would - be very rash for me to guarantee a thing so doubtful,’ I replied, - ‘but I will answer to you that we shall perform it to the end with - honour, or I shall be dead or a prisoner.’ ‘Yes,’ said he, ‘but if - we fail, I shall reproach you.’ ‘You may call me anything if we - fail,’ I replied, ‘except the Marquis d’Uxelles (for he had failed - to pass at Saint-Pierre). But I shall take good care. Only allow us - to do it, Sire.’ ‘Let us go, Sire,’ said the Cardinal to him. ‘From - the demeanour of the marshal, I augur that all will be well. Be - assured of it.’” - -Somewhat reluctantly Louis XIII yielded, and Bassompierre forthwith gave -the order for the troops to advance. He and Créquy dismounted and, sword -in hand, led the French Guards and the regiments of Navarre and -d’Estissac against the barricades. At the same time, with irresistible -_élan_, the Musketeers, under Tréville, and the Swiss, under Valençay, -escaladed the heights on either side of the gorge, dislodged the enemy, -gained the top of the rocks, poured a withering flanking-fire into the -defenders of the barricades, and then charged down upon them. Finding -themselves attacked simultaneously in front and on both flanks, the -Piedmontese were seized with panic; the three barricades were carried -almost without resistance, and the enemy pursued almost to the gates of -Susa, being badly cut up on the way by Sault’s regiment, who fell upon -them as they were retreating. The Duke of Savoy and the Prince of -Piedmont were within an ace of being made prisoners, and only contrived -to escape through the bravery of a Spanish officer, who, with a small -body of men, threw himself between them and the Musketeers who were -about to seize them and was wounded and taken.[121] The victory only -cost the French some fifty men. Amongst the wounded were Valençay and -Schomberg. The latter received a musket-shot in the abdomen, but the -wound was not a dangerous one, and the marshal was soon convalescent. - -As the pursuing French came within range of the cannon of the citadel of -Susa, they were heavily fired upon. “But,” says Bassompierre, “we were -so excited by the combat and so joyous at having obtained the victory, -that we paid no attention to these cannon-shots.” - - “I saw,” he continues, “an incident which pleased me very much with - the French nobles who were with the army;[122] for we had M. de - Longueville, M. de Moret, M. Aluin and the First Equerry[123] and - more than sixty others with us. A cannon-shot struck the ground - close to our feet, covering us with earth. My long acquaintance - with cannon-shots had taught me that so soon as the ball struck - the earth there was no more danger; so that I was at liberty to - cast my eyes on the countenance of each of them in turn, to see - what effect the shot had upon them. I did not perceive any sign of - astonishment, nor even of surprise. Another shot killed one of M. - de Créquy’s gentlemen, who was amongst them, and they did not - appear to take any notice of it.” - -In the course of the day the King sent to felicitate Bassompierre and -Créquy on the victory they had won, but blamed them for having charged -at the head of the troops, since, if they had been killed, not only -would he have been deprived of the services of two of his most -distinguished officers, but the army would have lost its leaders, and -the effect on its morale might have been disastrous. The marshals -replied that they had judged this to be an occasion when it was -necessary to stake everything on a single cast, and to inspire their men -to the utmost courage and resolution by placing themselves at their -head, since if the first attack had been repulsed, it was most -improbable that subsequent attempts would have succeeded. - -The town of Susa surrendered the next day, and the King and the Cardinal -established themselves there; while Bassompierre and Créquy, pushing on -with the advance-guard of the army, took Bussolongo and were about to -attack Avigliana, a town situated only four leagues from Turin, when -they received orders to halt, as negotiations for peace had begun. - -On the 11th Charles Emmanuel sent the Prince of Piedmont to Susa, where -he signed with the Cardinal a treaty whereby the Duke of Savoy engaged -to revictual Casale and promised, in the name of the governor of the -Milanese, to evacuate Montferrato and cease all hostile operations -against the Duke of Mantua. The ratification of Philip IV was to be -obtained within six weeks, and his Catholic Majesty was to undertake to -secure for the Duke of Mantua the Imperial investiture. In case of the -contravention of this treaty by Spain, the Duke of Savoy was to join his -forces to those of France. On March 18 the Spaniards raised the siege of -Casale; and thus at a single blow France triumphantly reasserted her -position in Italy. - -Richelieu subsequently proposed a defensive league between France, -Venice, Savoy, and Mantua against the House of Austria. It was hoped to -secure the adhesion of the Papacy, as Urban VIII had been much -displeased by the invasion of Mantua and Montferrato. - -Charles Emmanuel, eager to compensate himself on one side for what he -had failed to gain on the other, pressed Louis XIII to invade the -Milanese, and Venice warmly seconded his efforts. But, though the moment -certainly appeared favourable for such an enterprise, Richelieu resisted -the temptation and did not alter his plans. He was resolved to put an -end to the civil strife in France before embarking on any further -foreign enterprise. - -The Duke of Savoy, irritated by this refusal, determined to violate the -new treaty so soon as he could do so without danger. On one pretext or -another, he delayed the evacuation of Montferrato by his troops, and the -Spaniards followed his example. The King and the Cardinal, however, did -not allow themselves to be tricked by the Duke; they sent Toiras with -between 3,000 and 4,000 men to relieve the Spanish garrisons of -Montferrato, and Louis XIII announced his intention of remaining at Susa -until the treaty was fully executed. - -Towards the end of April the Republic of Genoa sent an Embassy -Extraordinary to Louis XIII, and the momentous question arose as to -whether the Genoese ambassadors were or were not to be permitted to -present themselves covered before his Majesty. The privilege of the hat -was accorded by the King of France to the representatives of all the -princes and republics of Italy, though until recent years those of -Ferrara, Mantua, and Urbino had been excepted. But the later Valois -kings had claimed sovereignty over Genoa, and this claim had never been -formally renounced. Consequently, if Louis XIII were to allow the -Genoese ambassadors to come into his presence covered, it would be -tantamount to an admission that France had abandoned her pretensions in -regard to the republic. - -The King, much exercised in his mind over this matter, sent for -Bassompierre and demanded his advice. The marshal replied that, as his -Majesty now accorded the privilege of the hat to the ambassadors of -Ferrara, Mantua, and Urbino, he ought certainly to accord it to the -representatives of Genoa, a republic which yielded little or nothing in -importance to Venice, and that, in point of fact, an ambassador whom -Genoa had sent to his Court some years before had been covered during -his audience. At that moment, the Secretary of State Châteauneuf, whom -the King had also sent for, came in and Louis asked for his opinion. -Châteauneuf took a different view of the matter from Bassompierre, and -strongly advised the King not to admit the Genoese to his presence -covered, declaring that they were his subjects and that, by this -concession, he “would destroy the right which he had over this -republic.” Thereupon, Louis, always very tenacious of his prerogatives, -declared that he should refuse to receive the ambassadors unless they -were uncovered, and directed that they should be informed of his -decision. - -Next day Bassompierre received a visit from the Nuncio, Cardinal Bagni, -who came to invoke his good offices on behalf of the Genoese -ambassadors. The Nuncio told him that he had been charged by the Pope to -take particular care that they were well received; that it was against -all equity and reason that they should be denied the privilege which had -been accorded to the last ambassador whom the republic had sent to the -King of France; that, at the Papal Court, Genoa, together with Venice, -took precedence of all the princes of Italy; and that he could assure -the marshal that he would be performing an action very pleasing to the -Holy Father if he were able to persuade the King to receive them -covered. - -Bassompierre replied that he should esteem it a great honour to render -this trifling service to his Holiness and the Republic of Genoa, but -that the King had already refused to follow his advice, and that his -Majesty was very obstinate when he had once taken a thing into his head -and easily irritated against those who opposed him. However, he would go -and consult the Cardinal de Richelieu and see what could be done. - -Richelieu, who was naturally very anxious to oblige the Pope, told -Bassompierre that he would propose to the King that he should take the -advice of the Council on the matter, and promised that he would warmly -support the marshal’s opinion and would arrange that the other members -should do the same, with the exception of Châteauneuf, whom he would -instruct to offer some half-hearted objections, for form’s sake. - -The Council met, but the King, who had been informed that the Genoese -ambassadors had decided to return whence they came without demanding -audience of him, if they were to be refused the right of being covered, -was in a particularly obstinate mood, and after demanding Bassompierre’s -advice, he added: “I ask you for it, but I shall not follow it, for I -know beforehand that it will be in favour of their being covered, and -that what you are doing is on the recommendation of Don Augustine -Fiesco, who is staying with you.” Don Augustino Fiesco, it should be -mentioned, was a Genoese noble and an old friend of Bassompierre. -Bassompierre, indignant at such an insinuation, protested that he had no -relations with the Republic of Genoa and was under no obligations to Don -Augustine Fiesco, who, in point of fact, was under considerable -obligations to him; and that, even if such had been the case, it would -not prevent him from discharging his duty to his sovereign. - - “‘Finally, Sire,’ said I, ‘the oath which I have taken at your - Council obliges me to give you my advice in accordance with my - judgment and my conscience; but, since you hold so bad an opinion - of my integrity, I will abstain, if it please you, from giving my - advice.’ - - “‘And I,’ said the King, in a violent passion, ‘I will force you to - give it me, since you are one of my Counsellors and draw the salary - of a Counsellor.’ - - “The Cardinal, who sat above me, said to me: ‘Give it, in God’s - name, and do not argue any longer.’ Upon which I said to the - King:-- - - “‘Sire, since you absolutely insist on my giving my opinion, it is - that your rights and those of your crown would be utterly destroyed - if, by this act, you renounce the sovereignty you claim over the - Genoese, and that you ought to receive them bareheaded as your - subjects, and not covered as republicans.’ - - “Then the King rose up in great anger and told me that I was - laughing at him, and that he would teach me that he was my king and - my master; and other things of the same kind. As for me, I did not - open my mouth to utter a single word. The Cardinal pacified him and - persuaded him to follow the general opinion, which was that the - Genoese ambassadors should be covered at the audience. In the - evening we went to the King’s concert; he did not say a word to the - others, from fear of speaking to me, and did nothing but find - fault.” - -A day or two afterwards the King had repented of this childish display -of temper, and, by way of making his peace with Bassompierre, sent him -nine boxes of Italian sweetmeats. - - * * * * * - -On April 4 peace with England was signed at Paris. Charles I had vainly -endeavoured in the negotiations which preceded it to exercise in favour -of Rohan and the Huguenots the intervention which Richelieu had refused -to permit at La Rochelle. But the French Government was inexorable, and -he was constrained to abandon the Protestants, notwithstanding their -complaints and imprecations. - -On the side of Italy matters were less satisfactory. The defensive -league against Spain which Richelieu had planned did not materialise; -while Philip IV’s ratification of the treaty for the evacuation of -Mantua and Montferrato did not arrive; and it was evident that he and -Charles Emmanuel intended to evade its stipulations. The King and -Richelieu therefore determined to crush the Huguenot rebellion by a -single vigorous blow, and then to resume, if need be, the offensive in -Italy. On April 28 the King left Susa to return to France; and on May 11 -the Cardinal followed, accompanied by Bassompierre, leaving Créquy at -Susa with 6,000 men. The Duke of Savoy was warned that the French would -remain in occupation until the treaty had been formally ratified by -Philip IV. - -The bulk of the Royal army had already crossed the Rhône, and 50,000 men -were overrunning Languedoc and Upper Guienne. Richelieu’s plan of -campaign was to send four corps to lay waste the country around -Montauban, Castries, Nîmes and Uzès, the principal towns which the -Protestants still held, so as to render these places incapable of -sustaining a siege, while the King in person, with the rest of the army, -was to march from the Rhône to the Tarn across the Cévennes, reducing on -their way the smaller Huguenot strongholds in that part of the country. - -To this powerful combined attack Rohan was only able to oppose forces -weakened by a war which had already lasted eighteen months and -disheartened by the news that England had abandoned them. Not knowing -where else to turn for assistance, the successor of Coligny applied to -the successor of Philip II, and on May 3, 1629, a treaty was signed at -Madrid by which Spain promised the Huguenots a yearly subsidy of 300,000 -ducats, and Rohan undertook “to continue the war so long as it might -please his Catholic Majesty.” The duke further undertook, in the event -of his being successful in establishing a Protestant republic in the -South of France, to permit liberty of worship to all Catholics within -its boundaries. “This strange compact, however, came too late; probably, -before the first instalment of the subsidy had reached Rohan’s hands, -his dreams of a Huguenot republic had been rudely dissipated.” - -On May 19 the Cardinal and Bassompierre rejoined Louis XIII in the Royal -camp before Privas, the capital of the Protestant Vivarais. On their -arrival the King proposed to hold a meeting of the Council, but as the -Duc de Montmorency, who was with the army, claimed to take precedence of -the marshals of France, and Bassompierre declared that he refused to -suffer him to do so, his Majesty was obliged to postpone it until the -dispute between these great personages could be adjudicated upon. - -Privas was garrisoned by 500 picked soldiers, commanded by a brave -Huguenot noble, the Marquis de Saint-André de Montbrun, supported by a -regiment of the Vivarais militia and a population animated by fierce -religious zeal. The resistance at first was very stubborn, but by May 27 -the outworks had been captured, and during the following night the -garrison and the majority of the inhabitants evacuated the town and -retired into the Fort de Toulon, situated on a hill to the south-east of -Privas. The rest of the townsfolk endeavoured to escape into the woods -and mountains, but most of them were either killed or captured. The -prisoners were hanged or sent to the galleys. While the greater part of -the Royal army was engaged in the congenial task of pillaging the town, -which they afterwards set on fire, Bassompierre, with 1,200 Swiss, -invested the fort, and at midday the garrison offered to capitulate. -Louis XIII, however, was greatly incensed against the people of Privas, -who had treated the Catholics of the surrounding country with much -cruelty, and he insisted that they should surrender at discretion.[124] -This they refused to do, but, a little later, Saint-André came out alone -and surrendered at discretion to Bassompierre.[125] At the request of -the King, Saint-André then wrote to those in the fort urging them to -follow his example; but, fearful of the fate which awaited them, they -could not bring themselves to do so. Towards evening a terrific storm -came on and continued most of the night, and had the Huguenots -endeavoured to effect their escape under cover of it, they would -probably have succeeded. Unhappily for themselves, they made no attempt. - - “On Tuesday, the 29th, our soldiers who had invested the Fort of - Toulon cried out to the besieged that Saint-André had been hanged, - which threw them into despair. The King sent me to show him to - them, and they were content to surrender at discretion. But, at the - same time, our soldiers, without orders, came from all parts to the - assault, and took the fort, killing all whom they encountered. Some - fifty of those who were made prisoners were hanged and two hundred - others were sent to the galleys. The fort was also set on fire. - Some two hundred escaped, but were met by the Swiss who were - escorting the cannon to Vivas, by whom some of them were - killed.”[126] - -The Protestants of the Vivarais, terrified by the fate of Privas, laid -down their arms. Alais offered some resistance, but Rohan’s attempt to -throw reinforcements into the town failed, and, after a siege of a week, -it capitulated. Rohan felt that his cause was lost, and endeavoured to -negotiate a peace for the whole party. But, though Richelieu authorised -the convocation of a General Assembly at Anduze, it was only to impose -his conditions. He refused to treat with the Protestants as though they -were a hostile state, as had hitherto been the custom. Peace--_la Paix -de Grâce_, as it was called--was concluded at Alais on June 29. A -general amnesty was granted, and the Edict of Nantes re-established; but -the fortifications of all the towns which had risen in rebellion were to -be razed to the ground. - -The King and the Cardinal visited Nîmes, Uzès and Montpellier, where -they were well received; but Montauban refused to accept the peace, -except on condition of preserving its fortifications. Richelieu -despatched the Sieur de Guron, a gentleman with a very persuasive -tongue, to try and induce the inhabitants to reconsider their -determination, and Bassompierre, with the greater part of the Royal -army, after him, with orders to resort to force and lay siege to the -town should persuasion fail. - -The marshal arrived before Montauban on August 10, and, learning that -Guron’s eloquence had so far been without effect, began to make -preparations to invest the place. But, on the following morning, Guron -came to inform him that, as the result of a great oration which he had -delivered before the council of the town the previous day, it had been -decided to ratify the peace. - -A few days later all was satisfactorily arranged; and on the 20th the -Cardinal--for Louis XIII was now on his way back to Paris--made a -triumphal entry into Montauban, escorted by 600 gentlemen, with -Bassompierre riding before him, as he would have done before the King. - -And so long as he was able to retain the uncertain favour of Louis XIII, -Richelieu was king, in all but the name, and the greatest nobles in -France trembled at his frown. A singular illustration of this is the way -in which the once haughty and all-powerful d’Épernon was obliged to -humble himself before him. - - “M. d’Épernon,” says Bassompierre, “who had arrived at - Montech,[127] sent the Comte de Maillé[128] to me to request me to - ask the Cardinal at what place he might meet him on the road to pay - his respects to him, having heard that he was leaving on the morrow - to return to the Court. He explained that, for a man of his age, - the journey which he had performed that day was fatiguing, so that - it had prevented him coming so far as Montauban, besides which it - would have been difficult to find suitable accommodation there for - himself and his suite. I executed this embassy to the Cardinal, who - took it extremely ill and imagined that M. d’Épernon refused to - humble his pride to the point of coming to visit him in his - government of Guienne, in which the King had given the Cardinal - absolute power. He was exceedingly angry, and told me to send him - word that he declined to see him in the country or outside Guienne, - and that, although it had been his intention to travel by way of - Auvergne, he would travel by Bordeaux, for the express purpose of - making himself recognised and obeyed in accordance with the power - which had been conferred upon him, and that he would put matters on - such a footing that the authority which M. d’Épernon exercised - there would be curtailed. I softened these expressions in the - answer I made to the Comte de Maillé, and wrote to M. d’Épernon - begging him to come to Montauban, to avoid drawing upon himself the - enmity of this all-powerful man. The Comte de Maillé took his - departure, and in three hours’ time returned with an answer to the - effect that M. d’Épernon would come to Montauban on the morrow to - pay his respects to the Cardinal, since he had been assured that - the Cardinal was not leaving until after dinner.... I went that - evening to acquaint the Cardinal with M. d’Épernon’s approaching - arrival, which appeased his anger, and he consented that I should - go to meet him and that the infantry should be under arms when he - arrived.” - -Bassompierre, from the above, would appear to have formed a pretty -correct idea of the danger of offending the great Minister; he lived to -know its full extent. - -On August 22, Richelieu, accompanied by Bassompierre, left Montauban, to -the sound of mine and sap, which were destroying the redoubtable -fortifications of the last stronghold of French Protestantism, and -travelled by easy stages towards Fontainebleau, the Cardinal being -received in every town through which he passed with the highest honours; -in fact, his journey resembled a royal progress. At Nemours, where he -arrived on September 12, nearly all the most important personages of the -Court were awaiting him, and escorted him in triumph to Fontainebleau. - -Here, however, his Eminence received an abrupt check, for when he went -to pay his respects to Marie de’ Medici, with whom were Anne of Austria -and the Princesses of the Blood, the Queen-Mother, whom the Cardinal’s -triumphs had only served to incense still more bitterly against him, -received him with studied coldness and refused to say so much as a word -to either Bassompierre or Schomberg, whom she now apparently regarded -as Richelieu’s creatures; though she spoke to Louis de Marillac, upon -whom the marshal’s bâton had recently been conferred. The King, however, -came in immediately afterwards and welcomed the Cardinal most warmly. He -then drew him into his mother’s cabinet, where Richelieu immediately -requested permission to retire from office and from the Court, on the -ground that his presence was distasteful to the Queen-Mother, and that -he did not wish to be the cause of friction between her and the King. -The King told him that he would reconcile them, and returning to Marie’s -chamber, spoke most graciously to Bassompierre, evidently with the -intention of atoning for her Majesty’s rudeness to the marshal, of which -Richelieu had, of course, informed him. - - “On Friday, the 14th, the quarrel continued, and the Cardinal sent - for Madame de Combalet,[129] La Meilleraye[130] and other persons - belonging to the Queen-Mother’s Household who were his creatures, - and told them that they must prepare to retire from her service, as - it was his intention to retire from affairs and from the Court. - However, that evening there were so many comings and goings, and - the King testified so earnest a desire for an accommodation, that - it was effected on the Saturday, to the universal satisfaction of - the whole Court.