On the dungeon being opened in the morning, it was found that the monks, enraged with the Superior, who had drawn them into the plot, had killed him and maimed his four advisers; these latter were, with ten of their brethren, hanged, and the ten youngest were exiled from the town.
In 1631, Metz capitulated to Gustavus Adolphus; he remained there all the winter, and presented the Bishop’s library to his Chancellor, Oxenstiern, who sent it off to Sweden; but the vessel sank and the books were lost.
The only other extract from the history of Metz we shall here give is of a different character.
Louis XV. arrived at Metz with a strong army, in order to oppose Charles of Lorraine, whose duchy he had given to Stanislas of Poland.
Louis, who was accompanied by his mistress, the Duchess of Châteauroux, and her sister, was taken mortally ill; previously there had been erected a wooden gallery, which led, along the sides of four streets, from the Duchess’s apartments to those of the King: this gallery was now given up at the angry remonstrances of the people, who were much scandalized by the proceedings, and the sisters proceeded to the King’s residence, where they shut themselves into an apartment adjoining that of the dying monarch.
The Duke de Richelieu, who was in league with the Duchess, was First Lord of the Bedchamber, and would not allow any of the Princes to have access to the King.
The town urged the King’s Confessor to remonstrate with him, but he refused; then the Bishop of Soissons undertook the task, and threatened the King that he would not administer the last sacrament to him if he refused to dismiss his mistresses. The doors were thrown open between the King’s room and that where the Duchesses sat, anxiously waiting the turn of events.
At length the King was induced to order them to depart, and they fled into the country.