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1652.] employed in the Scottish affairs.

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"tions could pass through his own hand, or, if they could, his being shut up so long alone would "make the same discovery. Whom then should "he trust? The lord Newburgh, it was very true, "was a very honest man, and worthy of any trust; "but he was not a counsellor, and nothing could be so much wondered at, as his frequent being "shut up with him; and more, his bringing any 66 papers to him to be signed. As to the general "prejudice which he conceived was against him "by that nation," his majesty told him, "nation was much altered since he had to do with "them, and that no men were better loved by “them now than they who had from the beginning I been faithful to his father and himself." Το which he added, "that Middleton had the least in “him, of any infirmities most incident to that "nation, that he knew: and that he would find "him a man of great honour and ingenuity, with "whom he would be well pleased." His majesty said, "he would frankly declare to his mother, that he had received some intelligence out of Scotland, and that he was obliged, and had given "his word to those whose lives would be forfeited "if known, that he would not communicate it with

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any but those who were chosen by themselves; "and, after this, she could not be offended with "his reservation:" and concluded with a gracious conjuration and command to the chancellor, "that "he should cheerfully submit, and undergo that employment; which, he assured him, should "never be attended with prejudice or inconvenience to him." In this manner he submitted himself to the king's disposal, and was trusted

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Troubles of the French

[B. XIII. throughout that affair; which had several stages in the years following, and did produce the inconveniences he had foreseen, and rendered him so unacceptable to the queen, that she easily entertained those prejudices against him, which those she most trusted were always ready to infuse into her, and under which he was compelled to bear many hardships.

This uncomfortable condition of the king was rendered yet more desperate, by the straits and necessities into which the French court was about this time plunged: so that they who hitherto had shewed no very good will to assist the king, were now become really unable to do it. The parliament of Paris had behaved themselves so refractorily to all their king's commands, pressed so importunately for the liberty of the princes, and so impatiently for the remove of the cardinal, that the cardinal was at last compelled to persuade the queen to consent to both: and so himself rid to Havre de Grace, and delivered the queen's warrant to set them at liberty, and after a short conference with the prince of Condé, he continued his own journey towards Germany, and passed in disguise, with two or three servants, till he came near Cologne, and there he remained at a house belonging to that elector.

When the princes came to Paris, they had received great welcome from the parliament and the city; and instead of closing with the court, which it was thought they would have done, the wound was widened without any hope of reconciliation : so that the king and queen regent withdrew from thence; the town was in arms; and fire

1652.]

court about this time.

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and sword denounced against the cardinal; his goods sold at an outcry; and a price set upon his head; and all persons who professed any duty to their king, found themselves very unsafe in Paris. During all this time the queen of England and the king, with their families, remained in the Louvre, not knowing whither to go, nor well able to stay there; the assignments, which had been made for their subsistence, not being paid them: and the loose people of the town begun to talk of the duke of York's being in arms against them. But the duke of Orleans, under whose name all the disorders were committed, and the prince of Condé, visited our king and queen with many professions of civility; but those were shortly abated likewise, when the French king's army came upon one side of the town, and the Spanish, with the duke of Lorrain's, upon the other. The French army thought they had the enemy upon an advantage, and desired to have a battle with them; which the other declined; all which time, the court had an underhand treaty with the duke of Lorrain; and, upon a day appointed, the French king sent to the king of England, to desire him to confer with the duke of Lorrain; who lay then with his army within a mile of the town. There was no reason visible for that desire, nor could it be conceived, that his majesty's interposition could be of moment: yet his majesty knew not how to refuse it; but immediately went to the place assigned; where he found both armies drawn up in battalia within cannon shot of each other. Upon his majesty's coming to the duke of Lorrain, the treaty was again revived, and messages sent between the

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The king of England and his [B. XIII.

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duke and marshal Turenne. In fine, the night approaching, both armies drew off from their ground, and his majesty returned to the Louvre and before the next morning, the treaty was finished between the court and the duke of Lorrain; and he marched away with his whole army towards Flanders, and left the Spaniards to support the parliament against the power of the French army; which advanced upon them with that resolution, that, though they defended themselves very bravely, and the prince of Condé did the office of a brave general in the Fauxbourg St. Marceaux, and at the port St. Antoine, in which places many gallant persons of both sides were slain, they had been all cut off, if the city had not been prevailed with to suffer them to retire into it; which they had no mind to do. And thereupon the king's army retired to their old post, four leagues off, and attended future advantages: the king having a very great party in the parliament and the city, which abhorred the receiving and entertaining the Spaniards into their bowels.

This retreat of the duke of Lorrain broke the neck of the prince of Condé's design. He knew well he should not be long able to retain the duke of Orleans from treating with the court, or keep the Parisians at his devotion; and that the duke de Beaufort, whom they had made governor of Paris, would be weary of the contention. For the present, they were all incensed against the duke of Lorrain; and were well enough contented that the people should believe, that this defection in the duke was wrought by the activity and interposition of the king of England; and they who did know

165a.] mother remove to St. Germain's.

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that his interest could not have produced that effect, could not tell how to interpret his majesty's journey to speak with the duke in so unseasonable a conjuncture: so that, as the people expressed, and used all the insolent reproaches against the English court at the Louvre, and loudly threatened to be revenged, so neither the duke of Orleans, nor the prince of Condé, made any visit there, or expressed the least civility towards it. In truth, our king and queen did not think themselves out of danger, nor stirred out of the Louvre for many days, until the French court thought themselves obliged to provide for their security, by advising the king and queen to remove, and assigned St. Germain's to them for their retreat. Then his majesty sent to the duke of Orleans, and prince of Condé, "that their purpose was to leave the 66 town:" upon which there was a guard that attended them out of the town in the evening; which could not be got to be in readiness till then; and they were shortly after met by some troops of horse sent by the French king, which conducted them by torch-light to St. Germain's; where they arrived about midnight; and remained there without any disturbance, till Paris was reduced to that king's obedience.

It is a very hard thing for people who have nothing to do, to forbear doing something which they ought not to do; and the king might well hope that, since he had nothing else left to enjoy, he might have enjoyed quiet and repose; and that a court which had nothing to give, might have been free from faction and ambition; whilst every man had composed himself to bear the ill fortune

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