Upon the fourth, That he intreated his Majesty to call to memory, that he was the onely man who dissuaded him to go and view the Fort, representing unto him that there was in it extraordinary good Gunners, and that he could not view it without great danger, and upon that he offered the King to bring him the next day the Plat-form of it, and to take it with 500. Musquettiers, and that himself would be in the Head of them.
Upon the fifth, That it was true all the evil he had done was in two Months time that la Fin had been with him, during which, he did hearken and write more then he ought: but that with the same he had written, he had so long served the King, that it was enough to prove the sincerity of his intentions; that the refusal of the Citadel of Bourg, which he thought the King had promised him, had put him into such a discontent, that he found himself in a capacity to hearken to any thing, and to do any thing, that if he had been a Protestant, it may be the place should have been refused him no more then it was to de Boaisse, who was such an one, as he told the King himself at Lyon; that la Fin had also once told him, that the King speaking of him, and of his Father, said, that God had done well for to take him out of this world when he was killed, for he was a very chargeable and unprofitable servant; and for the Son, it was not all Gold that shined; that these words had so much incensed him, that he could have found in his heart to be all covered with blood. Upon that the Chancellor asked him of what blood he meaned? he answered, of my own: desiring not to live any longer, after he had heard such reproches, as blemished the services of his Father and his own; that nevertheless his anger and discontent went never so far, as to attempt upon the King; that his fault was only in words, and it may be little in Writting; that his Majesty seeing with how much ingenuity he did acknowledge his fault, had forgiven him all what was past, in the presence of the Lords Villeroy and Sillery, and that if since that time he was found to have done any thing amiss, he would blame his Judges of Injustice, if they did not condemn him to death, that if he had done nothing amiss since, he thought the Kings pardon to be sufficient for what was, and if there was need to ask for it again, his knees were as supple and plyable as ever.
But a Letter, which he had written to la Fin since the pardon of Lyon, and the Birth of the Dolphin, did spoil all, for it was a manifest evidence of the continuation of his ill designs, and the Chancellor having produced it, he answered, he would never deny his hand, but that Imbert and Renazée Domestick Servants to la Fin could counterfeit it; that though he might have some ill thoughts, he had always well done; that although the King would not forgive him this fault, it was not in the power of men to condemn him justly for single words, which were contradicted by the effects; that his consolation was in his misfortune, his Judges were not ignorant of the services he had done to the Kingdom, which he had Sealed with five and thirty wounds; that his body whose life and death was in the disposition of their Justice, had not a vain but had bleeded for their service, and to restore them into their places, from whence the League had driven them; that the hand which had written the Letters produced against him, was the same that had done contrary to what it did write; that he had written and spoke more then he ought, but that it could not be proved he had ever ill done; that there was no Law that punished with death the lightness of a single word or motion of the thoughts; that anger and discontent had made him capable of saying and doing any thing, but that his reason had not given leave to say or to do, ought but what deserveth to be commended; which words were as carefully considered, as he repeated them often with several Oaths and Imprecations.
Upon that the Chancellor having asked him why then he did not open himself more to the King, who desired him with great affection to do it at Fountain-bleau, seeing he knew in his conscience to have done nothing against his duty since his pardon. There he cut himself in his answer, and said he thought la Fin had revealed nothing of what was between them, and that he had lately assured him so with Oaths and fearful imprecations, that he would never have thought la Fin had been such a damnable man, as to reveal that which with so many deep Oaths and Imprecations they had promised to keep secret between themselves; that having propounded the question to a Monk of the Order of Minimes at Lyon, whether he might with a safe conscience reveal what was between them, and what he had promised with Oath to la Fin to keep secret, because he suspected that la Fin would deceive him, and tell all to the King, and so ruine him. The Minime had answered, that seeing they had no more intention to put in execution the things they had projected, he was not to reveal them, and if la Fin did it, he should go to Hell, and himself to Heaven; that he did so firmly believe this, that although the Archbishop of Bourges had visited him in Prison, and alledged many reasons to the contrary, yet his soul was so settled in that belief, that he thought it was only the part of an Atheist to swear with intention to deceive.