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIX - - Serious situation of affairs in Italy--Trouble with - _Monsieur_--Richelieu entrusted with the command of the Army in - Italy--It is decided to send Bassompierre on a special embassy to - Switzerland--The marshal buys the Château of Chaillot--His - departure for Switzerland--Mazarin at Lyons--Bassompierre’s - reception at Fribourg--He arrives at Soleure and convenes a meeting - of the Diet--His discomfiture of the Chancellor of Alsace--Success - of his mission--He receives orders from Richelieu to mobilise 6,000 - Swiss--The Cardinal as generalissimo--Pinerolo - surrenders--Bassompierre joins the King at Lyons--Louis XIII and - Mlle. de Hautefort--Successful campaign of Bassompierre in - Savoy--His mortification at having to resign his command to the - Maréchal de Châtillon--Increasing rancour of the Queen-Mother - against Richelieu--Visit of Bassompierre to Paris--An unfortunate - coincidence--Louis XIII falls dangerously ill at Lyons--Intrigues - around his sick-bed--Perilous situation of Richelieu--Recovery of - the King--Arrival of Bassompierre at Lyons--Suspicions of Richelieu - concerning the marshal--The latter endeavours to disarm - them--Question of Bassompierre’s connection with the anti-Richelieu - cabal considered--His secret marriage to the Princesse de Conti. - - -Meantime, the enemies of France had not been idle. Seeing Richelieu -engaged in what he imagined would prove a long war in Languedoc, the -Emperor, in concert with Spain, resolved to take steps to recover his -shaken influence in Italy. Towards the end of May, 1629, German troops -entered the Grisons and seized the passages of the Rhine and the town of -Coire; while Ferdinand called upon Louis XIII to evacuate the “Imperial -fiefs of Italy.” The Swiss, a prey to religious dissensions, made no -effort to expel the foreigner from the Grisons; but the Imperialists did -not advance until the autumn, the interval being spent in negotiations. -However, at the end of September they descended into Lombardy and -invaded Mantua, under the orders of the Italian general Colalto; while -Spinola, who had been sent with a Spanish force from the Netherlands to -secure the triumph of the Catholic powers in Italy and had replaced the -feeble Don Gonzalez de Cordoba as Governor of the Milanese, occupied -Montferrato and threatened Casale. - -It was clear that France must intervene at once, if the fruits of the -expedition to Susa were not to be lost, and it was decided to send a -powerful army into Italy. Louis XIII would have gone in person, but his -health was unequal to the trials of another winter campaign, besides -which there was trouble with _Monsieur_, who, in the previous September, -as the result of differences with the King over the latter’s refusal to -permit his marriage with Marie de Gonzaga, daughter of the Duke of -Mantua, had retired into Lorraine and had not yet been persuaded to -return; while there was also a possibility that the Imperialists might -invade Champagne or the Three Bishoprics. - -The King accordingly decided to entrust the command to Richelieu, with -Créquy and Bassompierre as his lieutenant-generals. - - “But,” says the latter, “M. de Schomberg, who aspired to my charge, - caused pressing instances to be made by the ambassadors of Venice - and Mantua to send me into Switzerland, for three purposes: the - first, to ascertain what means there might be to liberate the - Grisons and drive out the Imperial army; the second, to prevent the - Imperialists in Italy being reinforced by troops from Switzerland; - and the third, to raise powerful levies, if there were need of - them. So that the Cardinal told me one morning that it was - necessary for me to make a journey into Switzerland, which would - not last long, and that my place and my charge would, - notwithstanding, be preserved in the Army of Italy. I accepted this - commission, since the King desired to charge me with it, and began - preparations for my journey, as did the Cardinal likewise for his - journey to Italy.” - -Before his departure Richelieu gave “a superb _fête_ to the King and the -Queens, with comedies, ballets, and excellent music.” Then, on December -29, he set out for Lyons, with the proud title of “Lieutenant-General, -representing the person of the King in his army within and without the -realm.” - - * * * * * - -Bassompierre began the year 1630 by purchasing from the widow of -Président Jeannin her château at Chaillot, upon the enlargement and -decoration of which he, during the next few months, expended very large -sums, and converted it into one of the most sumptuous country-residences -in the neighbourhood of Paris. Unhappily for him, it was to prove a case -of sowing for others to reap. On January 16, “after having placed his -affairs in some degree of order,” he set out for Switzerland, and on the -21st arrived at Lyons, where he was to receive his final instructions -from the Cardinal. At Lyons he remained for some days and would appear -to have passed the time very pleasantly, as “M. de Montmorency and I -gave a ball on alternate evenings to the ladies of Lyons.” On January 28 -he notes that “the sieur Julio Massareny [Giulio Mazzarini] came to -Lyons on behalf of the Nuncio Pensirole [Pancirolo], whom the Pope had -sent to treat for peace.” It was on the occasion of these negotiations -that the name of Mazarin makes its first appearance in French history; -and, though they were without result, for Richelieu was not to be -diverted from his aim, the high opinion which the Cardinal then -conceived of the abilities of the young Italian diplomat was the -beginning of the latter’s fortune. - -On January 30 Bassompierre left Lyons and resumed his journey to -Switzerland. On February 8 he arrived at Fribourg, where he was received -with great honour, cannon firing salutes and 2,000 armed burghers lining -the streets. After entertaining the municipal authorities to a sumptuous -banquet, he proceeded to Berne, to be received with similar distinction. -On the following day he attended a meeting of the Council and harangued -them. “Afterwards they came to dine with him and remained all day at -table.” - -On the 12th he arrived at Soleure, into which he made a “superb entry.” -From Soleure he sent letters to all the Cantons convening a Diet for -March 4, and during the interval he and Brulart de Léon, the permanent -French Ambassador in Switzerland, had several conferences with regard to -the Grisons and endeavoured to persuade the Canton of Zurich to send -them reinforcements. The Zurich people, however, did not wish to commit -themselves to open war with the Empire, though they promised to assist -the Grisons secretly with munitions. - -The deputies began to arrive on March 2, and the representatives of each -canton came in turn to pay their respects to Bassompierre; while on the -4th, when the session opened, the whole Diet, preceded by its -mace-bearers, came in solemn procession to salute him. - -That day Bassompierre learned that “the Chancellor of Alsace, Ambassador -of the whole House of Austria, had arrived at Soleure, without sending -to him to announce his coming or visiting him, contrary to the -recognised custom of ambassadors.” The marshal, highly indignant at this -breach of diplomatic amenities, at once resolved to induce the Diet to -refuse the Chancellor--who had, of course, come to Soleure in the hope -of putting a spoke in Bassompierre’s wheel--a hearing. - - “M. de Léon tried every means he could to dissuade me, telling me - that I should not succeed, and that we should have to bear the - mortification of failure. Nevertheless, trusting to my great - influence in Switzerland, and to my industry in treating with these - people, I persisted in my design and set to work.” - -The marshal recounts at considerable length the various expedients to -which he had recourse, and the springs he set in motion, for the purpose -of avenging his outraged dignity. It will, however, suffice to say that -he succeeded, and that, after long deliberations, the Diet refused to -grant an audience to the Chancellor, “who returned very dissatisfied, -declaring that the Swiss would be objects of indignation to the whole -House of Austria.” - -By dint of persuasive speeches and lavish hospitality, Bassompierre -experienced no difficulty in inducing the Diet to accord him permission -to raise whatever troops he might require for the service of France, and -on the 11th he was able to write to the Cardinal that his mission had -been entirely successful. Then he took to his bed and sent for a surgeon -to bleed him, as “he found himself somewhat unwell, on account of the -debauches in which he had indulged during the Diet.” - -During the next fortnight Bassompierre was occupied in arranging for the -levy which the Diet had authorised, so that the troops might be ready to -take the field so soon as they were required. On March 27 a courier -arrived from the Cardinal with the news that the armistice between -France and Savoy was at an end, and that Richelieu had entered Piedmont -and was going to lay siege to Pinerolo. The Cardinal ordered -Bassompierre to mobilise 6,000 Swiss immediately, and informed him that -he had written requesting the King to send him other troops and a patent -as general for the conquest of Savoy. - -Richelieu had moved his army through Savoy, crossed the Alps and -advanced to the frontier of Montferrato, when he learned, through -intercepted letters, that Charles Emmanuel was playing him false. He at -once turned about, called upon the Duke to fulfil his engagements, and, -the answer he received being unsatisfactory, marched against him. The -weather was frightful, and the soldiers, chilled to the bone by the icy -blast as they stumbled through the snow, “consigned to all the devils -the cardinal-generalissimo,” who rode at their head mounted on a -splendid charger, wearing a cuirass of blue steel, a hat with a nodding -plume on his head, a sword by his side, and pistols at his saddle-bow. -But they pushed on and presently reached Rivoli, which the Duke of Savoy -had hastily evacuated, where they found warmth and shelter and an -abundance of good wine, in which, forgetting their recent hardships, -they drank to the health of the “great cardinal.” - -Charles Emmanuel had fallen back to Turin, and flattered himself that, -with the aid of Spinola and Colalto, he would be able to give battle to -the French on advantageous terms beneath the walls of his capital. But -Richelieu, instead of advancing on Turin, turned back towards the Alps -and on March 20 invested Pinerolo, which Henri III had so imprudently -restored to Savoy at the beginning of his reign. The town surrendered on -the 23rd, and the citadel a week later, and France thus secured an -invaluable base for future operations. The first attack on the citadel -cost the life of Bassompierre’s old companion-in-arms Cominges-Guitaut, -a very brave man and most capable officer, who was sincerely regretted -by the marshal. - -Bassompierre remained at Soleure until April 20, when he left for -Geneva, where the troops which he had raised were to assemble. On May 4 -he received a despatch from Louis XIII, informing him that he intended -to make the conquest of Savoy in person and directing him to join him at -Lyons to receive his orders. He was to send the Swiss to Grenoble, -whither the King intended to proceed so soon as possible. - -Louis XIII had left Fontainebleau towards the end of February, and had -remained for some weeks at Troyes, as it was thought not improbable that -the Imperialists, who were in strong force in Alsace and on the borders -of Lorraine, might attempt an invasion of Champagne. Here, on April 18, -he was joined by his brother, whom he had not seen since Gaston had -taken himself off to Lorraine in the previous autumn.[131] The King -received him very cordially, and, on the advice of Richelieu, appointed -him “Lieutenant-General representing the King’s person in the Army of -Champagne, as well as in Paris and in the northern provinces.” It was -hoped in this way to satisfy the _amour-propre_ of this troublesome -prince, who was perpetually complaining that he was excluded from that -share in public affairs to which his rank entitled him, and to make it -to his interest to conduct himself well in future. The real commander of -the army of Champagne was, however, the Maréchal de Marillac. - -The King, accompanied by the two Queens and the whole Court, then -proceeded through Burgundy to Lyons, where on May 6 Bassompierre joined -him, and was not a little astonished to find his Majesty amongst the -ladies, “gallant and amorous, which was contrary to his custom.” The -explanation is that Louis had recently fallen in love with Mlle. de -Hautefort, one of the Queen’s maids-of-honour. This affection was of a -very innocent kind, but it was skilfully exploited by the enemies of -Richelieu, and, in time to come, was to occasion the Cardinal -considerable embarrassment. - -On the 8th the King left for Grenoble to confer with the Cardinal, who, -having confided the command of his army to La Force and Schomberg, had -come thither for that purpose. Although after the loss of Pinerolo -Charles Emmanuel had hastened to make overtures for peace, Richelieu had -little belief in his sincerity, and Louis XIII agreed with him on the -necessity of retaining so all-important an acquisition as Pinerolo. The -Queen-Mother and her creatures were, however, worrying the King -incessantly to spare the Duke of Savoy, and Louis, who desired peace -about him, and had vainly endeavoured to make his mother listen to -reason, sent the Cardinal to Lyons to represent to Marie more fully the -condition of affairs. This he did so ably that the Queen-Mother, though -sorely against her will, was obliged to admit the necessity of -continuing the war. - -On the 14th the King, accompanied by Bassompierre, Créquy, and -Châtillon, left Grenoble with the army which had assembled there and, -passing through the Bresse, entered Savoy. The three marshals were to -command the army in turn, and the first period of command fell to -Bassompierre, who made good use of his opportunities. He took the town -and citadel of Chambéry; compelled Rumilly to surrender; and, pushing on -with the advance-guard over the difficult roads, turned the flank of the -Prince of Carignano, who commanded the main Piedmontese army, and -compelled him to beat a precipitate retreat from his strong position at -Conflans; and then, crossing the Col de la Louaz, the Col de Nave, the -Grand-Cœur and the Petit-Cœur, had occupied Moutiers and the Pas -du Ciel, when he received a despatch from the King instructing him to -resign his command to the Maréchal de Châtillon, whose turn it was to -lead the army. - - “This offended me extremely,” says the marshal, “since I did not - think that, as the same troops would continue to form the - advance-guard, my person alone ought to be dethroned, and that - having started the hare, another should come to profit by my - labours.” - -However, of course, he had no alternative but to hand over the command -to his colleague. But when, on June 4, the King and the Cardinal arrived -at Moustier, he “complained of the outrage that had been done him.” -However, he got no satisfaction from them, as they decided that the -arrangement that had been made at the outset of the campaign must be -adhered to. - -By the third week in June all Savoy had been conquered, with the -exception of the citadel of Montmélian, which was being closely -blockaded, and Louis XIII and Richelieu returned to Grenoble, whither -Bassompierre followed them. On July 10 a division of the army of -Piedmont under Montmorency and d’Effiat defeated the forces of Charles -Emmanuel at Avigliana and occupied Saluzzo, which the Duke of Savoy had -annexed during the troubles of the League and retained at the cost of -much sacrifice of territory in 1601. - -These rapid successes redoubled the ill humour of Marie de’ Medici, -whose rancour against Richelieu was industriously stimulated by the -Keeper of the Seals, Michel de Marillac, who, on the death of the -Cardinal de Bérulle in October, 1629, had succeeded him as the leader of -the High Catholic and Spanish party and the chief confidant of the -Queen-Mother. The King, anxious to prevent any new trouble in the Royal -Family, begged his mother to come to Grenoble, to give the Cardinal and -himself the benefit of her counsels. But Marie excused herself, and she -and Michel de Marillac did everything possible to dissuade the King from -returning to the army, on the ground that his health would be endangered -by contagious maladies which had broken out there. The Spaniards and -Imperialists, encouraged by the knowledge of the intrigues which were -proceeding at the Court of France, pressed the sieges of Mantua and -Casale, and, though the latter place, ably defended by Toiras, held out -bravely, on July 18 the Imperialists succeeded in taking Mantua by -assault. - - In the last week in July Louis XIII, who, since the beginning of - the month, had been very unwell, was obliged, on account of his - health, to return to Lyons, where Bassompierre obtained leave to go - to Paris “to set his affairs in order.” - - “I arrived in Paris,” he writes, “on the 21st day of August, where - I found M. d’Épernon. _Monsieur_, brother of the King, came there - on the morrow, and a few days later _M. le Comte_, M. de - Longueville, and M. de Guise arrived. We thought only of passing - our time pleasantly. I amused myself in building Chaillot.” - - Now, of course, it may have been merely a coincidence that the - distinguished persons above-mentioned, all of whom were hostile to - Richelieu, should have arrived in Paris almost at the same time as - Bassompierre. But any way, it was an unfortunate one for the - marshal. - -Richelieu, although very uneasy at the thought of leaving the King -exposed to the hostile influences of the Queen-Mother and her friends, -remained in Savoy for nearly a month after Louis XIII had returned to -Lyons, although the King’s confessor, Père Suffren, wrote urging him to -rejoin the Court, “in order to disperse all the clouds which had -gathered.” At length, towards the end of August, the plague, which was -devastating Savoy, attacked his own quarters, and obliged him to return. - -On September 22, Louis XIII, who had been in very poor health for some -weeks, was attacked by fever, accompanied by dysentery. By the 27th he -was so ill that his physicians felt obliged to warn him that it was time -to think of his conscience, and he demanded the Viaticum, bade farewell -to his mother, his wife, and his Minister, and prepared for death. On -the morning of the 30th no one believed that he could live through the -day. - -The two Queens and all the Court were loud in their expressions of -grief; but this did not prevent them from making their arrangements for -the morrow of the catastrophe which appeared so imminent, and, though we -may discredit the story that Anne of Austria instructed her _dame -d’atours_, the Comtesse du Fargis, to write to _Monsieur_ reminding him -of the project, more than once mooted, of a marriage between them in the -event of the King’s death, there can be no doubt that the Queen-Mother -was preparing to revenge herself upon “her ungrateful servant,” so soon -as his protector should have drawn his last breath. - -As for Richelieu, his state of mind may be imagined. He saw his power -crumbling away, his liberty, and perhaps even his life, threatened, and, -what he valued more than life, his work, on the point of being undone, -and France stepping back into the chaos at home and impotence abroad -from which he had extricated her. “I know not,” he wrote to Schomberg, -“whether I am dead or alive.” - -But, before the day was over, the sick monarch, to the astonishment of -all, and the mortification, it is to be feared, of not a few, took a -turn for the better, and on the morrow was out of danger. “By the grace -of God,” wrote the Cardinal to d’Effiat, “the King is out of danger, -but, to tell you the truth, I know not whether I am. I pray God that He -sends me death in His mercy sooner than the occasion of relapsing into -the state in which we have been.” - -On learning that the King was ill and that his illness was “not without -danger,” Bassompierre returned in all haste to Lyons, where he arrived -on October 1, the day after the crisis. After paying his respects to the -King, he went to salute the two Queens, the Princesses of the Blood, and -the Cardinal, and then proceeded to the house of a M. d’Alaincourt, an -old friend of his, with whom he always stayed when at Lyons. - -Richelieu had received Bassompierre very cordially and had “spoken to -him in great confidence.” But next day his manner changed and became -cold and distant. The marshal sought out Châteauneuf, who, until he was -so unfortunate as to succumb to the _beaux yeux_ of Madame de Chevreuse, -was one of the most faithful of the cardinal’s henchmen, and inquired -what he could possibly have done to offend his Eminence. Upon which -Châteauneuf told him that the Cardinal had been informed that -Bassompierre had “brought certain messages on behalf of _Monsieur_ to -the Queen-Mother, with a power to arrest him [Richelieu] if harm came to -the King.” - -Bassompierre answered that “he dared swear that _Monsieur_ never had -such an idea, because when he [Bassompierre] left Paris, he was doubtful -whether the King was in danger.” - -Châteauneuf then said that there were certain circumstances which, in -his Eminence’s opinion, appeared to confirm the rumour which had reached -him, namely, that the Maréchal de Créquy was staying at the same house -as Bassompierre; that the Duc de Guise had travelled part of the way -from Paris with the marshal and was