CHAPTER IV

1612

The Princes of the Blood retire from the Court--Increased influence of the Ducs de Guise and d'Epernon--Jealousy of Concini--The ministers desire the recall of the Princes--The Lent ballets--The government of Quilleboeuf is offered to the Comte de Soissons--The Princes are invited to return to the capital--Arrival of the Princes--M. de Soissons abandons Concini--An attempt is made to create dissension between M. de Soissons and the Prince de Condé--They again withdraw from Paris--The Regent resolves to announce publicly the approaching marriage of the King--Disaffection of the Princes--Frankness of the Duc de Guise--The Due d'Epernon is recalled--The Duc de Bouillon is despatched to England--The Council discuss the alliance with Spain--The Princes return to the capital--Undignified deportment of the Prince de Condé--Insolence of M. de Soissons--Indignation of the Regent--The young Duc de Mayenne is appointed ambassador extraordinary to Spain--An unpleasant truth--Arrogance of the Spanish King--Concession of the Regent---Death of the Duke of Mantua--The Chancellor announces the King's marriage--An ambassador and a quasi-Queen--Disappointment of the Princes--They again withdraw--Caution of the Duc de Montmorency to the Regent--She disregards the warning--Love of Marie de Medicis for magnificence and display--Courtly entertainments--The circle of Madame--The Marquise d'Ancre--A carousal---Splendid festivities--Arrival of the Spanish envoys--The Chevalier de Guise--Alarm of Concini--The Queen and her foster-sister--Concini resolves to espouse the party of the Princes--The Duc de Bouillon endeavours to injure the Duc de Rohan in the estimation of James I.--Reply of the English monarch--Bouillon returns to Paris--The Maréchal de Lesdiguières retires from the Court--The Duc de Vendôme solicits the royal permission to preside over the States of Brittany--Is refused by the Regent--Challenges his substitute--And is exiled to Anet--Concini augments the disaffection of the Princes--The Duke of Savoy joins the cabal--Lesdiguières prepares to march a body of troops against the capital--Concini deters the Regent from giving the government of Quilleboeuf to the Comte de Soissons--Indignation of the Duc de Guise--He reveals the treachery of Concini to the Princes--All the great nobles join the faction of M. de Condé with the exception of the Duc d'Epernon--The Duc de Bellegarde is accused of sorcery--Quarrel between the Comte de Soissons and the Maréchal de Fervaques--Marie de Medicis resolves to persecute the Protestants--Bouillon endeavours to effect the disgrace of the Duc de Rohan--The Regent refuses to listen to his justification--He takes possession of St. Jean-d'Angély--Anger of the Queen--Conflicting manifestoes--M. de Rohan prepares to resist the royal troops--The ministers advise a negotiation, which prove successful--Departure of the Duc de Mayenne for Madrid--Arrival of the Duque de Pastrano--His brilliant reception in France--His magnificent retinue--His first audience of Louis XIII--The Cardinals--Puerility of the Princes--Reception of the Spanish Ambassador by Madame--_The year of magnificence_--Splendour of the Court of Spain--Signature of the marriage articles--Honours shown to M. de Mayenne at Madrid--The Spanish Princess and her Duenna--The Duke of Savoy demands the hand of Madame Christine for his son--Marie desires to unite her to the Prince of Wales--Death of Prince Henry of England--Death of the Comte de Soissons--The Prince de Conti claims the government of Dauphiny--The Comte d'Auvergne is released from the Bastille, and resigns his government of Auvergne to M. de Conti--The Prince de Condé organizes a new faction--The Regent espouses his views--Alarm of the Guises--Recall of the Duc de Bellegarde--He refuses to appear at Court--The Baron de Luz is restored to favour--The Guises prepare to revenge his defection from their cause.