Upon this he begin to accuse la Fin of the most execrable crimes that a man is capable of, saying that he made use of Renazée for Sodomy that he was a Witch, and had ordinary communication with the Devils, that he had so be witched him with enchanted Waters and Wax Images, that spoke, that he was constrained to submit himself to all his will; that he never spoke to him but whispering, and in unknown words, and after he had kissed him in the left eye, and he could not deny but he had shewed him a Wax Image, speaking and saying, Rex impie morieris, thou shalt die ungodly King, and called him continually his Master, Lord, Prince and King; that he was a false Coiner, and had persuaded him many times to attempt upon the King, but that he would never hearken to it, that the quality of the Accusators was to be considered, who not only were partners, but instigators of the Fact; that certainly the Duke of Savoy was his mortal enemy, for having since his pardon left of all his intelligences with him, and seeing that after a long detention he had released Renazée, to come and to be a witness against him; that the King had forgiven him at Lyon and that upon his acknowledging many times to the King, that the refusal of the Citadel of Bourg had very much incensed him, his Majesty did comfort him with these words. Marshal never remember Bourg, and I will never remember what is past, that in 22 Months after he had not offended, that if he had continued his ill designs, he might have done it easily in England and Switzerland. That above 100. Gentlemen shall be Witnesses of his first Embassy, and for the second, he desireth no other Witnesses than the Kings Embassadors themselves, that if they would be pleased to consider how he was come, and in what case he had left the Province of Burgundy, it was impossible to have an ill opinion of his designs; for there was not one Souldier in all the Countrey, and at his going away he gave no other charge to the Commanders and Captains, than to serve the King faithfully, that every one disswaded him to come to Court, and in the way he received many Letters to that purpose, that he was come upon the Kings word, trusting upon his own Conscience and Innocency. If the King be not pleased to consider my services (said he to the Court) and those assurances he hath given me of his Mercy, I acknowledge my self guilty of Death, and do not expect my life from his Justice, but from yours, (my Lords) who will remember better than he what dangers I have undergone for his service. I confess I had a mind to do ill, but I never proceeded to effects: It would be a hard matter if I should be the first in whom thoughts should be punished; Great offences require great clemency. I do implore that of the King, and nevertheless I am the onely one in France, that is made an example of his severity, and that can have no hope in his clemency, which he never denyed to those that had done worse: However I trust more in you my Lords, than I do in the King, who having heretofore looked upon me with his Eyes of love, looketh upon me now with those of his anger, and thinketh it a Vertue to be cruel unto me, and a Vice to excercise upon me the act of clemency.
Thus pleaded the Prisoner, with so much eloquency and boldness, that if his Judges had not seen evidently the truth of the fact, under his own Hand and Seal, the respect of his first condition might have perswaded them to believe his Innocency, and to take compassion of his ruined fortune.
The Court did hear him as long as he would speak, with so much patience, that never a man had the like audience. The Prisoner spoke so much, that his last reasons were found contrary to his first, his allegations did not shew his Innocency; for the Embassadors themselves which he took for Witnesses of his carryage in Switzerland, did report many words of his, which shewed his anger and passion. Besides the King had not given his word, that he might come in Safety, and those Letters which he alleadged for his justification, did prove the continuation of his treacherous designs, seeing that he had sent la Fin and Hebert, to Turin and Milan, since the pardon, He could not then expect but Justice, in a case where neither passion nor favour could alter Judgment: Nevertheless he shewed himself much satisfied with his answers, and therefore being come back again to the Bastille, he passed the rest of that day, and the two next, to relate unto his Guards the questions of the Court and his answers therereunto, counterfeiting the gesture and the words which he Imagined the Chancellor had spoken after his going away, though that grave and venerable old man neither said nor did any thing, but what was becoming to his Age and quality, having shewed himself as full of compassion, as the prisoner was of his vanity; for when he was nearer to death he thought less upon it, and thinking himself the only man capable of commanding an Army, he found some fault in those that were thought capable of it, saying, that one was unhappy in his undertakings, the other was not respected by the Souldiers, such a one was a brave man, but he wanted experience, and another that hath both was a Protestant. To conclude, he did so please himself with his own praise and deserts, that he thought no body could come near him, and that he was so useful to the Kingdom, that it would be a great Crime to think to undo him.
He had spoken so long the 27 of the Month, that there was no time left to gather the Voices: The Chancellor therefore went into the Palace the 29 following to gather the Voices of the Judges. Fleury the reporter of the Proces, did conform his opinion to the conclusions of the Kings Attorney, all the rest agreed to it, either by Words or by Signs, and all the proofs necessary for the verification of a Crime meeting in this case, as his Answers, Confessions, Writings, Letters, Instructions, and Evidence of Witnesses not reproached; It was found, that the unnatural Conspiracy against the State, the detestable attempt upon the Kings Person, makes him guilty of high Treason in the first and second degree.
He confesseth he had evil intentions, it is enough, the Laws do punish the Councels, the resolutions, and the effects; for if the Traitor be not prevented, time may give him the opportunity to accomplish his Design and Will, and the Will of a Subject in point of State, doth depend immediately upon that of the Prince. He sayeth moreover, that without the Kings Mercy he is undone, and that if he would have put in Execution the ill designs that were propounded to him against his Majesty, he should have been gone long ago: Did he ever give notice of them to the King or to any body else. If the Prisoner had brought to pass his intent, we might have said, farewell State, farewell Justice, it is too late to believe the Conspiracy against Princes, when they are murdered by the Conspirators.