now occupying the adjoining house, -and that Bassompierre visited the Queen-Mother every day, and the -Princesse de Conti, M. de Guise’s sister and one of her Majesty’s most -devoted adherents, every evening. - - “I told him,” says Bassompierre, “that I had not seen _Monsieur_ - the morning I left Paris, and that I had not taken leave of him the - previous evening; that I had not yet said a word to the - Queen-Mother, except aloud; that it was the duty of a courier, and - not of a marshal of France, to be the bearer of such powers, which - would have come too late, if God had not miraculously cured the - King; that, for ten years past, I had had no other lodging at Lyons - except the house of my old friend M. d’Alaincourt; that it was not - just of late that M. de Créquy and I had lived as brothers, but - since our first acquaintance, and that I had frequented the - Princesse de Conti’s society for thirty years; that La - Ville-aux-Clercs[132] and Guillemeau,[133] who had travelled post - with me, could bear witness that M. de Guise had left Paris after - me, that he had passed me the first day of my journey when I slept - at La Chapelle-la-Reine, that I had overtaken him the following - evening at Poully, and that at Moulins, since he was unable to - follow me, I preceded him; and that I begged him to assure the - Cardinal that I was not a man of faction or intrigue; that I always - concerned myself with serving the King well and faithfully first, - and afterwards my friends, of whom he was one of the chief, and I - had promised him very humble service. This he promised to do, and - having been to see him [the Cardinal], I told him in substance the - same things, with which he professed to be satisfied.” - -It is difficult to decide how far Bassompierre was sincere in these -protestations. That he had been actually charged by _Monsieur_ with such -a commission as the Cardinal suspected may be doubted, but it is -practically certain that, if not an active member of the anti-Richelieu -cabal, he was in full sympathy with its main object. Nor is this a -matter for surprise. As a great noble, he resented Richelieu’s -determination to curtail the power and privileges of the nobility and -bring them into subjection. As a marshal of France, he disliked the -interference of an ecclesiastic in military matters, and he had not -forgiven the Cardinal for having supported the pretensions of Angoulême -during the siege of La Rochelle, thereby obliging him to accept a -separate command and depriving him of the honour of driving the English -from Ré. As a courtier and a favourite of the King, he found it -difficult to reconcile himself to the sight of a Minister exercising -such unbounded authority that no one could any longer hope for -advancement except through his good offices. - -And there was yet another reason why Bassompierre should have desired to -see the success of the cabal. The Guises, and in particular the duke and -his sister, the Princesse de Conti, were among its most energetic -supporters. The former was now bitterly hostile to Richelieu, who had -lately deprived him of the post of Admiral of the Levant, while his -sister, as we have said, was a devoted adherent of the Queen-Mother. -Bassompierre had been on terms of close friendship with the Guises ever -since his arrival at the French Court, and his connexion with them was -now even closer than was generally suspected. For many years he had been -the lover--or, at least, the most favoured lover--of the Princesse de -Conti, who, following the example of Marie d’Entragues, had presented -him with a pledge of her affection in the shape of a natural son, of -whom we shall have occasion to speak hereafter; and at a date which is -unknown, but was probably some time between 1624 and 1630, this intimacy -had been regularised by a secret marriage. - -It was only natural that Bassompierre should have sided with the party -to which his wife and brother-in-law belonged, and we can hardly blame -Richelieu, who no doubt knew all about the secret marriage--for there -were few secrets which his army of spies did not contrive to ferret -out--if he credited the marshal with hostile intentions towards him and -placed his name on the list of those distinguished persons upon whom, in -the event of his defeating the machinations of his enemies, he intended -to take summary vengeance. - -It was, however, very far from certain that he would succeed in -defeating them. During the King’s convalescence the two Queens were -unremitting in their attentions, and Marie de’ Medici took advantage of -his weakness to launch all kinds of accusations against the Cardinal, -whom she charged with deliberately fomenting dissensions in the Royal -family and prejudicing the King’s mind against his mother, wife, and -brother, in order that he might dominate it entirely, and of prolonging -the war for the purpose of rendering himself necessary, and of -sacrificing his Majesty’s health to his ambition. The danger through -which Louis had just passed, and the solicitude which Anne of Austria -showed for him, had brought about a sort of reconciliation between the -royal pair, and the young Queen profited by this to second the -admonitions and entreaties of her mother-in-law. The latter gave her -unfortunate son no rest, and, at length, to free himself from her -obsessions, the King promised her that the Cardinal should be dismissed -so soon as peace in Italy had been re-established, or, according to -another version, that he would come to a decision on the matter after -his return to Paris. - - - - -CHAPTER XL - - Peace is signed with the Emperor at Ratisbon--The Queen-Mother - deprives Richelieu’s niece Madame de Combalet of her post of _dame - d’atours_ and demands of Louis XIII the instant dismissal of the - Cardinal--The Luxembourg interview--“The Day of Dupes”--Triumph of - Richelieu--Bassompierre’s explanation of his own part in this - affair--His visit to Versailles--“He has arrived after the - battle!”--He gives offence to Richelieu by refusing an invitation - to dinner--He finds himself in semi-disgrace--_Monsieur_ quarrels - with the Cardinal and leaves the Court--The King again treats - Bassompierre with cordiality--Departure of the Court for - Compiègne--Bassompierre learns that the Queen-Mother has been - placed under arrest and the Princesse de Conti exiled and that he - himself is to be arrested--The marshal is advised by the Duc - d’Épernon to leave France--He declines and announces his intention - of going to the Court to meet his fate--He burns “more than six - thousand love-letters”--His arrival at the Court--Singular conduct - of the King towards him--The marshal is arrested by the Sieur de - Launay, lieutenant of the Gardes du Corps, and conducted to the - Bastille. - - -So soon as his health was re-established, the King is said to have -warned Richelieu of the hostile intentions of his mother, and when, on -October 19, the Court left Lyons, the Cardinal, with the object of -regaining her friendship, travelled with her in the same boat from -Roanne to Briare--“in complete privacy,” says Bassompierre, and appears -to have spared no pains to conciliate her. Marie dissembled so well that -he believed that all immediate danger was over; but scarcely had she -arrived in Paris than she called upon the King to carry out the promise -he had made her at Lyons. - -Louis pleaded the interests of the State, and demanded time to settle -the troubles. But it was necessary to find other arguments. Père Joseph -and Brulart de Léon, who had been sent to Ratisbon to settle with the -Emperor the question of Casale and Mantua, had concluded with him a -general peace (October 13). Schomberg was on the march towards Casale, -which was in the utmost peril, for the Spaniards had already captured -the town and were pressing the citadel closely, when he received news of -the treaty. He paid no attention to it and continued to advance. On the -26th he came in sight of the place, and a cannonade between his forces -and those of the besiegers had actually begun, when the young Papal -agent Mazarini, at the risk of his life, rode in between the hostile -armies, waving a paper and crying: “Peace!” The proposals he brought for -the evacuation of the town by the Spaniards and of the citadel by the -French pending the acceptance of the Ratisbon treaty by Spain were -acceded to, and the great siege of Casale came suddenly to an end. - -When this agreement was known in Paris, and the war regarded as over, -the Queen-Mother, refusing to listen to any remonstrance from the King, -promptly deprived Richelieu’s niece, Madame de Combalet, of her post as -_dame d’atours_, in an interview in which she is said to have heaped the -grossest abuse upon the unfortunate young woman, and demanded of her son -the instant dismissal of the Cardinal. The King demurred and, to escape -maternal importunities, withdrew to his hunting-lodge at Versailles; but -Marie was resolved to give him no rest until she had gained his consent; -and on the morning of November 10 Louis returned to Paris, and went to -visit the Queen-Mother at the Luxembourg. - -On his arrival at the Luxembourg, whither he was accompanied by -Bassompierre, the King and his mother entered the latter’s cabinet, and -gave strict orders that no one should be allowed to interrupt them. They -then locked the door of the cabinet, and the Queen-Mother’s attendants -those of the ante-chamber. - -Hardly, however, had the conversation begun, when a little door leading -from the chapel of the Luxembourg into the Queen’s cabinet, which their -Majesties had not thought of securing, gently opened, and the tall, -scarlet-robed figure and pale, thin face of the man whose fate they had -met to decide appeared to their astonished eyes. Richelieu, informed of -the King’s return to Paris and his arrival at the Luxembourg, had formed -a shrewd suspicion of what was in the wind, and had determined to be -present at the interview between mother and son. Finding the doors of -the ante-chamber locked, he had made his way to the cabinet along the -gallery of the palace, and, on discovering the door of the cabinet also -secured, had bethought himself of that which communicated with the -chapel. - -“All is lost; here he is!” exclaimed the King, looking as guilty as a -timid schoolboy detected by a stern master in some breach of discipline. -The Cardinal advanced with a smiling face. “I will wager,” said he, -“that their Majesties were speaking of me.” And then, turning to the -Queen-Mother, he added: “Confess it, Madame.” “We were,” replied Marie. -And then, beside herself with passion at the Minister’s audacity, she -broke forth into a torrent of accusations and reproaches, charging him, -amongst other things, with plotting to marry his niece to the Comte de -Soissons and set him upon the throne in place of the King. The Cardinal -appeared to quail before the tempest; he fell on his knees and protested -his innocence; he wept; he was in despair. But this pretence of -humility, instead of disarming the wrath of the Queen-Mother, served -only to inflame it. “It is for you,” she cried, turning to the King, “to -decide whether you intend to prefer a valet to your mother.” “It is more -natural,” interposed Richelieu, “that it is I who should be sacrificed.” -And he demanded pardon and permission to retire. The King remained -silent; Marie overwhelmed him with a fresh storm of reproaches, and he -quitted the room, convinced that his power was at an end. - -Louis XIII, dumbfounded by the violent scene of which he had been a -witness, informed his mother that he was quite unable to come to a -decision that day, and quitted the Luxembourg. - -On the following morning the King signed a despatch which his mother had -extracted from him which gave the sole command of the army of Italy to -Louis de Marillac and recalled Schomberg and La Force, who were -adherents of the Cardinal. Then he departed for Versailles, without -again seeing the Queen-Mother, but the Keeper of the Seals, Michel de -Marillac, whom Marie had designated as Prime Minister in place of -Richelieu, had orders to follow him. - -This order appeared decisive; all the Court believed that the Cardinal -had fallen. A crowd of courtiers invaded the Luxembourg, where the -Queen-Mother paraded her triumph and received their felicitations, -without deigning to inconvenience herself by following the King to -Versailles, as some of the more prudent of her friends urged her to do. -She flattered herself that she held the place of Catherine de’ Medici; -but she had none of Catherine’s _finesse_ and intelligence; Catherine, -in similar circumstances, would not have allowed the King out of her -sight for a moment. - -Anne of Austria, _Monsieur_, the Spanish Ambassador, the grandees were -transported with joy; and couriers started to carry the good news to -Madrid, Vienna, Brussels, and Turin. It was reported that the hated -Cardinal was busy making his preparations for departure; that he -intended to retire to the government of Le Havre, and that his mules had -been seen defiling along the Pontoise road. - -It would appear, in fact, that Richelieu, believing himself ruined, had -for a moment contemplated taking refuge at Le Havre, but that two of his -friends who had remained faithful to his fortunes, Châteauneuf and the -Président Le Jay, had strongly opposed this resolution and persuaded him -to remain in Paris. Anyway, he did so, and in the course of the -afternoon he received a message from the First Equerry, Saint-Simon, -bidding him come with all speed to Versailles. - -Saint-Simon and the Cardinal de la Valette, who had followed the King, -had pleaded the cause of Richelieu; but it is probable that “reasons of -State” had pleaded still more eloquently for him. For Louis, with all -his faults, did not, as we know, lack intelligence; and now that the -decision which for weeks he had postponed had to be made, he recognised -that the Cardinal’s dismissal would mean his own reduction to impotence, -disorder, corruption, and intrigue at home and the triumph of the -enemies of France abroad. His hesitation was at an end, and he -authorised Saint-Simon to send for Richelieu. - -The Cardinal came; he threw himself at the feet of the King, who raised -him up and praised the zeal and fidelity which he had shown in his -service. He knelt again and offered to retire, so as not to be a subject -of discord between mother and son. Louis declined to accept his -resignation, and then gave orders that they should be left alone -together, and proceeded to discuss with the Cardinal the measures to be -adopted against the cabal. It was decided that Michel de Marillac should -be deprived of the Seals and banished the Court, and that another -despatch should be sent to the Army of Italy, cancelling the one which -was already on its way and ordering Schomberg to have the Maréchal de -Marillac arrested and sent a prisoner to France. And so, while the -Queen-Mother was triumphing at the Luxembourg, Richelieu triumphed at -Versailles. That day--November 11, 1630--has remained famous in history -as “The Day of Dupes.” - - * * * * * - -“The Day of Dupes”! This name has been attributed to Bassompierre, and -no one was better able to appreciate its justice, since, whatever he may -say to the contrary--and he would fain have us believe that he was only -the innocent victim of circumstances--the marshal was undoubtedly one -of these dupes. But let us listen to his explanations. - -He begins by denying most solemnly that before November 10 he had any -knowledge that the Queen-Mother and Richelieu were at variance, except -what he had gathered from “scraps of information,” and that he had no -idea until some time afterwards that Marie had actually demanded from -the King the disgrace of the Cardinal. He accompanied Louis to the -Luxembourg on the morning of the 10th, as we have mentioned, but he -assures us neither the King nor the Cardinal--whom he saw that -evening--said a word to him about the stormy scene in the Queen-Mother’s -cabinet, and that the matter was kept a profound secret between all the -parties concerned. - - “This quarrel,” says he, “was kept so secret on all sides that no - one knew anything about it or suspected it.” - -He then goes on to relate how on the evening of the 10th he accompanied -the King to the apartments of _Monsieur_, from whom Louis had extracted -a promise to be reconciled to the Cardinal. - - “The King sent to summon the Cardinal, and, after saying a few - words to his brother, presented the Cardinal to him, and begged him - to love him and to regard him as his servant. This _Monsieur_ - rather coldly promised the King to do, provided that he [Richelieu] - would comport himself towards him as he ought to do. I was present - at this agreement, and afterwards, happening to be near the - Cardinal, he drew me aside and said to me: ‘_Monsieur_ complains - about me, and God knows if he has reason to do so; but the beaten - pay the forfeit.’ I said: ‘Monsieur, do not attach any importance - to what _Monsieur_ says. He only does what Puylaurens and Le - Coigneux counsel him to do; and when you wish to hold _Monsieur_, - hold him by means of them, and you will stop him.’ He said nothing - to me afterwards about his quarrel;[134] and may God confound me - if I even suspected it! After supper I went to visit the Princesse - de Conti. I had previously attended the King’s _coucher_, and he - did not give me any cause to suspect it. I inquired if he were - leaving on the morrow;[135] and he told me that he was not. I found - the Princesse de Conti in such ignorance of this affair, that not - only did she not speak of it, but I shall certainly dare to swear - that she knew nothing about it. - - “On Monday, the 11th, St. Martin’s Day, I came early to the - apartments of the King, who told me that he was returning to - Versailles. I did not imagine for what reason. I had arranged to - dine with the Cardinal, whom I had been unable to see at his house - since his arrival [from Lyons], and I went there towards midday. I - was told that he was not there, and that he was leaving that day to - go to Pontoise. Up to then I did not suspect anything, nor did I - even do so, when, having re-entered the Luxembourg and the Cardinal - arriving there, I accompanied him up to the door of the Queen’s - chamber, and he said to me: ‘You will no longer take any account of - a disgraced man like myself.’ I imagined that he intended to refer - to the bad reception which _Monsieur_ had given him the preceding - day. I intended to wait to go and dine with him; but M. de - Longueville enticed me away to go and dine with _Monsieur_ at M. de - Créquy’s house, as he had invited me to do. While we were there, M. - de Puylaurens said to me: ‘Well, it is certainly true this time - that our people have quarrelled, for the Queen-Mother said openly - to the Cardinal yesterday that she never wished to see him again.’ - I was very much astonished at this news, which was shortly - afterwards confirmed by M. de Longueville. I sent at once to the - Princesse de Conti to beg her very humbly to send me news; but she - swore to my man that this was the first that she had heard of it; - and that she begged me to furnish her with particulars concerning - it. I knew nothing about it, save that Madame de Combalet had taken - leave of the Queen-Mother and that the King and the Cardinal had - left Paris. In the evening _Monsieur le Comte_ took me to the - Queen-Mother’s, but she never spoke, except to the Queen and the - princesses. - - “_Tuesday, the 12th._--I went to Chaillot, where I spent the whole - day, and, on my return, I met Lisle, who told me that M. de - Marillac had been deprived of the Seals and sent under an escort of - the Guards to Touraine. - - “_Wednesday, the 13th._--M. de la Vrillière, returning at a gallop - from Versailles; told me that M. de Châteauneuf had been appointed - Keeper of the Seals, and, in the evening at the Queen-Mother’s, I - saw M. de la Ville-aux-Clercs, who had come to inform her on behalf - of the King.” - -Now, Bassompierre is generally regarded as a singularly reliable -chronicler, but we must remember that his _Mémoires_ were written, or -rather arranged and revised, during his imprisonment in the Bastille, -and that there was always a by no means remote possibility that they -might be impounded and placed under the eyes of Louis XIII and -Richelieu. It was therefore manifestly to his interest to make out as -good a case for himself as he could, and to pose as the victim of -unfounded suspicions. When he declares that on the evening of the 10th -he had no suspicion of what had taken place at the Luxembourg, and that -he was positive that the Princesse de Conti knew nothing about it, he is -probably speaking the truth. For it was not until the following morning -that Louis XIII signed the despatch appointing the Maréchal de Marillac -to the command of the army of Italy, and until the King had taken what -appeared to her a decisive step against Richelieu, the Queen-Mother may -well have refrained from speaking of the matter to anyone, even to so -close a friend and confidante as the Princesse de Conti. But when he -asks us to believe that until the afternoon of the 11th, by which time -the affair must have been already known to half the Court, and, by his -own admission, _was_ known to _Monsieur’s_ favourite Puylaurens and to -the Duc de Longueville, both he and his wife were still in ignorance, -and that when the Cardinal said to him: “You will no longer take any -account of a disgraced man like myself,” he really believed that he was -referring to - -[Illustration: CHARLOTTE LOUISE DE LORRAINE, PRINCESSE DE CONTI. - -From an engraving by Thomas de Leu.] - -his differences with _Monsieur_, we must entirely decline to do so. - - * * * * * - -On the morning of the 14th, the Spanish merchant Alphonso Lopez,[136] -who was one of Richelieu’s secret agents, came to visit Bassompierre and -“told him that he would do well to go to Versailles to see the King and -the Cardinal.” The marshal, however, learning that the new Keeper of the -Seals, Châteauneuf, with whom he was on very friendly terms, was coming -to Paris that day to pay his respects to the two Queens, thought it -advisable to defer his visit to the morrow, and, meanwhile, to go and -offer his compliments to Châteauneuf on his appointment and ascertain -from him what reception he was likely to receive. - - “He told me,” says Bassompierre, “that he had not perceived that - there was anything against me, but that I should do well to go and - present myself. This I did on Friday, the 15th. I entered the - chamber of the King, who, so soon as he caught sight of me, - observed, loud enough for me to hear: ‘He has arrived after the - battle,’ and greeted me very coldly. I assumed a cheerful - countenance, as though nothing had been the matter. Finally, the - King told me that he should be at Saint-Germain on the Monday, and - that I was to bring his Swiss Guards there. At the same time, I - heard Saint-Simon, the First Equerry, say to _Monsieur le Comte_: - ‘_Monsieur_, do not invite him to dinner, nor me either, and he - will return as he came.’ The insolence of this nasty little wretch - (_petit punais_) put me in a rage inwardly, but I concealed it, for - the laughers were not on my side, though I knew not why. - Nevertheless, _Monsieur le Comte_ said to me: ‘If you will dine - with me, I have three or four dishes above for us to eat.’ - ‘Monsieur,’ I replied, ‘I have asked MM. de Créquy and de Saint-Luc - and the Comte de Sault to dine with me to-day at Chaillot, and they - are awaiting me; but I thank you very humbly.’ Upon that the - Cardinal arrived. He greeted me coldly and spoke to me rather - indifferently, and then went with the King into his cabinet. I - began to talk to _Monsieur le Comte_, when Armaignac[137] came from - the Cardinal to ask me to dine with him. But, as I had just refused - _Monsieur le Comte_, before whom he spoke, I made the same excuse - as I had done before; with which the Cardinal was offended, and - said so to the King.” - -On the 18th Bassompierre went to Saint-Germain, where the King “gave him -the worst reception in the world.” He returned two days later, and was -again received in the most frigid manner. He decided to remain there, in -the hope that his Majesty might relent, and stayed for three weeks, -during which the King never spoke to him, except to give him the -password. The two Queens were also in a sort of semi-disgrace, for -though Louis treated them with every courtesy, in public it was only on -very rare occasions that he entered their private apartments. Beringhen -and Jaquinot, two of the King’s first _valets de chambre_, who had been -mixed up in secret intrigues against Richelieu, were banished the Court, -but for the present no further steps were taken against the Cardinal’s -more prominent enemies. On the other hand, Montmorency and Toiras were -created marshals of France, in order to secure them; and, to keep -_Monsieur_ quiet, the Cardinal bought the good offices of his two -favourites, Puylaurens and Le Coigneux, the former by the promise that -he should be created a duke, and the latter by the charge of _Président -au mortier_ in the Parlement and the present of a large sum of money. - -Meanwhile, efforts were made to persuade the Queen-Mother to be -reconciled to the Cardinal, and Louis XIII sent Père Suffren and the -Nuncio Bagni to Marie to offer never to oblige her to restore the -relatives of Richelieu to their posts in her Household, provided she -would consent to resume her place in the Council. This she refused to -do, so long as the Cardinal sat there. - -With the New Year intrigues began again. The Président Le Coigneux, -under the impression that the new Keeper of the Seals, Châteauneuf, was -working to ruin him, persuaded _Monsieur_ to break with the Cardinal and -quit the Court. On the morning of January 30, Gaston went to Richelieu’s -hotel, informed the Cardinal, in a threatening tone, that he renounced -his friendship, since he had failed in all the promises which he had -made him; then, refusing to listen to any explanation, he added that he -was retiring to his appanage and that, “if he were molested, he should -defend himself very well.” And, the same day, he left Paris for Orléans. - -On learning of the abrupt departure of _Monsieur_, Bassompierre went to -the Cardinal for his orders, as the King was still at Saint-Germain, -when Richelieu told him that he had sent in all haste to acquaint his -Majesty with what had happened and to counsel his immediate return to -Paris. Louis XIII arrived that same evening and alighted at the -Cardinal’s hotel, where Bassompierre was awaiting him. To his surprise, -the King greeted him most cordially, presented him with a wild boar -which he had killed that day, and, after visiting the Cardinal, invited -Bassompierre to enter his coach and accompany him to the Louvre. - -On the way Louis informed the marshal that “he was going to scold the -Queen his mother for having persuaded his brother to leave the Court.” -Bassompierre answered that, if the Queen-Mother had done so, she would -be much to blame, but he should be greatly surprised if she had -counselled such a thing. To which the King rejoined that he was positive -she had, “on account of the hatred which she entertained for the -Cardinal.” - -A few days later Louis XIII announced his intention of spending the -Carnival at Compiègne, whither the two Queens decided to follow him, for -Marie cherished the illusion that, with the aid of her daughter-in-law, -she might yet succeed in undermining the power of the Cardinal, and she -was determined not to repeat the fault she had committed on the Day of -Dupes. - -On February 16, the day before the Court set out for Compiègne, -Bassompierre, who had been given permission to remain in Paris, went to -take leave of their Majesties. The King received him very graciously and -promised him a _gratification_ to compensate him for the heavy expenses -which he had incurred during his embassy to Switzerland. Afterwards the -marshal went to visit the Princesse de Conti, who was to accompany the -Court to Compiègne. Little did he imagine as he bade his wife farewell -that they were never to meet again! - -In the afternoon of Sunday, February 23, as Bassompierre, who had been -dining with the Maréchal de Créquy, was on his way to the Place-Royale -to visit his brother-in-law Saint-Luc, his coach had to pull up, owing -to the road being blocked by a waggon on which was a sumptuous -four-poster bed. He sent one of his servants to inquire to whom the bed -belonged, and was told that it was the property of the Abbé de Foix, a -meddlesome ecclesiastic, who had been concerned somewhat prominently in -the recent intrigues against Richelieu, and that it was on its way to -the Bastille, whither its owner had been conveyed a prisoner that -morning. From the fact that Foix had been arrested Bassompierre inferred -that the Cardinal had resumed the offensive against his enemies; and -this surmise proved to be only too correct. - -That evening, as Bassompierre was about to set out for the house of his -friend Saint-Géran, to witness a play, which was to be followed by a -ball, he received a message from d’Épernon begging him to come to him at -once. On his arrival, the duke informed him that the King and Court had -quitted Compiègne that morning for Senlis, leaving the Queen-Mother -under arrest at the château; that the Princesse de Conti had been exiled -to her brother’s estate at Eu, by a _lettre de cachet_; that Vautier, -the Queen-Mother’s first physician, had been arrested and conveyed to -Senlis, and, finally, that he had learned on good authority that it had -been proposed to arrest Bassompierre, Créquy, and himself. He added that -no resolution had as yet been taken against Créquy or himself, but it -had been decided to arrest Bassompierre when the King returned to Paris -on the Tuesday, and that he had sent for him to warn him of his danger. - -Bassompierre asked d’Épernon what he advised him to do, and what he -proposed to do himself. The old noble replied that, if he were only -fifty years old--the age of the marshal--he would not remain in Paris a -single hour, and would make for some place of safety, from which he -would be afterwards able to make his peace; but that, since he was -nearly eighty and had no desire to play the courtier any longer at his -age, he should employ all the influence he possessed to disarm the -resentment of the King and the Cardinal, at least so far as to obtain -permission to retire to his government and spend the rest of his days -there in peace. With Bassompierre, however, the case was different. He -was still comparatively young, and could afford to wait until Fortune -smiled again; and he therefore advised him to leave France at once and -offered him the loan of 50,000 écus to enable him to live a couple of -years abroad in a style befitting his rank, which he could repay him -when his exile was at an end. - - “I thanked him very humbly,” says Bassompierre, “first for his good - counsel and then for his offer, and told him that my modesty - prevented me from accepting the latter and my conscience from - following the other, since I was perfectly innocent of any offence - and had never committed any action which was not rather deserving - of praise and reward than of punishment; that I had always sought - glory before profit, and that, preferring as I did my honour, not - only to my liberty, but to life itself, I should never compromise - it by a flight which might cause my integrity to be suspected and - doubted; that for thirty years I had served France and applied - myself to making my fortune there, and that I would not now, when - I was approaching the age of fifty, seek a new country, and that - having devoted to the King my service and my life, I might as well - give him my liberty also, which he would soon restore to me, when - he recollected my services and my fidelity; that, at the worst, I - should prefer to grow old and to die in prison, judged by everyone - innocent and my master ungrateful, than by an ill-advised flight to - cause myself to be deemed guilty and suspected of ingratitude for - the honours and charges which the King had bestowed upon me; that I - could not believe that I should be thrown into prison without - having committed any offence, nor retained there without any charge - against me; but that, if both were to happen, I should support it - with great firmness and moderation.” - -He concluded by declaring that, instead of taking to flight, it was his -intention to go on the morrow to Senlis to present himself to the King, -in order to justify himself, if he were accused, or to go to prison, if -he were suspected, or even to die, if his ill fortune or the fury of his -enemies went to that extremity. - -When he had finished speaking, d’Épernon embraced him, with tears in his -eyes, and said: “I know not what will happen to you, and I pray God with -all my heart that it may be nothing but good; but I have never known a -gentleman better born than you, nor who better deserved all good -fortune. You have enjoyed it up to the present. May God preserve it for -you! And, although I fear the resolution which you have taken, -nevertheless, after having heard and considered your reasons, I approve -of it and counsel you to follow it.” - -The marshal and d’Épernon then proceeded to Saint-Géran’s house, where -they found Créquy, whom the duke informed of the warning which had -reached him and of what Bassompierre intended to do. Créquy expressed -his approval of his resolution, and said that, for his part, he should -do what he could to avert the storm, but that he should not run away -from it. After the ball was over, they all three went to sup at Madame -de Choisy’s house, where they were presently joined by the Duc de -Chevreuse, who did not appear to be much affected by the exile of his -sister, the Princesse de Conti, and was as gay as usual. As they were -leaving, the Comte du Plessis-Praslin, who had been sent by the King to -convey to Chevreuse an official notification of his sister’s disgrace, -arrived, and informed the duke that the princess had been exiled, not -from any hostility which his Majesty entertained towards the House of -Guise, but “for the good of his service.” - -On the following morning Bassompierre rose before daybreak, and, -foreseeing that, if he were arrested his house would be searched, burned -“more than six thousand love-letters” which he had received from various -fair ladies during his long career of gallantry, “these being the only -papers I possessed,” says he, “which might be able to injure anyone a -little.” This task accomplished, he set out for Senlis, in company with -the Cardinal de la Valette, the Comte de Soissons, the Duc de Bouillon -and the Comte de Gramont. As they were on the point of starting, -Soissons warned Bassompierre that he had positive information that it -was intended to arrest him, and advised him to make his escape, which he -offered to facilitate. The marshal thanked him, but declined, declaring -that, “as he had nothing sinister on his conscience, he feared nothing,” -and that he proposed to have the honour of accompanying _Monsieur le -Comte_ to Senlis. - - “On our arrival,” says he, “we found the King in the Queen’s - chamber, with her and the Princesse de Guymené. He approached us - and said: ‘Here is good company,’ and, then having talked a little - to _Monsieur le Comte_ and the Cardinal de la Valette, he conversed - with me for some time, telling me that he had done what he could to - reconcile the Queen his mother with the Cardinal, but had failed. - He said nothing to me about the Princess de Conti. Then I told him - that I had been warned that he intended to have me arrested, and - that I had come to him in order that he might have no trouble in - finding me, and that, if I knew what prison he designed for me, I - would repair thither voluntarily, without his having to send me. - Upon which he said these very words: ‘How, Betstein, can you have - thought that I intended to do so? You know that I love you.’ And I - truly believe that, at that moment, he spoke as he felt. Then they - came to inform him that the Cardinal was in his chamber, and he - took leave of the company, telling me to send the company which was - on guard in advance early on the morrow, in order that it might be - able to mount guard in Paris. Then he gave me the password. - - “We remained for some time in the Queen’s chamber, and then all - went to sup at M. de Longueville’s, and from there returned to the - Queen’s, whither the King came after supper. I saw plainly that - there was something against me, for the King always kept his head - bent down, playing on the guitar, without looking at me, and during - the whole evening he never spoke a word to me. I spoke of this to - M. de Gramont, as we were going together to sleep in a lodging - which had been made ready for us.” - -The next morning the anticipated blow fell: - - “On Tuesday morning, the 25th day of February, I rose at six - o’clock, and was standing before the fire in my dressing-gown, when - the Sieur de Launay, lieutenant of the Gardes du Corps, entered my - chamber and said to me: ‘Monsieur, it is with tears in my eyes and - a heart which bleeds that I, who for twenty years have been your - soldier and have always been under your orders, am obliged to - inform you that the King has commanded me to arrest you.’ I did not - experience any particular emotion at these words, and said to him: - ‘Monsieur, you will have no great difficulty about that, seeing - that I have come here expressly for that purpose, because I had - been warned of it. I have been all my life submissive to the wishes - of the King, who is able to dispose of me and of my liberty as he - wills.’ Upon which I inquired if he desired my servants to - withdraw; but he answered that he did not, since he had no other - orders than to arrest me and afterwards to send to inform the King - of it, and that I could speak to my people, write, and send for - anything that I wished for, and that everything was permitted. M. - de Gramont then rose from his bed and approached me weeping, at - which I began to laugh, telling him that if he were not more - distressed at my imprisonment than I was, he would feel no - resentment, as in truth I did not trouble myself much about it, not - believing that I should remain there long.[138] - - “Launay did not permit any of the Guards who were with him to enter - my chamber, and, shortly afterwards, one of the King’s coaches, his - Musketeers and thirty of his Light Horse arrived before my lodging. - I entered the coach with Launay only, meeting as I went out _Madame - la Princesse_, who appeared touched by my disgrace. We preceded the - King by two hundred paces all the way to the Porte de Saint-Martin, - where I turned to the left, and, passing through the Place-Royale, - was brought to the Bastille. Here I dined with the governor, M. du - Tremblay,[139] who afterwards conducted me to the chamber in which - _Monsieur le Prince_ had formerly been confined, where they shut me - up with a single valet to attend on me.” - - - - -CHAPTER XLI - - Bassompierre in the Bastille--He is informed that he has been - imprisoned “from fear lest he might be induced to do - wrong”--_Monsieur_ retires to Lorraine--The marshal’s nephew the - Marquis de Bassompierre is ordered to leave France--After a few - weeks of captivity, Bassompierre solicits his liberty, which is - refused--He falls seriously ill, but recovers--Death of his wife - the Princesse de Conti--Flight of the Queen-Mother to - Brussels--Death of Bassompierre’s brother the Marquis de - Removille--Execution of the Maréchal de Marillac--Montmorency’s - revolt--Trial and execution of the duke--Hopes of liberty, which, - however, do not materialise--Arrest of Châteauneuf--Arrival of the - Chevalier de Jars in the Bastille--A grim experience--Bassompierre - disposes of his post of Colonel-General of the Swiss to the Marquis - de Coislin--The marshal’s hopes of liberty constantly flattered and - as constantly deceived--Malignity of Richelieu--The ravages - committed by the contending armies upon his estates in Lorraine - reduce Bassompierre to the verge of ruin--The marshal’s niece, - Madame de Beuvron solicits her uncle’s liberty of - Richelieu--Mocking answer of the Cardinal--Some notes written by - Bassompierre in the margin of a copy of Dupleix’s history are - published under his name, but without his authority--The historian - complains to the Cardinal--Arrest of Valbois for reciting a sonnet - attacking Richelieu for his treatment of - Bassompierre--Apprehensions of the marshal--His despair at his - continued detention--Grief occasioned him by the death of a - favourite dog--The Duc de Guise dies in exile. - - -On the following day the Governor of the Bastille came to visit -Bassompierre, and told the marshal that he was instructed by the King to -inform him that “he had not caused him to be arrested for any fault -which he had committed, and that he regarded him as his good servant, -but from fear lest he might be induced to do wrong,” and that he should -not remain long in confinement. This assurance, Bassompierre tells us, -afforded him great consolation. Du Tremblay added that his Majesty had -given orders that the marshal was to be allowed complete liberty, save -that of leaving the fortress, and to take exercise in any part of the -Bastille, while he was also to be permitted to have with him such of -his servants as he might choose to attend him. Bassompierre, however, -contented himself with sending for two lackeys and a cook, who were -lodged in a room adjoining his own. - -A day or two later Bassompierre sent to inquire of the King if his -nephew, the Marquis de Bassompierre, eldest son of the marshal’s -surviving brother, the Marquis de Removille, who was on a visit to -France, might be permitted to visit him. His Majesty replied that, not -only would he permit, but even wished, him to do so, and that he loved -him, both for himself and on account of his uncle. - -In the second week in March, Louis XIII quitted Paris and marched on -Orléans, in order to compel _Monsieur_, who was threatening civil war, -to return to his obedience. The Marquis de Bassompierre requested -permission to accompany his Majesty, which was readily accorded, and his -uncle furnished him with money to defray the expenses of this journey. -On learning of the King’s approach, Gaston fled towards Burgundy, -accompanied by the Duc de Roannez, the Comte de Moret, and some troops -which he had raised. Bellegarde, Governor of Burgundy, declared in his -favour, but made no attempt to raise the province in insurrection; and -the prince proceeded to Franche-Comté and thence to Lorraine. The King -followed his brother so far as Dijon, where he launched a Declaration -against his companions (March 30), and then retraced his steps. The fact -that _Monsieur_ had again retired to Lorraine had incensed him against -Charles IV and all his subjects, and he sent to inform the Marquis de -Bassompierre that “it was not agreeable that he should follow him or -even remain in France.” - -When, towards the end of April, Louis XIII returned to Paris, the -marshal solicited his liberty; but his request was refused. Soon -afterwards he fell ill “from a very dangerous swelling of the stomach, -arising perhaps from his not having taken the air,” for, for some reason -which he does not tell us, he had not left his room since he entered -the Bastille two months before. So ill did he become that he thought he -was dying, but having been persuaded to take daily exercise on the -terrace, his health soon began to improve. - -About the same time, a loss more bitter even than that of his liberty -befell Bassompierre. The Princesse de Conti, to whom he was secretly -married and was undoubtedly most tenderly attached, died at the Château -of Eu on the last day of April, a victim, according to her -contemporaries, to the grief which the misfortunes which had overwhelmed -those whom she held dear had occasioned her. For, not only had the -Queen-Mother been disgraced and her husband sent to the Bastille, but -her eldest brother, the Duc de Guise, had deemed it prudent to go into -voluntary exile in Italy, to escape a worse fate. - -Very discreet in general concerning the names of the ladies with whom he -had successes--“_Bassompierre fait l’amour sans dire mot_,” writes a -Court poet of the time--the marshal preserves about his relations with -the princess a scrupulous reserve, and his restrained emotion when he -announces her death is the only indication of his sentiments for her -which are to be found in his _Mémoires_: - - “I learned at the same time of the death of the Princesse de Conti, - which occasioned me such affliction as was merited by the honour - which, since my arrival at the Court, I had received from this - princess, who, besides so many other perfections which have - rendered her worthy of admiration, had that of being a very good - and very obliging friend. I shall honour her memory and regret her - for the rest of my days. She was so overwhelmed by grief at seeing - herself separated from the Queen-Mother, with whom she had remained - since the latter came to France, so afflicted at seeing her family - persecuted and her friends and servants in disgrace, that she was - neither willing nor able to survive, and died at Eu, on Monday, the - last day of April, of that unhappy year 1631.” - -Assured of the firm support of the King, Richelieu continued to carry -matters with a high hand. The Parlement of Paris refused to register the -Royal Declaration of March 30, which, without inculpating _Monsieur_, -stigmatised the accomplices of his flight as guilty of _lèse-majesté_. -On May 13 the magistrates were summoned in a body to the Louvre, where -Louis XIII curtly reminded them that their duty was to render justice to -his subjects, and not to concern themselves with affairs of State. And, -to give point to this rebuke, several presidents and counsellors were -banished from