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