[CHAPTER V]
1605
Trial of the conspirators--Pusillanimity of the Comte d'Auvergne--Arrogant attitude assumed by Madame de Verneuil--She refuses to offer any defence--Defence of the Comte d'Entragues--The two nobles are condemned to death--Madame de Verneuil is sentenced to imprisonment for life in a convent--A mother's intercession--The King commutes the sentence of death passed on the two nobles to exile from the Court and imprisonment for life--Expostulations of the Privy Council--Madame de Verneuil is permitted to retire to her estate--Disappointment of the Queen--Marriage of the Duc de Rohan--Singular ceremony--A tilt at the Louvre--Bassompierre is dangerously wounded--His convalescence--Death of Clement VIII--Election of Leo XI--His sudden death--Election of Paul V--The Comte d'Entragues is authorized to return to Marcoussis--Madame de Verneuil is pardoned and recalled--Marriage of the Prince de Conti--Mademoiselle de Guise--Marriage of the Prince of Orange--The ex-Queen Marguerite--She arrives in Paris--Gratitude of the King--Her reception--Murder at the Hôtel de Sens--Execution of the criminal--Marguerite removes to the Faubourg St. Germain--The King condoles with her on the loss of her favourite--Her dissolute career--Her able policy--Death of M. de la Rivière--Execution of M. de Merargues--Attempt to assassinate Henri IV--Magnanimity of the monarch--Henry seeks to initiate the Queen into the mysteries of government--Madame la Régente--A timely warning.
[CHAPTER VI]
1606
New Year's Day at Court--The royal tokens--A singular audience--A proposition--Birth of the Princesse Christine--Public festivities--A ballet on horseback--The King resolves to humble the Duc de Bouillon--Arguments of the Queen--Policy of Henry--The Court proceeds to Torcy--Surrender of Bouillon--The sovereigns enter Sedan--Rejoicings of the citizens--State entry into Paris--The High Court of Justice assigns to the ex-Queen Marguerite the county of Auvergne--The "Te Deum"--Marguerite makes a donation of her recovered estates to the Dauphin--Inconsistencies of Marguerite--The Queen's jealousy of Madame de Moret--Increasing coldness of the King towards that lady--The frail rivals--Princely beacons--Indignation of the Queen--Narrow escape of the King and Queen--Gratitude of the Queen to her preserver--Insolent pleasantry of the Marquise de Verneuil--A disappointment compensated---Marriage of the Duc de Bar--The King invites the Duchess of Mantua to become sponsor to the Dauphin, and the Duc de Lorraine to the younger Princess--The Mantuan suite--Preparations at Notre-Dame--The plague in Paris--The Court removes to Fontainebleau--The royal christenings--Increase of the plague--Royal disappointments--The Duchesse de Nevers--Discourtesy of the King--Dignity of the Duchess.
[CHAPTER VII]
1607-8
Profuse expenditure of the French nobles--Prevalence of duelling under Henri IV--Meeting of the Prince de Condé and the Duc de Nevers--They are arrested by the King's guard--Reconciliation of the two nobles--The Duc de Soubise is wounded in a duel--Profligacy of Madame de Moret--The King insists upon her marriage with the Prince de Joinville--Indignation of the Duchesse de Guise--A dialogue with Majesty--The Prince de Joinville is exiled--Madame de Moret intrigues with the Comte de Sommerive--He promises her marriage--He attempts to assassinate M. de Balagny--He is exiled to Lorraine--Mademoiselle des Essarts--Birth of the Duc d'Orléans--Peace between the Pope and the Venetians--The Queen and her confidants--Death of the Chancellor of France--Death of the Cardinal de Lorraine--Royal rejoicings--The last ballet of a dying Prince--Betrothal of Mademoiselle de Montpensier to the infant Duc d'Orléans--Sully as a theatrical manager--The Court gamester--Death of the Duc de Montpensier--The ex-Queen Marguerite founds a monastery--Influence of Concini and Leonora over the Queen--Arrogance of Concini--Indignation of the King--A royal rupture--The King leaves Paris for Chantilly--Sully and the Queen--The letter--Anger of the King--Sully reconciles the King and Queen--Madame de Verneuil and the Duc de Guise--Court gambling--Birth of the Duc d'Anjou--Betrothal of the Duc de Vendôme and Mademoiselle de Mercoeur--Reluctance of the lady's family--Celebration of the marriage--Munificence of Henry--Arrival of Don Pedro de Toledo--His arrogance--Admirable rejoinder of the King--Object of the embassy--Passion of Henry for hunting--Embellishment of Paris--Eduardo Fernandez--The King's debts of honour--Despair of Madame de Verneuil--Defective policy--A bold stroke for a coronet--The fallen favourite.