Paris. - -The excitement which the dissensions in the Royal family had aroused, -and the fact that public opinion was distinctly hostile to the Cardinal, -rendered it essential to remove the Queen-Mother so far as possible from -the Court and Paris. Louis XIII requested her to retire to Moulins, with -the government of the Bourbonnais, as a kind of honourable exile. She -consented, but quickly altered her mind, pretending that her son had -fixed upon Moulins in order to send her from there to Florence. Then the -King offered her Angers as a residence. To this also she objected, but -agreed to go to Nevers for a time. When, however, she learned that -_Monsieur_ had quitted France, she declined to budge from Compiègne. - -Early in July, the King, finding that neither his entreaties nor his -orders had any effect upon his mother, sent her a kind of ultimatum. -Instead of obeying, Marie resolved to retire to a frontier town and from -there dictate her conditions. One of her adherents, Vardes, who -commanded at La Capelle, in the name of his father, offered to deliver -the place to her; but the King, warned of his intention, sent the old -Marquis de Vardes in hot haste to La Capelle, who won over the garrison -and expelled his son and the Queen-Mother’s friends from the town. When -Marie, who had escaped from Compiègne on July 18, approached La Capelle, -she was met by the younger Vardes, who informed her of the failure of -their plans, which left her no alternative but to cross the Flemish -frontier and seek an asylum with the Spaniards at Brussels. - -At the beginning of 1632 some hope of his regaining his liberty was held -out to Bassompierre. “But,” says he, “I believe that this was done -rather to redouble my sufferings by deceiving my hopes than to alleviate -my misfortunes.” Anyway, he remained a prisoner, and soon afterwards -another sorrow befell him in the death of his brother, the Marquis de -Removille, from an illness caused by the hardships he had undergone -while serving in the Imperial army during the preceding year. - -Early in May Bassompierre learned of the tragic fate of his -fellow-marshal, Louis de Marillac, who, after having been kept a -prisoner at Sainte-Menehould for several months, was brought to trial -before a special commission sitting at Richelieu’s own château of Rueil, -on charges of malversation committed while in command of the Army of -Champagne, found guilty, condemned to death and executed in the Place de -Grève two days later. - -A still more striking example of the danger of crossing the path of the -terrible Cardinal--for no one doubted that had not Louis de Marillac -been so ill-advised as to desert Richelieu’s cause for that of the -Queen-Mother, little or nothing would have been heard of his weakness -for enriching himself at the expense of the State--was afforded in the -following autumn. - -In September _Monsieur_ and his friends, counting on Austro-Spanish aid, -which, however, failed them completely, attempted an invasion of France. -The Duc de Montmorency, Governor of Languedoc, irritated by the growing -power of Richelieu and his determination to reduce great nobles like -himself to political impotence, took up arms in Gaston’s cause. Defeated -and made prisoner by Schomberg at Castelnaudary, he was brought to trial -for high treason before the Parlement of Toulouse. Extraordinary efforts -were made to save him, but all to no purpose, and on October 29, 1632, -the head of “the noblest, wealthiest, handsomest and most pious -gentleman in the kingdom” rolled on the scaffold.[140] - -Richelieu took advantage of Montmorency’s revolt to remove all hostile -or suspected governors of provinces and replace them by his own friends. -He himself had already obtained the government of Brittany and been -created duke and peer. He was triumphing everywhere, at home and abroad. - -At the beginning of the following year Bassompierre had again great -hopes of recovering his liberty. Schomberg sent him word that, on the -return of the King from the South, he would be released, and he learned -that both Louis XIII and the Cardinal had said as much to several -persons. However, he was again doomed to disappointment, the fact that -_Monsieur_, after making his submission, had quitted France again, this -time for Flanders, being the pretext for his continued detention. - - “In place of liberating me,” writes the poor marshal, “they - deprived me of that portion of my salary which had been paid me - during the two preceding years, notwithstanding that I was a - prisoner, amounting to one-third of what I had been accustomed to - draw every year. This made me see plainly that it was intended to - keep me eternally in the Bastille.” - -On February 25--the same day on which two years before Bassompierre had -been sent to the Bastille--Châteauneuf, the Keeper of the Seals, who had -foolishly allowed himself to be drawn by Madame de Chevreuse, with whom -he was madly in love, into a fresh conspiracy against Richelieu, was -arrested at Saint-Germain-en-Laye and conducted to the Château of -Angoulême, where he remained in close confinement until the Cardinal’s -death, ten years later. At the same time, the gates of the Bastille -opened to admit his nephew, the Marquis de Leuville, and several other -persons who had been concerned in the affair, including Bassompierre’s -old friend, the Chevalier de Jars. - -The Cardinal attached great importance to the arrest of Jars, as he -believed that he might be induced to reveal the part which Anne of -Austria had played in the conspiracy. But the chevalier, if a somewhat -feather-brained, was a brave and honourable, man, and, though he was -kept in close confinement for nearly a year and subjected to repeated -examinations by his Eminence’s myrmidons, he steadfastly refused to make -the least admission that might incriminate the Queen or any of her -friends. Finally, he was transferred to Troyes, and then brought to -trial for high treason before a special commission, at the head of which -was the notorious Laffemas, who was known as “the Cardinal’s -executioner,” and made it his boast that he could condemn any man, if he -had but two lines of his writing. Laffemas bullied and browbeat the -prisoner and “did all the mean things that the base soul is capable of -suggesting,”[141] but to no purpose, for he could wring nothing from -him. Accordingly, the judges proceeded to pass sentence of death on -Jars, who was in due course conducted to the scaffold, “where he made -his appearance with a demeanour full of courage, smiling at his enemies -and prepared to meet death without flinching.”[142] But it was only a -grim farce after all, for Richelieu had nothing to gain by the removal -of such small fry as the chevalier, and the only object of the trial had -been to intimidate him into betraying his accomplices. And so, at the -moment when the condemned man was about to lay his head on the block, -Laffemas interrupted the proceedings by producing an order from the King -which remitted the capital sentence and directed that the chevalier -should be conducted back to the Bastille. - -At the beginning of 1634 Bassompierre received a promise that his salary -as Colonel-General of the Swiss, which had been suspended the previous -year, should be paid, but this promise was not kept. In the following -September, however, he learned that the King had given orders that he -was to receive it, but, pressed by his creditors, who since his -imprisonment had given him no rest, and believing that, if he ceased to -command the Swiss, one of the chief reasons for his continued detention -would be removed, he begged Richelieu, through the governor of the -Bastille, to obtain the King’s permission to sell his post. This was -granted, and he also obtained permission to offer it to the Marquis de -Rochefort, a friend of Du Tremblay. Rochefort, however, would give no -more than 400,000 livres, and the marshal, who while at liberty had -refused double that sum, declined to sell at this price. Thereupon -Rochefort endeavoured to persuade Richelieu to compel Bassompierre to -accept his offer; but though the Cardinal would not do this, the order -for the payment of the marshal’s salary was cancelled, and “he continued -his miserable imprisonment in the Bastille with great inconvenience in -his domestic affairs.” - -Towards the middle of December, Du Tremblay came to visit the marshal -and told him that he was commissioned to make him an offer for his post, -which, if he accepted, his liberty was assured. The persons who had -empowered him to do this, whose names he was not at liberty to mention -at present, would not go beyond 400,000 livres, but they were people of -great influence at Court, who could powerfully assist him in obtaining -his release. Bassompierre consented, on condition that the arrears of -his salary were paid, and Du Tremblay promised that his brother Père -Joseph should go to Rueil and speak to the Cardinal about this. A day or -two later Du Tremblay informed him that Père Joseph and the two -Bouthilliers had undertaken to arrange the matter with Richelieu, and -that he thought that he would leave the Bastille before Christmas. And -he gave him to understand that the influential persons for whom he was -acting were the Baron de Pontchâteau and his son, the Marquis de -Coislin, who was married to a daughter of Pierre Séguier, Châteauneuf’s -successor in the post of Keeper of the Seals. - -At the end of the year Louis XIII gave his consent to the Marquis de -Coislin succeeding Bassompierre in the command of the Swiss. - - “And then it was divulged that the said Marquis de Coislin would be - Colonel-General of the Swiss, and the Keeper of the Seals sent me - some compliments on the matter through M. du Tremblay; and the - rumour of my release, which six weeks before had been very strong, - augmented to such a degree, that a number of persons came every day - to the Bastille to see if I were still there; and it was regarded - as certain that I should be released at Epiphany.” - -Epiphany came and went, and Bassompierre still remained in the Bastille, -the population of which was about this time increased by the arrival of -several persons who were suspected of being concerned with Puylaurens -and Du Fargis, formerly French Ambassador at Madrid, in treasonable -relations with Spain. These two were imprisoned at Vincennes, where -Puylaurens died some months later. - -On February 16 Bassompierre received a visit from the younger -Bouthillier. - - “He assured me,” says he, “of the favour of the King and the - affection of the Cardinal, as also of my liberation, but without - specifying the time. He told me further that the King was - nominating the Marquis de Coislin as Colonel-General of the Swiss - in my place, who would pay me, in consideration of that, 400,000 - livres in cash, and, as to that which concerned my pay and salary - due to me for the said charge, my friends, namely his father, - himself and Père Joseph, did not wish to make any proposal on that - matter, but would leave it to myself to negotiate after my release. - And in this I had no alternative but to acquiesce.” - -The 400,000 livres was duly paid, the money being brought to the -Bastille, by Lopez and Séguier’s intendant Pepin, in instalments of -40,000 to 50,000 livres at a time, the whole transaction occupying -several days, as Bassompierre had insisted on being paid in livres -instead of in pistoles, and the money had, of course, to be counted and -weighed in his presence. Finally, the business was ended, and on March 8 -he gave his receipt for the sum and the resignation of his post to his -successor’s agents. - - “It was,” says he, “the same month, day and hour, that, twenty-one - years before, I had taken oath between the hands of the King for - the same charge of Colonel-General of the Swiss.” - -A few days later the younger Bouthillier again came to see Bassompierre, -and informed him that the Cardinal had spoken to the King of his -liberation, that his Majesty had granted it, and that he was to leave -the Bastille almost immediately. - - “Nevertheless,” says the marshal, “I pressed him strongly to name - the precise day on which I should be released, which he declined to - do, although he told me that I should be entirely free within a - week.” - -Several weeks, however, passed without Bassompierre hearing any further -news of his liberation; and it was not until the last day of April that -the Governor of the Bastille received a letter from Père Joseph, -requesting him to assure the marshal that he would receive his liberty -on the return to Paris of the younger Bouthillier, who was to bring him -the order for his release. (The Court, it should be mentioned, was then -at Compiègne.) Bouthillier arrived on May 5, but, as the marshal heard -nothing from him, he sent his niece, Madame de Beuvron, to see him, -when the Minister told her that he had actually had the order for her -uncle’s release in his hands, but that, owing to the intelligence that -had arrived that _Monsieur_ had gone to Brittany, possibly with the -intention of embarking for England, it had been decided that the marshal -could not be set at liberty so soon, and the order had been cancelled. A -few days later it was ascertained that _Monsieur_ had gone to Brittany -merely to visit some friends of his, and that he was staying with the -Duc de Retz at Machecoul, and had not the least intention of leaving the -kingdom. However, this did not hasten Bassompierre’s release, and it -began to dawn upon the poor marshal that there never had been any -immediate intention of giving him his freedom, and that the assurances -which he had received were merely a bait to induce him to sell his post -of Colonel-General of the Swiss for about half its value. - -Towards the end of May, Du Bois, Bassompierre’s _maître-d’hôtel_, who -was also commissary of the French and Swiss Guards, happened to go on -some business to Château-Thiery, where the Court then was. Louis XIII, -recognising Du Bois, for he had seen him frequently when he had been the -marshal’s guest, told him to come to his lodging and inquired when he -was returning to Paris. Du Bois replied that he intended to do so on the -following day. “Stay over Sunday,” said the King--it was a Friday--“and -I will give you an order for the release of the Marshal de Bassompierre, -which I will have made ready on Monday, after I have spoken to the -Cardinal.” Du Bois, greatly delighted, for he was much attached to -Bassompierre, readily promised to remain, and lost no time in sending -off a courier to bear the joyful tidings to the Bastille. - -On the Monday, the elder Bouthillier went to visit the Cardinal, who was -staying at Condé, and, before starting, told Du Bois that, on his -return, he would give him the order of release, and that he could make -arrangements to leave for Paris the following morning. But when, on the -Minister’s return, Du Bois went to receive the despatch, Bouthillier -informed him that his Eminence had been so much occupied with important -affairs that day that Bouthillier had hardly been able to mention the -matter to him. However, he was coming to Château-Thiery on Wednesday to -see the King, when no doubt the order of release would be made out. - -The Cardinal did not arrive until Friday, and when, after he had -concluded his business with the King and returned to Condé, Du Bois went -to Bouthillier, fully expecting to find the precious document awaiting -him, he was told that so many pressing affairs had had to be discussed -that there had been no time to deal with that of his master’s liberty, -but that the marshal might be assured that it would be decided on the -earliest possible opportunity. And he suggested that, if Du Bois wished, -he should go to Paris and return a few days later, when very probably -the order of release would be ready for him. - - “On the Saturday,” writes Bassompierre, “_Monsieur le Comte_ sent - me word that he had learned on very good authority that my liberty - was resolved upon, and that in twenty-four hours I should be - released without fail. But on the Monday I saw Du Bois, who made me - understand that it was pure deceit; and, although the First - President sent to tell me the same day that I should go out before - the end of the week, I did not in the least believe that I should - be set at liberty.” - -However, assurances of his approaching liberty were not wanting. First, -the younger Bouthillier told Madame de Beuvron that the delay in setting -her uncle at liberty was due solely to the suspicious conduct of -_Monsieur_, of whom apparently the marshal was regarded as so devoted an -adherent that it would be imprudent to give him his freedom until the -King could feel sure that his brother had no intention of causing -further trouble. Then, towards the end of June, Du Tremblay came to -inform Bassompierre that he was charged by the Bouthilliers, _père et -fils_, that he might never regard them again as honest men if he were -still a prisoner in a fortnight’s time. Finally, a week later the son -wrote that the Cardinal had given him his word that the marshal was to -be set at liberty, and had authorised him to tell him so. - -And so the miserable game went on month after month, year after year, -the Cardinal gratifying his malignity by wantonly sporting with the -hopes of his hapless prisoner, who was continually receiving the most -confident assurances that his freedom was at hand, only to discover that -they were worthless. It is indeed astonishing that so great a man should -have descended to such paltry exhibitions of spite, and have persuaded, -not only his colleagues in the Ministry, but his sovereign as well, to -lend themselves to them. But Richelieu was a strange character, and -combined in a singular degree qualities worthy of the most profound -admiration with others which can provoke nothing but contempt. - -But the cruel disappointments inflicted upon him by the malice of the -Cardinal were far from the only mortifications which Bassompierre had to -endure. His financial affairs were not in a prosperous condition, and -his sojourn in the Bastille brought him to the verge of ruin. His -creditors, whose appetites appear only to have been whetted by the sops -which the sale of his post of Colonel-General of the Swiss had enabled -him to fling to them, grew more clamorous than ever; his men of affairs -proved unworthy of the trust he reposed in them and pilfered the -_débris_ of his fortune, and an Italian bank, by means of a forged -document, seized upon a magnificent tapestry which he would not have -parted with upon any consideration. Nor was this all. With the entry of -France as a principal into the Thirty Years’ War, Lorraine had become -the battle-ground of the hostile armies, and Frenchmen, Imperialists, -and Swedes vied with one another in pillaging the châteaux and estates -of the marshal and his family: - - “The last day of June [1635] _Monsieur le Prince_ arrived in Paris, - returning from his post of lieutenant-general of the King’s army in - Lorraine. On his departure, he had left orders that my château of - Bassompierre was to be demolished, and this was subsequently - executed.” - -The destruction of this château, which was situated near Briey, may, of -course, have been an act of military necessity; but it was more probably -one of pure spite, since, as we know, there was little love lost between -the marshal and Condé. - - “On the 12th January [1636], I received the sad news of the death - of my niece, the nun of Remiremont;[143] and, a few days later, I - learned that the King’s commissaries had carried off all the corn - from my house of Harouel, and this, not only without payment, but - without even giving a certificate that they had taken it. - - “The month of February arrived, at the beginning of which I learned - from Lorraine that a certain Sieur de Villarceaux[144] had a - commission from the King to raze my house of Harouel to the ground. - This I felt most cruelly, and I sent to entreat the Cardinal to - avert this storm from me.” - -Harouel was spared, though it is doubtful whether this was done out of -any consideration for its unfortunate owner. - -In the following May Bassompierre succeeded in obtaining an ordinance -from the King for the restoration of his corn. But Gobelin, Intendant of -Justice and Finance in Lorraine, who in the days of the marshal’s -prosperity had been his intimate friend, protested against this; and it -was finally decided that he should be allowed to keep it for the use of -the army, nor was Bassompierre able to obtain any pecuniary -compensation. - - “And, afterwards, when it was mentioned to the Cardinal de - Richelieu, he observed that it was very strange that I should ask - money of the King for my corn, seeing that I was so rich that I was - building a sumptuous house at Chaillot; that I was having such - splendid furniture made that the King had nothing like it, and that - during the six years I had been in prison I still maintained such - great state that it was impossible to equal it.