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