[145] - - “A few days later, in the same month, the Duke of Weimar was - authorised by the King to refresh his army in the county of - Vaudemont and in my marquisate of Harouel, which was delivered over - to pillage. This he executed so well, that every kind of plunder, - cruelty, and atrocity was practised there, and my estate entirely - destroyed, save the château, which could not be taken by this army, - which had no artillery. - - “At the end of the month of May the troops of the said Duke of - Bernard of Weimar attacked our château of Removille, where five or - six hundred peasants of both sexes and of every age had taken - refuge. They carried it by assault on the 28th, and killed the men - and the old women who were there, carried away the young women, - after violating them, and, having pillaged the château, burned it - with the children who were in it.” - -In July of the following year the Château of Harouel, which had been -occupied by the troops of the Duke of Lorraine, was bombarded by the -King’s troops, and, after seventy cannon-shot had been fired at it, was -surrendered to the French commander, who left a garrison of thirty -soldiers there, to be maintained at Bassompierre’s expense. - -In August, 1636, Bassompierre’s niece, Madame de Beuvron, went to the -Cardinal to solicit her uncle’s liberty. - - “But he answered her, in mockery, that I had been only three years - in the Bastille and that M. d’Angoulême had been there fourteen; - that the duke was returning very opportunely to give some good - advice on the subject of my liberation. I omitted to mention that, - at the alarm of the passage of the Somme,[146] MM. d’Angoulême, de - la Rochefoucauld, M. de Valençay and other persons who had been - exiled were recalled; but anger and hatred continued against me in - such fashion, that, not only had they neither consideration nor - compassion for my long sufferings, but, on the contrary, wished to - increase them by this derision and mockery.” - -It might be supposed that if, in these circumstances, Bassompierre had -little to hope for, he had little to fear. Such, however, was not the -case. Some notes written by him in the margin of a history of the reigns -of Henri IV and Louis XIII, composed by the Historiographer Royal, -Scipion Dupleix, the proofs of which are said to have been corrected by -Richelieu himself, were published under his name, but entirely without -his authority, by a monk named Père Renaud, the confessor of his -fellow-prisoner the Abbé de Foix, to whom he had lent the copy -containing them. The marshal’s criticisms were probably pretty -stringent, but those which appeared in print were a great deal more so, -and the work aroused a considerable sensation. Dupleix complained to the -Cardinal, and, says Bassompierre, “they did not fail to report the -matter to the King and to tell him that it appeared evident from these -memoirs that I entertained an aversion to his person and State.” - -About the same time, a soldier of the Light Cavalry named Valbois was -arrested and brought to the Bastille, charged with having recited a -sonnet against the Cardinal, beginning, ‘_Mettre Bassompierre en -prison_;’ and the marshal was warned by his friends outside to destroy -all his papers which might be capable of injuring him, as it was -intended to seize them, with a view to bringing him to trial. - - “I confess,” writes Bassompierre, “that this last warning, which - followed so many unfortunate incidents, was almost sufficient to - destroy my reason. It was the 9th of October [1637] that I received - it. I passed six nights without closing an eye, and in an agony - which was worse to me than death.” - -Finally, however, Valbois, after being interrogated several times, -probably with the object of ascertaining whether Bassompierre had had -anything to do with the composition of the objectionable sonnet, was set -at liberty, and, as no action was taken against him, the marshal’s mind -became calmer. Nevertheless, he appears to have lived in constant -apprehension lest his papers should be impounded; and this no doubt -accounts for the fact that, in his _Mémoires_, the composition of which -were now his chief occupation, he exercises a rigorous discretion in his -comments on current events, although he was kept informed by his friends -of everything that was happening in the world outside. “I shall say -nothing,” he writes naïvely, as though to shelter himself from all -reproach, “of the quarrel between the King and the Queen ... of the -punishment of the nuns of the Val-de-Grâce ... of the dismissal of the -King’s confessor, Père Caussin ... nor, finally, of the entry of the -Chancellor into the Val-de-Grâce, where he caused the Queen’s cabinets -and caskets to be broken open, in order to seize the papers which she -had placed in them.” - -Bassompierre did not confine his literary activity to his _Mémoires_; he -wrote also the history of his embassies to Spain, Switzerland, and -England, which was first published in 1668. In 1802 an octavo volume, -bearing the title of _Nouveaux Mémoires du Maréchal de Bassompierre, -recueillis par le président Hénault et imprimés sur le manuscrit de cet -académicien_, appeared; but the best authorities on the period are -agreed in regarding this work as apocryphal. - - * * * * * - -The years passed, and Bassompierre still remained in the Bastille. So -far from uttering complaints, he sought rather, by his words and acts, -to disarm the enmity of the all-powerful Minister. He protested -vigorously whenever he learned that the malcontents or the enemies of -Richelieu claimed him as one of their number; he lent his house at -Chaillot to the Cardinal every time that he asked for it; and, what does -him more honour, when in 1636 France was invaded, he offered to serve as -a simple volunteer. All was useless. The most distinguished personages -solicited his liberty; the poets interested themselves in his fate and -attested by their verses a courageous gratitude for the favours which -the marshal had bestowed upon them in the days of his prosperity. -Richelieu remained deaf to all appeals. - - “A rumour ran,” writes Bassompierre in 1638, “that the King had - said to the Cardinal that he had it on his conscience to keep me so - long a prisoner, and that, as there was nothing to allege against - me, he could not detain me any longer. To which the Cardinal - replied that, since the time of my being imprisoned, so many things - had passed through his mind, that he could not now recollect the - causes which had led the King to imprison me or him to advise it; - but that he had them among his papers, and would look for them and - show them to the King. I know not if this be true, but the rumour - was current in Paris.” - -It is little wonder that, if the question of his liberty, after more -than eight years of detention, was treated in this fashion, the hapless -victim of the vindictive Minister and the cold-hearted King was -sometimes plunged into the depths of despair. - - “I know not,” he writes, “whether those who conduct the King’s - affairs hate me or wish to overwhelm me with affliction that they - have detained me so long in the Bastille, where I can do nothing - but pray to God that He will put an end to my long sufferings by my - liberty or my death. What can I write concerning my life, since I - pass it always in the same manner, save that from time to time some - fatal accident happens to me?--For good fortune deserted me from - the time I was deprived of my freedom.” - -In this state of depression we can well understand the bitter grief -which the death of a little dog, which was his constant companion, -appears to have occasioned him:-- - - “There happened in the month of September [1639] an accident which - is ridiculous merely to mention, and disgraceful for me to have - taken to heart as I did, but which was much more insupportable to - me than several others of more importance that have occurred to me - in the course of my life. I had a little toy greyhound, called - Médor, not more than six inches high, of a dun and white colour, - the prettiest markings imaginable. He was the most beautiful, the - liveliest, the most affectionate dog I have ever seen, a pup of my - old bitch Diane, who had given birth to him about a year before her - death, as though she had wished to leave me this consolation in my - prison. It was certainly a very great one, for he afforded me much - amusement and rendered my imprisonment more tolerable. I confess - that I had conceived too great an affection for him. It happened - that on Monday, the 12th of September, I ascended to the terrace of - the Bastille with the Comtes de Cramail[147] and du Fargis, Madame - de Gravelle,[148] and the Comte d’Estelan,[149] who had come to - visit me that day, when a great, ugly black greyhound belonging to - M. du Coudray, whom I always feared so much for my dog that I - generally carried him in my arms when I knew that the other was on - the terrace, started to play with him, and, in doing so, placed a - paw on his little body in such fashion that he crushed his heart - before my eyes. Assuredly, this accident crushed mine and - distressed me to such a degree that I was sad for a very long - while, and the memory of this poor beast torments my mind still.” - -Bassompierre’s _Mémoires_ conclude in October, 1640, with a reference to -the death in exile of his brother-in-law Charles de Lorraine, Duc de -Guise, the news of which had just reached him and appears to have caused -him much distress. - - - - -CHAPTER XLII - - Death of Richelieu--Bassompierre is offered his liberty on - condition that he shall retire to his brother-in-law Saint-Luc’s - Château of Tillières--He at first refuses to leave the Bastille, - unless he is permitted to return to Court--His friends persuade him - to alter his decision--He is authorised to reappear at Court--His - answer to the King’s question concerning his age--He recovers his - post as Colonel-General of the Swiss--His death--His funeral--His - sons, Louis de Bassompierre and François de la Tour--His nephews. - - -At length, on December 4, 1642, Richelieu succumbed to the one enemy -whom he was unable to subjugate, in full possession of all the power and -splendour for which he had laboured so unceasingly. Save to his family -and his immediate followers, his death brought little regret, for all -classes had felt his iron hand, and even the King seems to have -experienced a sense of relief at the thought that the short span of life -that remained to him would be free from that overshadowing presence. - -It was not, however, without considerable difficulty that the -distinguished prisoners of the Bastille succeeded in obtaining their -freedom. Mazarin and Chavigny demanded that they should be set at -liberty; but Sublet des Noyers opposed it. The order of release was only -signed by the King on January 18, 1643, and, as the liberated captives -were not authorised to return to Court, Bassompierre refused to leave -his prison. His friends, however, persuaded him to do so, and he -retired, in accordance with the King’s orders, to the Château of -Tillières, belonging to his brother-in-law, the Comte de Tillières. - -Henri d’Arnauld, Abbé of Saint-Nicolas d’Angers, in a journal addressed -to the wife of Président Barillon, describes the incidents of this -deliverance, which the invisible influence of Richelieu seemed still to -be hindering: - - “_January 4, 1643._ ... Hope is held out to the two marshals who - are in the Bastille that they will be liberated before the end of - this month. - - “_January 7th._ ... The prisoners of the Bastille entertain great - hopes of an approaching liberation. - - “_January 11th._ ... I do not see that the hopes which have been - given to these gentlemen of the Bastille are based on too sure a - foundation. I greatly wish that I am wrong in the opinion I have - formed. - - “_January 18th._ ... Since the letter I wrote I went to the - Bastille, to which M. de Romefort came, on behalf of M. de - Chavigny, to inform MM. de Bassompierre, de Vitry and de Cramail - that the King gave them back their liberty, but on condition that - the first shall go to Tillières, M. de Vitry to Châteauvilain, and - M. de Cramail to one of his houses. The two last received this news - with joy; but M. de Bassompierre is up to the present very decided - to refuse to go out on that condition, and all his friends and - servants are quite unable to influence him in the matter. They - ought to go out to-morrow. Perhaps, between now and then he will - alter his decision. - - “_Wednesday, January 21, 1643._--On Monday, MM. de Bassompierre, de - Vitry, and the Comte de Cramail left the Bastille, the last two - with great joy. As for the first, his relatives and friends had all - the difficulty imaginable to persuade him to accept his liberty on - condition of going to Tillières, and a hundred times I believed - that he would refuse to do so. I was at the Bastille from 10 - o’clock in the morning until 9 o’clock in the evening on the day on - which they went out.... They are to remain here for three or four - days. They have visited all the Ministers. There is some hope that - the Maréchal de Bassompierre will not remain long where he is - going. - - “_January 25._ ... The three persons who had come out of the - Bastille were forbidden to visit _Monsieur_. They have taken their - departure. The Marquis de Saint-Luc brought to the King a letter of - thanks from the Maréchal de Bassompierre. The King, after reading - it twice, observed: ‘I refuse to allow people to make terms with - me, and the Maréchal de Bassompierre is one of the first who told - me that I ought not to do it. If he had not decided to go to - Tillières, I should have left him in the Bastille, to be maintained - there at his own expense. I gain by the release of these persons - 45,000 livres a year.’[150] ‘Yes, Sire,’ answered Saint-Luc, ‘and - 100,000 blessings.’ - - “_Tuesday, January 28._ ... The Maréchal de Bassompierre has left - Chaillot this morning and will reach Tillières to-morrow. - - “_March 11._ ... The Maréchal de Bassompierre is so bored at - Tillières that he declares that he repents of having left the - Bastille and followed in that the advice of his friends.” - -Some weeks later, and very shortly before his death, Louis XIII -authorised the Maréchaux de Bassompierre and de Vitry and the Comte de -Cramail to reappear at Court. - -It is related that when Bassompierre went to pay his respects to the -King, his Majesty received him very graciously and inquired how old he -was. “Fifty, Sire,” was the reply. “Surely you are much older than -that?” exclaimed the King, in surprise. “I deduct the twelve years -passed in the Bastille, since they were not employed in the service of -your Majesty.” And on being presented to a beautiful young girl, he -observed: “Mademoiselle, how much do I regret my youth when I see you!” - -Nevertheless, so greatly had the tone and manners of fashionable society -changed since that fatal day when he had lost his liberty, that poor -Bassompierre--Bassompierre who had formerly passed for the marvel of the -old Court!--appears, with his habits of magnificence and gallantry, to -have been regarded as a trifle antiquated, though, in the opinion of -Madame de Motteville, “the remains of the Maréchal de Bassompierre were -worth more than the youth of some of the most polished of that time.” -The young men to whom Madame de Motteville refers formed the cabal of -the “_Importants_,” whose ephemeral reign was terminated by the -imprisonment of the Duc de Beaufort (September, 1643). To this cabal -belonged the Marquis de la Châtre, who, on the death of Coislin, who had -died in 1641 from wounds received at the siege of Aire, had succeeded -him as Colonel-General of the Swiss. He was obliged to surrender this -post, of which the marshal resumed possession, on condition of paying Le -Châtre the 400,000 livres which he had received from Coislin. -Bassompierre’s resignation was considered as null and void, and the post -as not having been vacated. - -Bassompierre did not long enjoy this return of favour. On October 12, -1646, his servants found him dead in his bed at Provins, where he had -stopped for the night, while returning to Paris from a visit to the -elder Bouthillier’s country-house. He had evidently passed away -peacefully in his sleep, “as he was found in his customary position, one -hand under the pillow at the place where his head rested, and his knees -a little raised.”[151] His body was brought in a coach to Chaillot; the -intestines, the tongue, and the brain were buried in the parish church -before the high altar; the heart and the rest of the body were delivered -by the curé to the Minims of Migeon, whose convent was close to the -château, and deposited in a chapel to the left of the high altar, in the -choir of their church. The Duc de Chevreuse and “other nobles and ladies -of high quality, with a great number of bourgeois and inhabitants of -Chaliot (_sic_),” assisted at the funeral ceremony. - -The Maréchal de Bassompierre left two sons; one by Marie d’Entragues, -the other by the Princesse de Conti. The first, who was called Louis de -Bassompierre, took Holy Orders, and, after being provided, doubtless -through his father’s influence, with two rich abbeys, was consecrated -Bishop of Oloron, a see which he subsequently exchanged for the more -important one of Saintes. He was, in later years, appointed almoner to -_Monsieur_, brother of Louis XIV; but this post he resigned, in order -that he might reside continuously in his diocese, in which respect he -set an example which other bishops would have done well to follow. - -The Bishop of Saintes was a pious and worthy man, beloved by the poor -and esteemed by everyone. During the troubles of the Fronde he laboured -to maintain in their allegiance to the Crown, or to bring back to their -duty, the population of Saintes, Brouage and the surrounding country, -and it was he who negotiated the accommodation of the Comte, afterwards -the Maréchal, du Daugnon with the Court. He died in Paris, whither he -had come on business connected with his diocese, on July 1, 1676. -“_Hélas!_” writes Madame de Sévigné, “_à propos_ of sleeping, poor M. de -Saintes has fallen asleep this night in the Lord in an eternal sleep. He -had been ill for twenty-five days, bled thirteen times, and yesterday -morning he was without fever. He talked for an hour with the Abbé Têtu -(these kind of improvements are nearly always deceptive), and on a -sudden he fell back in agony, and, in short, we have lost him. As he was -extremely lovable, he is extremely regretted.” - -“The worthy prelate,” says the _Gazette de France_, “has left his -friends sensibly afflicted, the poor of his diocese in the extremity of -grief, and all those who knew him edified by the exemplary actions of -his life, and his Christian resignation at death.” By a will, made the -year before his death, he left all his property to the poor and the -churches of his diocese. - -The marshal’s son by the Princesse de Conti was known as François de la -Tour. He is described by Goulas as “one of the handsomest and bravest -men of the Court”; and Tallemant des Réaux writes: - - “He [Bassompierre] had a son by the Princesse de Conti, who was - called La Tour-Bassompierre; it is believed that he would have - recognised him, if he had had the leisure. This La Tour was brave - and well made. In a duel in which he took part as second, having to - fight with a man who for some years had had a disabled right arm, - but had accustomed himself to make use of his left, he allowed his - right arm to be bound and, nevertheless, beat his adversary.” - -François de la Tour appears to have resembled his father in other -respects besides courage and good looks, as, in September, 1639, we find -Bassompierre complaining that “a person who was very nearly related to -him, named La Tour, had been gambling and had expended in a prodigal -fashion a great deal of money, which had occasioned him much vexation.” - -François de la Tour was wounded on August 10, 1648, at the taking of -Vietri, in the kingdom of Naples, and appears to have died of his -wounds. “It is,” observes the Marquis de Chantérac, “without doubt of -him that the _Gazette de France_ speaks in announcing, under date -January 27, 1648, that the Sieur de Bassompierre, naval captain, had -distinguished himself in the engagement which had taken place between -the King’s forces, commanded by the Duc de Richelieu, and those of -Spain, under the orders of Don Juan of Austria, in the Gulf of Naples.” - -Of the three nephews of the marshal, the eldest, Anne-François, Marquis -de Bassompierre, was killed in a duel in May, 1646, without having -married. The second, Charles, Baron de Dommartin, married Henriette -d’Haraucourt; but his male posterity continued only to the second -generation. The third, Gaston-Jean-Baptiste, Marquis de Baudricourt and -de Bassompierre, left descendants who were attached successively to the -service of Lorraine and of France. The last male representative of this -branch was Charles-Jean-Stanislas-François, Marquis de Bassompierre, who -died in 1837. The families which to-day bear the name of Bassompierre -would not appear to be connected in any way with the House of Betstein. - -THE END - - -PRINTED BY THE ANCHOR PRESS, LTD., TIPTREE, ESSEX, ENGLAND. - - * * * * * - -FOOTNOTES: - - [1] Condé, on hearing of this, remarked that Luynes was a good - Constable in time of peace and a good Keeper of the Seals in time of - war, and this jest was repeated everywhere. - - [2] Créquy had been created a marshal on December 24, 1621. - - [3] The Maréchal de Roquelaure recovered and lived until 1625, so - neither Schomberg nor Bassompierre received the coveted bâton. - However, shortly afterwards, the King gave Bassompierre the rank - of first _maréchal de camp_, and with it authority over the other - brigadier-generals and other privileges. - - [4] From Coutré to Vivonne, a distance of about two and a half leagues. - - [5] Tallemant des Réaux, little benevolent in general towards - Bassompierre, renders him justice on this occasion. “At the Sables - d’Olonne,” says he, “he acquired reputation, risked his life, and - showed the way to the others; for he plunged up to his neck in the - water.”--_Historiette de Bassompierre._ - - [6] Amongst those who honoured themselves by their efforts to protect - the women was the Keeper of the Seals, De Vic. Here is the tribute of - a contemporary chronicler:-- - - “I will tell you on this matter an act of charity on the part of - the Keeper of the Seals, who ordered one of his people, so soon as - the town was taken, to ransom the girls and women whom he found in - the hands of the soldiers, in order that by this means their honour - and their lives might be saved. This he did of those whom he met, - and brought them to the said Keeper of the Seals, to the number of - fifteen. They were conducted to his lodging, as to a place of refuge - and asylum; and some were sent back under escort to the places from - which they had fled to take refuge in Négrepelisse on the approach of - the Royal Army of his Majesty, while others were conducted to a place - of safety.” _Le fidelle historien des affaires de France_ (_Paris_, - MDCXXIII.). - - The Duc de Chevreuse and Roger, valet of the King’s wardrobe, also - ransomed several women, and an officer named Pontis saved the honour - of a young girl of eighteen. - - [7] Carmain, called indifferently Caraman, Carmaing, Carman, or - Cramail, had been a Huguenot town for nearly fifty years. The - principal inconvenience which it caused the inhabitants of Toulouse - was the fact that it afforded the few Protestants of the capital of - Languedoc facilities for the public exercise of their religion. - - [8] Claude de Bullion, Seigneur de Bonnelles. He was successively - counsellor to the Parlement of Paris, Counsellor of State, and _maître - des requêtes_ and was appointed Surintendant of Finance in 1632. He - died in 1646. - - [9] Combalet had recently married Marie Madeleine de Vignerot, - afterwards Duchesse d’Aiguillon, Richelieu’s favourite niece. - - [10] He was a son of Zamet the financier, and colonel of the Picardy - Regiment. - - [11] Bassompierre had protected Roucellaï after the death of Concini, - whose protégé he had been, and had lately obtained for him a rich - abbey. - - [12] “The Sieur de Bassompierre, since made Maréchal de France for his - merits, ran thither, sword in hand, with some soldiers of the Piedmont - Regiment.... In the midst of the disorder into which our men had been - thrown, the Maréchal de Bassompierre showed his judgment and his - courage.”--_Histoire du Maréchal de Toiras._ - - [13] The Treaty of Montpellier confirmed the Edict of Nantes, and - permitted the Protestants to hold ecclesiastical assemblies without - the authorisation of the King; but political assemblies were - forbidden, unless the King’s permission had been obtained. La Rochelle - and Montauban were allowed to retain their fortifications, and it was - promised that Fort Saint-Louis, which the Government had caused to be - erected within a quarter of a league of the ramparts of La Rochelle, - and which was a serious menace to that town, should be razed. But - the fortifications of the other Huguenot towns were to be partially - dismantled, so that they might never again be capable of defying the - royal authority. The chiefs of the insurrection were restored to - all their honours and charges, with the exception of those whom the - King preferred to indemnify. Among these was Rohan, who exchanged - his government of Poitou for that of the towns of Nîmes, Uzès, and - Castries, which, however, he was not allowed to garrison, a large sum - of money and a pension of 45,000 livres. La Force had already been - indemnified for the loss of his government of Béarn. - - The Protestants’ imprudent recourse to arms had thus cost them dear. - They had lost two important governments, their political organisation - and all their places of surety, with the exception of La Rochelle and - Montauban. It only remained to deprive them of these two towns to - reduce the party to a mere sect. In the position in which they were, - however, it was as favourable a treaty as they could have hoped for. - - [14] After long negotiations, Richelieu had at last obtained his - promotion to the cardinalate on September 23 of that year. He was - on his way at this moment, not to receive the hat, but to offer his - thanks to the King. Hérouard tells us that the hat was given Richelieu - by Louis XIII, at Lyons, on December 10, 1622. - - [15] Philip, Duc d’Orléans, the King’s brother. - - [16] The Comte de Soissons. - - [17] Nicolas de Bailleux, afterwards _Surintendant_ of Finance. - - [18] Not only had this stipulation of the Treaty of Montpellier not - been executed, but the governor of Fort Saint-Louis was working - incessantly to strengthen this citadel. - - [19] Caumartin had died on January 21, 1623, and the Chancellor had - obtained the Seals, without which his office was a sinecure. - - [20] “To Seigneur Maréchal de Bassompierre, for gilded leathers, - 40,000 maravedis.” - - [21] Bassompierre appears to have got his dates mixed. He places the - “Guadamiciles” affair in July, but the disgrace of Ornano, whose - offence was that he had instigated _Monsieur_ to demand admission to - the Council, occurred at the beginning of June. - - [22] August 12. - - [23] Captain of the Gardes du Corps. - - [24] There was some talk of bringing La Vieuville to trial, on a - charge of malversation, but the real motive for imprisoning him was - to prevent him from revenging himself for his disgrace by disclosing - the secret of the negotiations which were in progress. When there was - no longer anything to fear from his indiscretion, he was allowed to - escape. - - [25] Gregory XV had died on July 8, 1623, and was succeeded by - Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, who had assumed the name of Urban VIII. - - [26] The accusation was a true one. Richelieu had proved that nothing - would stay his arm when the interests of France were at stake. - - [27] “He [Barberini],” writes Bassompierre, “was received, lodged - and entertained with all the honours that it was customary to render - to Legates. But, after several conferences had been held and divers - treaties proposed, not having got what he expected, he came to - Fontainebleau to take leave of the King, and immediately afterwards, - without waiting to receive the customary honour of being escorted and - his expenses defrayed on his journey through France, he unexpectedly - took his departure, having previously refused the King’s present. - The King summoned the princes and officers of the Crown together - with certain presidents of his Court of Parlement, and held a - famous council at Fontainebleau to deliberate upon this extravagant - departure, where nothing was resolved upon except to let him go.” - - [28] The siege of Verrua was raised on November 17, 1625, as the - result of a defeat inflicted on the Spaniards before the walls of the - town. Vignolles had arrived on the 9th. - - [29] _Ambassade du Maréchal de Bassompierre en Suisse, l’an 1625._ - [Amsterdam, 1668.] - - [30] Raymond Phelipeaux, Seigneur d’Herbault. He was one of the - Secretaries of State, and shared with Potier d’Acquerre and Loménie de - la Ville-aux-Clercs the Department of Foreign Affairs. - - [31] Schomberg had been created a marshal of France in 1625. - - [32] Between Louis XIII and her son-in-law Philip IV. - - [33] Madame de Molteville, _Mémoires_: “The Queen did me the honour - to tell me that she did everything she could to stop the marriage of - _Monsieur_ ... because she believed that this marriage, which the - Queen-Mother desired, was altogether contrary to her interests, being - assured that, if the princess were to have children, she would no - longer enjoy any consideration.” - - [34] “A few days afterwards there was a report that a council had been - held, which was attended by nine persons ... at which it was resolved - to go and kill the Cardinal at Fleury.” - - [35] Henri Martin. - - [36] _Mémoires d’un favori du duc d’Orléans. Archives curieuses de - l’histoire de France. Tome III._ - - [37] Roger de Gramont, Comte de Louvigny, second son of Antoine, Comte - de Gramont. He was killed in a duel on March 18, 1629. - - [38] The Comte de Candale was the younger son of d’Épernon and brother - of the Marquis de la Valette. - - [39] According to Bassompierre, they were both in love with the - Duchesse de Rohan. - - [40] François de Montmorency, Seigneur de Bouteville. He was beheaded - in 1627. See p. 505 infra. - - [41] On July 2. - - [42] Among the things which Louvigny appears to have invented was the - accusation that Chalais meditated the death of the King, by scratching - him on the neck with a poisoned pin when, as Master of the Wardrobe, - he was adjusting his ruff. - - [43] Here is a specimen: “If my complaints have moved with compassion - the most insensible of hearts, when my sun failed to shine in the - alleys dedicated to love, where will be those who do not share my - tears in a prison into which the sun’s rays can never enter, and in - which my lot is so much the harder in that I am forbidden to make - known to her my cruel martyrdom? In this perplexity, I felicitate - myself on having a master who makes me suffer only in body; and murmur - against the marvels of that sun whose absence is killing the soul, - and brings about such a metamorphosis that I am no longer myself save - in the persistence of adoring it; and my eyes, which survive for that - alone, are justly punished for their too great presumption by the - shedding of more tears than ever love caused to flow.” - - [44] The horrible tortures inflicted on the condemned man are - accounted for by the fact that the executioner of Nantes had hidden or - taken away his axe, and that his substitute was obliged to make use of - unsuitable weapons: “They brought from the prisons of the town two men - destined for the gibbet, one of whom played the part of executioner, - while the other served as his assistant. But the former was so clumsy - that, besides two blows with a Swiss sword, which had been purchased - on the spot, he gave him [Chalais] thirty-four with an adze such as - carpenters use, and was obliged to turn the body round to finish the - severing of the head, the victim exclaiming up to the twentieth blow: - ‘_Jesus, Maria et Regina Coeli!_’” - - [45] There can be no possible doubt that, had the marshal lived - a little longer, he would have shared the fate of Chalais. “I - am infinitely vexed that the death of the Maréchal d’Ornano has - forestalled the judgment of the court,” wrote Richelieu to the King. - “The justice of God wished to anticipate yours.” - - [46] Bassompierre appears to have been addressed frequently by Louis - XIII and _Monsieur_ by the German form of his name. - - [47] Enormous as were these revenues, the King was able to sequestrate - them by a stroke of the pen, and Richelieu took care that _Monsieur_ - should not have in his hands a single fortified place. It was a wise - precaution, since Gaston’s first treason was to be followed by others. - - [48] “_Monsieur_ was playing cards when the news was brought to him. - He did not interrupt his game, but went on with it, as though, instead - of Chalais’s death, he had heard of his deliverance.”--_Mémoires d’un - favori du duc d’Orléans._ - - [49] When Louis lay on his death-bed, the Queen swore, with tears in - her eyes, that she had been innocent of any such intention. “In the - state in which I am,” was the reply, “I am obliged to pardon you, but - I am not obliged to believe you.” - - [50] Tyburn Tree would appear to have stood on the spot which is now - the junction of the Bayswater and Edgware Roads. - - [51] “They [the Bishop of Mende and the other ecclesiastics of the - Queen’s Household] abused the influence which they had acquired over - the tender and religious mind of her Majesty, so far as to lead her a - long way on foot, through a park, the gate of which had been expressly - ordered by the Count de Tilliers [Tillières] to be kept open, to go - in devotion to a place (Tyburn), where it has been the custom to - execute the most infamous malefactors and criminals of all sorts, - exposed on the entrance to a high road; an act, not only of shame - and mockery towards the Queen, but of reproach and calumny of the - King’s predecessors of glorious memory, as accusing them of tyranny - on having put to death innocent persons, whom these people look upon - as martyrs, although, on the contrary, not one of them had been - executed on account of religion, but for high treason.”--Reply of the - Commissioners of his Majesty the King of Great Britain, to Monsieur - le Maréschal de Bassompierre, Ambassador Extraordinary from his Most - Christian Majesty. - - [52] The orthography of this letter is, of course, modernised. - - [53] Sir Lewis Lewkenor, Knight. In 1603 an office had been - instituted, or rather revived, for the more solemn reception of the - Ambassadors by the title of Master of the Ceremonies, with a salary - of £200 per annum. Sir Lewis Lewkenor was the first holder of the - post. The worthy knight’s emoluments were not confined to his salary, - for Stow tells us that when, in March, 1605, he was sent by the Lords - of the Council to the foreign Ambassadors to contradict officially - a report of James I’s death which had been spread, the Spanish - Ambassador was “ravished with a soddaine joy, and gave unto Sir Lewis - Lewkner (_sic_) a very great chaigne of gold, of a large value.” - - [54] Greenwich Palace, on the site where now stands the Naval - Hospital, had been a favourite residence of Henry VIII and Elizabeth, - but the Stuarts appear to have resided there but little. - - [55] Sir Edward Sackville, fourth Earl of Dorset (1591-1652). He - was one of the handsomest men of his time, and in 1613 had become - notorious as the hero of a duel, fought on a piece of ground specially - purchased for the purpose near Bergen-op-Zoom, in which he had killed - Edward Bruce, second Lord Kinloss, and been himself severely wounded. - He had been ambassador in France for a short time in 1621 and again in - 1623. - - [56] It was customary for Ambassadors Extraordinary to be lodged - and entertained at the expense of the sovereigns to whom they were - accredited, and we have seen how splendidly Bassompierre was treated - at Madrid. Why this practice was departed from on the present occasion - was no doubt due to the ill-feeling existing between the two Courts - and to the fact that his mission was an unwelcome one, and not to any - motive of economy, for in 1610 the Ambassador sent to announce to - James I the accession of Louis XIII had been lodged in Lambeth Palace - and most lavishly entertained. - - [57] It is singular that Bassompierre omits to mention where he lived - during his stay in London. It might be supposed that it was at the - house of the permanent Ambassador, the Marquis de Blainville, were - it not that he states elsewhere that it was in a _maison de louage_. - There was in those days no French Embassy in London, that is to say, a - house purchased by the French Government for the accommodation of its - representative, and the Ambassadors made their own arrangements. We do - not know where Blainville lived, but his predecessor, Bassompierre’s - brother-in-law, the Comte de Tillières, rented for a time Hunsdon - House, in the Blackfriars. It was during his tenancy of this house, - in October, 1623, that a most terrible accident occurred. Some three - hundred Catholics had assembled there one evening to hear Mass, when - the floor of the room in which the service was being held gave way, - with the result that a great number of them were killed or severely - injured. The bodies of nearly fifty are said to have been afterwards - buried in the garden. This disaster was called the Fatal Vespers. “The - Protestants,” observes Croker, “considered it as a judgment of Heaven; - the Roman Catholics as a treachery of the Protestants, both sides - overlooking in the blindness of bigotry the weakness of an old floor - and the weight of the inordinate number of persons crowding upon it.” - - [58] François de Rochechouart, Knight of Malta, known also under the - name of the Commandeur de Jars, third son of François de Rochechouart, - Seigneur de Jars, and Anne de Monceaux. He had been exiled from the - Court of France at the time of the arrest of Ornano, and had come to - England, where he had been well received. - - [59] Buckingham was much incensed against the Court of France, owing - to its refusal to receive him as Ambassador Extraordinary in the - autumn of the previous year, though what else he could have expected - after his audacious attempt to make love to Anne of Austria is - difficult to understand. He had also, it appears, a personal grievance - against Richelieu upon a point which was then considered of great - importance--the right to the title of _Monseigneur_. The Cardinal had - addressed letters to _Monsieur_ le Duc de Buckingham, and the omission - of the _Monseigneur_ had given mortal offence to Buckingham. - - [60] York House. It had belonged originally to Charles Brandon, - Duke of Suffolk; but in the reign of Mary, Heath, Archbishop of - York, purchased it for the see. Whence the name which so perplexed - Bassompierre. In the reign of James I, Matthews, Archbishop of York, - disposed of it to the Crown, and after Lord Chancellors Egerton and - Bacon had had it, probably as an official residence, it was granted to - Buckingham, who converted it into a sumptuous palace. - - [61] “It does some credit to the taste at least of the English Court - at that period,” observes Croker, “that Bassompierre, himself a man - of distinguished taste in decoration and furniture (he nearly ruined - himself by fitting up that celebrated house at Chaillot, which his - gaoler Richelieu used to borrow), and who had seen all the courts in - Europe, should consider this as the finest and best fitted house he - had ever seen.” - - [62] William Cecil, second Earl of Salisbury, son of Sir Robert Cecil, - the first earl, and grandson of the great Lord Burleigh. - - [63] Philip Herbert, Earl of Montgomery, afterwards fourth Earl of - Pembroke (1584-1650), Lord Chamberlain, second son of Henry, second - Earl of Pembroke, by his celebrated wife, Mary Sidney, sister of Sir - Philip Sidney. It was to him and his brother William, third Earl of - Pembroke, that Heminge and Corleton dedicated the first folio of - Shakespeare as “to the most noted and incomparable pair of brothers, - who having prosequted these treffles [the immortal plays] and their - authour living with so much favour, would use a like indulgence - towards them which they have done unto their parent.” Herbert was a - generous patron of Massinger and Vandyck as well as of Shakespeare, - but, in other respects, a far from estimable person, though much of - the abuse heaped upon him by contemporary writers is no doubt due to - his desertion of the King’s cause during the Great Rebellion. The - charges that he was quarrelsome, dissolute, and wanting in physical - courage would seem, however, to be only too well founded. His devotion - to the sport of cock-fighting is recorded in the old lines:-- - - “The Herberts every Cockpitt Day - Doe carry away - The gold and glory of the day.” - - - [64] He was at one time the owner of the famous Sancy diamond, which - afterwards figured amongst the crown jewels of France, and later - amongst those of Russia. - - [65] The King’s fear lest his consort “might commit some extravagance - and weep in the sight of everyone” was, after all, well justified for, - after the audience, Bassompierre writes to d’Herbault: “The Queen - would have come near to weeping in this great assembly, if Madame de - la Trémouille had not led her away.” - - [66] Edward, Baron, afterwards Viscount, Conway. He had been one of - the Secretaries of State since January, 1623. He was subsequently - removed from that office, “for notable insufficiency,” says Clarendon, - and in December, 1628, appointed Lord President of the Council. It is - somewhat singular that Bassompierre, very particular as a rule to give - the English nobles whom he met during his mission their titles, does - not do so in the case of Conway. “But it is to be observed,” remarks - Croker, “that the office of Secretary of State was still (both in - England and France) considered a subordinate one, and even the peerage - did not exempt the possessor from the plebeian appellation of ‘Mr. - Secretary.’” - - [67] In Bassompierre’s dispatches to his Court we find further details - of the stormy interview. “I was treated,” he writes to Louis XIII, - “with great rudeness, and found the King very little disposed to - oblige my master.” Charles complained bitterly of the intrigues of - the Queen’s French attendants; of their malice in seeking to wean his - wife’s affection from him, and their insolence in prejudicing her - against the English language and nation. The King grew at length so - warm as to exclaim to the Ambassador: “Why do you not execute your - commission and declare war?” “I am not a herald to declare war,” was - the answer, “but a marshal of France, to make it when declared.” - - [68] The favourite’s presumptuous behaviour towards his sovereign was - not always so delicately reproved as it was on this occasion by the - well-bred and courtly Bassompierre. “On the eventful day of Dr. Lambe - [an astrologer, who went by the name of the ‘Duke’s Devil’] being - torn to pieces by the mob, a circumstance occurred to Buckingham, - somewhat remarkable, to show the spirit of the times. The King and - the duke were in the Spring Gardens, looking on the bowlers; the duke - put on his hat; one Wilson, a Scotchman, first kissing the duke’s - hands, snatched it off, saying: ‘Off with your hat before the king.’ - Buckingham, not apt to restrain himself, kicked the Scotchman; but - the king interfered, saying: ‘Let him alone, George; he is either - mad or a fool.’ ‘No, sir,’ replied the Scotchman, ‘I am a sober man, - and, if your Majesty will give me leave, I will tell you of this man - which many know and none dare speak.”--Disraeli, _Curiosities of - Literature_, Vol. II. - - [69] John Egerton, Viscount Brackley, created Earl of Bridgewater in - 1617, son of Lord Chancellor Egerton. - - [70] Sir George Goring, afterwards Earl of Norwich (1583-1663). He was - at this time vice-chamberlain to the Queen. - - [71] William Herbert, third Earl of Pembroke, elder brother of Philip - Herbert, Earl of Montgomery. - - [72] There were at this time only two dukes, _viz._, Buckingham and - James Stuart, Duke of Lennox and Richmond; but, as the latter was a - lad of fourteen, it is very natural for Bassompierre to speak of the - King’s favourite as “the duke.” - - [73] Bassompierre also expresses his dissatisfaction with his - reception in England, and with the English generally, in a letter to - the Bishop of Mende, formerly Grand Almoner to the Queen. “I found,” - he writes, “condescension amongst the Spaniards and civility and - courtesy amongst the Swiss in my embassies to those nations, but the - English would abate nothing of their natural pride and arrogance.” So - we see the charge of “insular pride” is nearly three centuries old, at - any rate. The bishop replies: “I am not surprised that you found more - courtesy and satisfaction amongst the Spaniards than in the island - upon which the tempest has cast you. I have always found the English - as unreasonable as the Swiss, but less faithful to their honour than - the Spaniards.” No doubt the bishop thought it very unreasonable of - the English government to deprive him of his post, but, unless all the - charges brought against him by the commissioners appointed to reply to - Bassompierre’s complaints are to be disbelieved, he had only himself - to thank for it. - - [74] Madame de Motteville goes so far as to assert, on the authority - of Henrietta, that, not only had Buckingham fomented the dissensions - between husband and wife, but that he had openly avowed to the Queen - that such was his deliberate intention. Whether or no he is to be - credited with so perilous a candour, it can scarcely be doubted that - his attitude towards the young Queen was a hostile one, and, on one - occasion he is said to have told her insolently to beware how she - behaved, since in England queens had had their heads cut off before - now. - - [75] Charlotte de la Trémoille, daughter of Claude, Seigneur de la - Trémoille, Duc de Thouars, and Charlotte of Nassau, daughter of - William the Silent, Prince of Orange. She had married James Stanley, - Viscount Strange, afterwards seventh Earl of Derby--“the loyal Earl of - Derby”--who was beheaded in 1651. She is celebrated in history for her - heroic defence of Latham House against the troops of the Parliament. - - [76] Presumably, these were Charles’s private jewels, for many of the - Crown jewels had been pawned to the States-General. “Warrants are - extant,” says Croker, “authorising Buckingham and Sackville Crow to - pawn jewels to the amount of £300,000; _viz._: ‘a great rich jewel of - goulde, call’d the Mirror of Great Britain, having twoe faire litle - dyamonds, cut lozenge wise, garnish’d with small dyamonds, and a - pendant with a faire dyamond cutt in fawcetts without foyle, etc.’” - - [77] During Bassompierre’s embassy, Henrietta Maria wrote her mother a - letter which the marshal regarded as a proof that she distrusted him. - On learning of this, the Queen wrote to him as follows:-- - - “My Cousin, Understanding that you had been vexed respecting a letter - I wrote to the Queen my mother, and that you think that I distrust - you, I beg you to dismiss the idea and to believe that I am not so - ungrateful for the services which you have rendered me as to avoid - you. M. le Duc [probably the Duc de Chevreuse] will tell you about the - affair as it happened; and, as for myself, I can assure you that my - intention never was to offend you, for I should be most blameworthy to - act thus against persons who testify affection for me, particularly - against you, whom I honour, and to whom my obligations are so great - that I shall ever remain, - - “Your affectionate cousin, - - “HENRIETTE-MARIE.” - - It is perhaps to this episode that Bassompierre here refers. - - [78] Perhaps Robert Ker, afterwards Earl of Roxburgh. - - [79] Probably, Endymion Porter (1587-1649), groom of the bedchamber to - Charles I, whom he had accompanied on his journey to Spain, where he - sometimes acted as interpreter, having been educated in that country. - He was a generous patron of literature and art, and Herrick declares - that poets would never be wanting so long as they had a patron like - Porter, - - “who doth give - Not only subject for our art, - But oil of maintenance to it.” - - Porter was devoted to Buckingham, to whose favour he owed his rise to - fortune, and in his will, dated the year before his death, he “charged - all his sons, upon his blessing, that, leaving the like charges to - their posterity, they did all of them observe and respect the children - and family of his Lord Duke of Buckingham, deceased, to whom he owed - all the happiness he had in the world.” - - [80] Charles de Brouilly, Marquis de Piennes. - - [81] Pierre Gobelin, counsellor to the Parlement in 1618, was - appointed _maître des requêtes_ in 1624. - - [82] Wallingford House. It stood near Charing Cross, upon the site of - the Old Buildings of the Admiralty. - - [83] There were at this time two Duchesses of Lennox: Catherine - Clifton, widow of Esmé Stuart, the first duke, and Frances Howard, - widow of Ludovic, the second duke, whom James I had created Duke - of Richmond, in the peerage of England. As the latter was a vain, - ambitious, and intriguing woman, and possessed of considerable - influence at Court, it is probable that it was to her that - Bassompierre’s visit was paid. The duchess had been married three - times. She began her matrimonial experiments with a merchant, a Mr. - Prannell; continued them with an earl, Edwin, Earl of Hertford, and - concluded with a duke of royal blood. If, however, we are to believe - the gossip of the time, she would fain have made yet another, and - secured a yet more exalted consort. “For, finding the King (James) a - widower, she vowed, after so great a prince as Richmond, never to be - blown with kisses or eat at the table of a subject; and this vow must - be spread abroad that the King might notice the bravery of her spirit. - But this bait would not catch the old king, and she, to make good her - resolution, speciously observed her vow to the last.” - - [84] Mary Villiers, to whom by letters-patent of August, 1627, the - duchy of Buckingham was granted in default of heirs male. Like the - lady just mentioned, she was married three times: first, to Lord - Herbert, son of Philip, Earl of Pembroke; secondly to James Stuart, - Duke of Lennox and Richmond, and, finally, to Thomas Howard, a brother - of the Earl of Carlisle. She had no children by any of her husbands. - - [85] Presumably, a French translation. - - [86] An indignant newsmonger thus enumerates the penances to which the - Queen had, or was supposed to have, been subjected: “Had they not also - made her, on St. James’s Day, dabble in the dirt, in a foul morning, - from Somerset House to St. James’s, her Luciferian confessor riding by - her in his coach? Yea, they have made her spin, to go barefoot, to eat - her meat out of treen dishes [dishes made of “tree,” _i.e._, wooden - trenchers], to wait at table and serve her servants, with many other - ridiculous and absurd penances; and if these rogues dare thus insult - over the daughter, sister and wife of so great Kings, what slavery - would they not make us, the people, undergo?”--_Ellis’s Letters, Pory - to Mead_, July 1, 1626. - - [87] The fogs of England have been in all ages a sore trial to - foreigners. Gondomar, Spanish Ambassador in the time of James I, when - someone who was going to Spain waited on him to ask whether he had any - commands, replied: “Only my compliments to the sun, which I have not - seen since I came to England.” Caraccioli, Neapolitan Ambassador to - the Court of George II, in a conversation with that monarch, took the - liberty of preferring the _moon_ of Naples to the _sun_ of England. - - [88] In a letter to d’Herbault, Bassompierre gives details of this - agreement: “First, she [the Queen] has re-established--and this is - for her conscience--a bishop and ten priests, a confessor and his - coadjutor, and ten musicians for her chapel; that of St. Gemmes is - to be finished with its cemetery, and another is to be built for her - in her palace of Somerset, at the expense of the King her husband. - In attendance on her person she will have of her own nation, two - ladies of the bedchamber, three bedchamber-women, a sempstress, and a - clear-starcher. In regard to her health, two physicians, an apothecary - and a surgeon. For her household, a grand chamberlain, an equerry, - a secretary, a gentleman usher of the privy chamber and one of the - chamber of presence, a baxter-groom, (_i.e._, baker), a valet. All her - officers of the mouth and goblet will be French.” This was, in all - conscience, a sufficiently numerous foreign establishment; but it was - scanty in comparison with the army of more or less useless persons - located at the English Court on the strength of the first treaty, - which, including the servants of the higher officials, amounted to - more than four hundred. - - It was further stipulated that all the priests detained in prison - should be set at liberty, and that the pursuivants, or officials whose - duty it was to prosecute Catholics who offended against the Penal - Laws, should be abolished. - - [89] The Danes, like the Germans, were at this time proverbial - throughout Europe for their too great indulgence in the pleasures of - the table, and it would appear that Bassompierre’s guest was, as an - ambassador should be, a worthy representative of his country. - - [90] The royal coaches of this and, indeed, of a much later period, - were huge structures, not unlike four-poster beds on wheels, for - they had no glass and were sheltered by leather curtains. They were - capable of holding eight persons, two of whom were perched on niches, - called boots, at each door. These places were usually reserved for - some favoured guest or friend of the King or Queen. When Philip V of - Spain left Versailles to take possession of his kingdom, Louis XIV - took his grandson the first stage of his journey in his own coach, - which accommodated the whole Royal family. “The two kings and the - Duc de Bourgogne,” says Saint Simon, “sat on one side, the Dauphin, - the Duchesse de Bourgogne and the Duc de Berry on the other; the Duc - and Duchesse d’Orléans at either door.” A most illustrious coachful! - Coaches were introduced into England in the latter part of Elizabeth’s - reign. When the Queen went to St. Paul’s to return thanks for the - defeat of the Armada, “she did come in a chariot-throne, with four - pillars behind to bear a canopy, on the top whereof was a crown - imperial, and two lower pillars before, whereon stood a lion and a - dragon, supporters of the arms of England, drawn by two white horses.” - Two horses would appear to have been the usual number for some time. - Buckingham was the first who ventured on six, which, we are told, - was looked upon with strong disapproval, as a mark of the “mastering - spirit” of the favourite. - - [91] The Moorfields were a walk planted with trees, on the north - of the city, comprising the Moorfields property, so called, the - Middle Moorfields and the Upper Moorfields. Until the beginning of - the previous reign, the Moorfields were, according to Stow, “a most - noisome offensive place, being a general laystall, loathsome to both - sight and smell, ... but, through the pains and industry of Master - Nicholas Leate they were reduced from their former vile condition into - most fayre and royale walkes.” - - [92] “M. Harber” was no doubt Edward Herbert, the celebrated Lord - Herbert of Cherbury, who had been Ambassador in France in 1619. - - [93] Pembroke was Lord Steward. - - [94] The English “country dance” was a corruption in name of the - French _contredanse_. - - [95] “The ground on which this palace stood,” observes Croker, - “shelved down from the Strand, where the principal entrance was to the - river. The principal floor and state rooms were probably on the level - with the entrance on the Strand side, but must have been a story above - the ground on the river side; and this story was probably the vaulted - apartments which Bassompierre mentions. It seems odd that he should - think the _vaulting_ a peculiarity worth mentioning, as the ground - floor of the Tuileries and the Louvre, in which he passed most of his - life, were vaulted; but vaulted domestic apartments were probably - then, as now [1819], extremely rare; and the singular and magnificent - effect of vaulted rooms, furnished for the purpose, must have struck a - person of Bassompierre’s taste.” - - [96] A newsletter preserved in the British Museum, which has been - published by Isaac Disraeli, in his _Curiosities of Literature_, gives - the following account of this _fête_: - - “Last Sunday, at night, the duke’s grace entertained their - majesties and the French ambassador at York House with great - feasting and show, when all things came down in clouds, among - which one rare device was a representation of the French King and - the two Queens [Anne of Austria and the Queen-Mother], with their - chieftest attendants; and so to the life, that the Queen’s majesty - could name them: it was four o’clock in the morning before they - parted, and then the King and Queen, together with the French - ambassador, lodged there. Some estimate this entertainment at five - or six thousand pounds.” - - Sir Philip Gibbs, in his admirable biography of Buckingham, says - that this “rare device,” was a political allegory, arranged by the - duke himself, with the assistance of his master of the ceremonies, - Balthazar Gerbier. “It represented Maria de’ Medici, the Queen-Mother, - enthroned in the midst of Neptune’s court upon the sea dividing - England and France, and welcoming Frederick and Elizabeth of the - Palatinate, with her three daughters and their husbands, the Kings of - Spain and England and the Prince of Piedmont. It was Buckingham’s new - ideal of foreign policy. France as the ally of England, the Elector - Palatine restored to his throne, and peace with Spain. Buckingham’s - ideal, alas! was no more substantial than the pasteboard and tinsel - and flowing draperies of his actors, and, like the masque, a mockery.” - - [97] Although Bassompierre could have been no very good judge of the - excellence of an English play, it is to be regretted that he does not - tell us what it was. Very probably, it was one of Shakespeare’s, as - his patron Montgomery was Lord Chamberlain, in whose department the - selection of the plays to be performed before their Majesties lay. - - [98] Thomas Howard, Viscount Andover, second son of Thomas Howard, - Earl of Suffolk. The title of Earl of Berkshire had been revived in - his favour in February, 1626. - - [99] English horses were much prized on the Continent, and - Bassompierre had been presented with quite a number. Carlisle had - given him six, Holland three, and Goring two, and very possibly he may - have received others which he does not mention. Unfortunately, as we - shall see, few, if any, of these poor animals survived to reach the - shores of France. - - [100] As Carlisle was a convivial soul, it is not improbable that Lady - Exeter’s hospitality may have been responsible for this mishap. - - [101] See page 489 _supra_. - - [102] “Seventeen would have been nearer the truth,” observes Croker. - “Rymer has preserved the warrant under the sign manual, 27 November, - 1626, ‘for the release of and permitting to go abroad of sixteen - priests at the intercession of the Maréschal de Bassompierre, - Ambassador Extraordinary from the Most Christian King, our dear - brother, the Ambassador engaging to carry them abroad.’ Particular - care seems to have been taken to express that this was done in - compliment to Bassompierre, as the deed runs: ‘to gratify the said - Maréschal.’ Bassompierre, in his _Ambassades_, gives the same list as - Rymer.” - - [103] _Monsieur_ was the chief president; the others were the Cardinal - de la Valette, Archbishop of Toulouse, and the Maréchal de la Force. - - [104] He had fought a duel shortly before with Jacques de Matignon, - Comte de Thorigny, whom he had killed. La Frette had called - Boutteville out, through resentment that he had not accepted him as - his second. - - [105] This duel, like the one with La Frette, had arisen from the - Thorigny affair. Beuvron was a cousin of Thorigny, and he had vowed to - avenge his death. - - [106] Boutteville left three children: a son, François, afterwards - the celebrated Maréchal de Luxembourg, and two daughters, the younger - of whom, Isabelle, who was one of the most finished coquettes of her - time, became Duchesse de Châtillon and was for some time the mistress - of the Great Condé. The poet Charpy celebrated her charms in verses - wherein he drew an ingenious comparison between the destruction - wrought by her father’s sword and the havoc created by the lady’s - _beaux yeux_:-- - - “Quand je vois de rapport de votre père à vous, - Divinité mortelle, adorable Sylvie! - Il tenait dans ses mains et la mort et la vie: - Vos yeux se sont acquis les mêmes sur nous.” - - - [107] So called from the Christian name--Michel--of Marillac, the - Keeper of the Seals, who had compiled it. - - [108] The news of the condition to which the garrison was reduced had - been brought to Fort Louis by a soldier named La Pierre, one of three - volunteers who had offered to make an attempt to swim across to the - mainland. Of his two companions, one was drowned and the other from - exhaustion obliged to surrender to the English. La Pierre himself had - a narrow escape from being captured, as he was sighted by some English - sailors in a boat and hotly pursued; but, by repeatedly diving, he - contrived to elude them. Louis XIII subsequently rewarded his brave - deed by a pension of 100 crowns. - - [109] Their negotiator and admiral Guiton stipulated that the English - should not retain the Île de Ré or any fortified place on the coast - after the termination of hostilities. Thus La Rochelle, as Michelet - with justice observes, remained faithful at heart to France. - - [110] Clément Métezeau, a celebrated architect, born at Dreux in 1581. - Jean Tiriot was a master-mason of Paris. - - [111] Beaulieu Persac was captain of a ship-of-war, which had assisted - in the defence of the Île de Ré. - - [112] The Emperor Ferdinand, who naturally did not desire to see a - prince so closely connected with France as Charles of Gonzaga in - possession of Mantua and Montferrato, had confiscated both the duchy - and the marquisate. The Duke of Guastalla, whose pretensions were - supported by Spain, claimed Mantua; while Charles Emmanuel had long - coveted Montferrato, which, once in his hands, would bar the way from - France into Italy. Casale, a very strong place, was the key to the - whole difficulty, being then to Italy what Alessandria afterwards - became. - - [113] Henri d’Escoubleau, at first, Bishop of Maillezais, in Poitou, - and, afterwards, Archbishop of Bordeaux. He died in 1645. In 1648 the - see of Maillezais was transferred to La Rochelle. - - [114] At the north-east point of the Île de Ré. - - [115] The passage between the islands of Ré and Oléron. - - [116] There were forty cannon in the batteries at Chef de Baie, - “which made fine music and were very well served,” and twenty-five at - Coreilles. - - [117] According to English reports, the whole fleet lost only six - men on this occasion; but Bassompierre declares that it lost “nearly - 200 men,” and “that one of their best sea-captains, who was in a - boat which was badly damaged by a shot from the French batteries, - was amongst the slain.” According to the marshal, the French had - twenty-seven men killed, of whom four were killed at Coreilles by a - shot from the Tour de Saint-Nicholas at La Rochelle. This incident - caused great astonishment, as Coreilles had always been considered out - of range of the cannon of the town. - - [118] Claude Bouthillier, Seigneur de Pont-sur-Seine; Secretary of - State, 1628; _Surintendant des Finances_, 1642; died 1651. - - [119] Guiton was banished for a time, when the Cardinal caused him to - be recalled and made him captain of a ship-of-war. - - [120] See page 311 _supra_. - - [121] The Princess of Piedmont subsequently petitioned her brother for - the release of this officer; and Louis XIII gave Tréville, to whom he - had surrendered, a valuable diamond by way of ransom for his prisoner. - - [122] He means the nobles who served as volunteers. - - [123] Claude, afterwards Duc de Saint-Simon, father of the author of - the famous _Mémoires_. - - [124] The intentions of his Majesty, at least so far as the garrison - of Privas was concerned, may be gathered from a letter which he wrote - the same day to the Queen-Mother. “They are the best men whom M. de - Rohan has, and, in causing them to be hanged, _as I shall do_, and - Saint André the first, I shall cut off M. de Rohan’s right arm.” - - [125] His followers had apparently obliged Saint-André to surrender - himself. - - [126] Such is the account given of this lamentable affair by - Bassompierre, but, according to other contemporary relations, there - would appear to have been some excuse for the barbarous conduct of the - Royal troops. “Those who had remained in the fort,” writes Louis XIII - to the Comte de Noailles, “seeing that they were unable to escape the - evil which pressed them, likewise surrendered to my discretion; but, - since it was God’s will to destroy them and avenge upon themselves - their rebellion and disobedience, He permitted that some among them, - inured more and more to evil, deliberately set fire to a great sack - containing a quantity of cannon-powder, which blew up him who had set - alight to it and some others, both of these wretches and soldiers of - the Guards, French and Swiss, whom I had ordered thither to secure - this fort and prevent any disorder. My Guards, excited by this evil - action, and believing that a mine had been fired against them, were - transported with fury, and, contrary to my intention and my orders, - killed the greater part of those who had thrown themselves into the - said fort.” - - But if there were extenuating circumstances in the case of the - soldiers, there was certainly no excuse for Louis XIII following up - the massacre by the execution of a number of the survivors. He even - wanted to hang the brave Saint-André, and would have done so, but for - the intervention of Richelieu. There was between the King and the - Cardinal this great difference--that the latter was rigorous only when - his interests or policy demanded it, whereas the former was cruel by - nature. - - [127] Now the chief town of the arrondissement of Castel-Sarrasin, in - the Department of Tarn-et-Garonne. - - [128] Donatien de Maillé, Marquis de Kerman, Comte de Maillé. He was - killed in a duel in 1652. - - [129] Richelieu’s niece, Madame de Combalet, afterwards Duchesse - d’Aiguillon, was _dame d’atours_ (mistress of the robes) to Marie de’ - Medici. - - [130] Charles de la Porte, afterwards Duc and Maréchal de la - Meilleraye, was Captain of the Queen-Mother’s guards. - - [131] _Monsieur_ had returned to France at the beginning of February, - 1630, after the King had granted him the duchy of Valois, as an - addition to his appanage, the lieutenancy-general in the Orléanais, - and a large sum of money. - - [132] Henri Auguste de Loménie, Seigneur de la Ville-aux-Clercs, - Secretary of State. - - [133] Charles Guillemeau, physician-in-ordinary to the King. - - [134] With the Queen-Mother. - - [135] For Versailles. - - [136] See p. 402 _supra_. - - [137] Jean d’Armaignac, one of the King’s _valets de chambre_. - - [138] “On the morrow, the Maréchal de Bassompierre, who had come to - Senlis to meet the King, was arrested in the morning by de Launay, - lieutenant of the Gardes du Corps, and brought by the Musketeers - and the Light Horse of the King to the Bastille. He was very much - regretted in Paris on account of his open-heartedness and good-nature. - He was the least distressed by it of all, and took his misfortune as - a jest. He was imprisoned, not so much for what he had done as for - what he might do.”--Copy of a journal of the Court in the Godefroy - collection, cited by the Marquis de Chantérac. _Mémoires du Maréchal - de Bassompierre_ (Édition Société de l’Histoire de France). - - [139] Charles Le Clerc, Seigneur du Tremblay, younger brother of Père - Joseph. - - [140] Montmorency met his death with calm resignation and Christian - fortitude, and, after hearing his sentence, begged that the time of - his execution might be hastened by two hours, in order that he might - die at the same hour as his Saviour. As a proof that he died with no - feeling of resentment against Richelieu, he bequeathed to the Cardinal - a painting of the martyrdom of St. Sebastian, one of the finest - pictures in his possession. - - [141] Madame de Motteville, _Mémoires_. - - [142] _Ibid._ - - [143] Nicole Henriette de Bassompierre. - - [144] Anne Mangot, Seigneur de Villarceaux. He was Intendant of - justice and Finance in the Three Bishoprics. - - [145] Not long after this, the Cardinal asked Bassompierre for the - loan of the house with the magnificence of which he had taunted him. - It is needless to say that the request was granted, though the marshal - was obliged to turn out the Duchesse de Nemours, to whom he had lent - it. - - [146] In the summer of 1636, an army of Spaniards and Netherlanders - invaded Picardy, crossed the Somme, took Corbie and threatened Paris, - in which for a time the greatest alarm prevailed. - - [147] The Comte de Cramail had been arrested and brought to the - Bastille in 1638. He had been so ill-advised as to speak against the - Cardinal in the presence of the King. - - [148] Marie Criton d’Estourmel, dame de Gravelle. Tallemant des Réaux - asserts that she had, while in the Bastille, where she remained - several years, an amourette with Bassompierre. - - [149] Son of Saint-Luc and the marshal’s sister, Henriette de - Bassompierre. - - [150] The Governor of the Bastille was allowed thirty-six livres a day - for the maintenance of a marshal of France. - - [151] Tallemant des Réaux, _Historiettes, art. Bassompierre_. - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Gallant of Lorraine; vol. 2 of 2, by -Hugh Noel Williams - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A GALLANT OF LORRAINE; VOL. 2 OF 2 *** - -***** This file should be named 53024-0.txt or 53024-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/0/2/53024/ - -Produced by Chuck Greif, MWS and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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