XIV. 1655. 66 66 66 BOOK" advancement thereof: but that they were discouraged, and hindered from offering the same, by reason that his majesty intrusted his whole affairs to the chancellor of the exchequer; who was "an old known and declared enemy to all their party; in whom they could repose no trust and "therefore they besought his majesty, that he might "be removed from his council, at least not be suf"fered to be privy to any thing that should be proposed by them; and they should then make it appear how ready and how able they were in a "very short time to advance his majesty's affairs." And of the against him. 66 66 66 66 66 Another petition was prepared in the name of his tholics also, Roman catholic subjects; which said, "that all his majesty's party which had adhered to him, were now totally suppressed; and had, for the most part, compounded with his enemies, and submitted "to their government: that the church-lands were "all sold, and the bishops dead, except very few, "who durst not exercise their function: so that he "could expect no more aid from any who were con"cerned to support the government of the church "as it had been formerly established: that by the "defeat of duke Hamilton's party' first, and then 66 by his majesty's ill success at Worcester, and the "total reduction of the kingdom of Scotland after"wards by Cromwell, his majesty might conclude "what greater aid he was to expect from the presbyterian party. Nothing therefore remained to "him of hope for his restoration, but from the af"fection of his Roman catholic subjects; who, as 66 66 they would never be wanting as to their persons, XIV. "and their estates which were left, so they had BOOK "hope to draw from the catholic princes, and the pope himself, such considerable assistance both in 1655. "men and money, that his majesty should owe his 66 66 66 restitution, under the blessing of God, to the sole "power and assistance of the catholics. But they "had great reason to fear, that all these hopes "would be obstructed and rendered of no use, not only by there being no person about his majesty in whom the catholics could have any confidence, "but by reason that the person most trusted by him, and through whose hands all letters and despatches must pass, is a known enemy to all ca"tholics; and therefore they besought his majesty, "that that person, the chancellor of the exchequer, might be removed from him; whereupon he should "find great benefit to accrue to his service." It was concluded amongst them, that when these two petitions should be weighed and considered, the queen would easily convince his majesty, that a person who was so odious to all the Roman catholics, from whose affections his majesty had most reason to promise himself relief, and to all the protestants who could contribute to his assistance or subsistence, could not be fit to be continued in any trust about him. 66 discovered When matters were thus adjusted, which were the longer in preparation, because the persons concerned could not, without suspicion and scandal, The design meet together, but were to be treated with by per- by one Mr. sons mutually employed, one Mr. Walsingham, a Walsingperson very well known to all men who at that king; which time knew the palace royal, who had been S It was concluded amongst them] They concluded ham to the quashed em-them both. BOOK ployed in the affair, came to the king, and, whether XIV. out of ingenuity, and dislike of so foul a combina1655. tion, or as he thought the discovery would be grate ful to his majesty, informed him of the whole intrigue, and gave a copy of the petitions to the king; who shewed them to the marquis of Ormond, and the chancellor of the exchequer; and informed them of the whole design. And from this time his majesty made himself very merry with it", and spoke of it sometimes at dinner, when the queen was present; and asked pleasantly," when the two petitions "would be brought against the chancellor of the 66 exchequer?” which being quickly known to some of the persons engaged in the prosecution, they gave it over, and thought not fit to proceed any farther in it; though both parties continued their implacable malice towards him, nor did he find any ease or quiet by their giving over that design, their animosities against him still breaking out one after another, as long as the king remained in France; the queen taking all occasions to complain to the queen regent of the king's unkindness, that she might impute all that she disliked to the chancellor; and the queen mother of France was like to be very tender in a point that so much concerned herself, that any man should dare to interpose between the mother and the son. There was an accident fell out, that administered some argument to make those complaints appear more reasonable. The cardinal de Retz had always expressed great civilities towards the king, and a desire to serve him; and upon some occasional con * design] intrigue "with it] with the design x * parties] factions 66 XIV. 1655. A discourse king's with ference between them, the cardinal asked the king, BOOK "whether he had made any attempt to draw any "assistance from the pope, and whether he thought "that nothing might be done that way to his ad- of the vantage?" The king told him, "nothing had been cardinal de "attempted that way; and that he was better able Retz. "to judge, whether the pope was like to do any thing "for a man of his faith." The cardinal smiling, said, " he had no thought of speaking of his faith;" yet in short, he spoke to him like a wise and honest man; " that if any overtures were made him of the change " of his religion, he must tell his majesty, it becomes "him as a cardinal to wish his majesty a catholic "for the saving his soul; but he must declare too, “that if he did change his religion, he would never "be restored to his kingdoms." But he said, "he "did believe," (though the pope was old, and much decayed in his generosity; for Innocent the Tenth was then living,) "that if some proper application "was made to the princes of Italy, and to the pope "himself, though there would not be gotten where"withal to raise and maintain armies, there might "be somewhat considerable obtained for his more 66 pleasant support, wherever he should choose to "reside." He said, "he had himself some alliance "with the great duke, and interest in other courts, "and in Rome itself; and if his majesty would give "him leave, and trust his discretion, he would write “in such a manner in his own name to some of his friends, as should not be of any prejudice to his majesty, if it brought him no convenience." The king had reason to acknowledge the obligation, and 66 66 y becomes] became XIV. BOOK to leave it to his own wisdom, what he would do. In the conclusion of the discourse, the cardinal asked 1655. his majesty a question or two of matter of fact, which he could not answer; but told him, "he would give "a punctual information of it the next day in a let"ter:" which the cardinal desired might be as soon as his majesty thought fit, because he would, upon the receipt of it, make his despatches into Italy. The particular things being out of the king's memory, as soon as he returned, he asked the chancellor of the exchequer concerning them; and having received a punctual account from him, his majesty writ a letter the next day to the cardinal, and gave him information as to those particulars. Within very few days after this, the cardinal coming one day to the Louvre to see the queen mother, he was arrested by the captain of the guard, and sent prisoner to the Bastille; and in one of his pockets, to the Bas- which they searched, that letter the king had sent to him was found, and delivered to the queen regent; who presently imparted it to the queen of England; and after they had made themselves merry with some improprieties in the French, the king having, for the secrecy, not consulted with any body, they discovered some purpose of applying to the pope, and to other catholic princes; and that his majesty should enter upon any such counsel, without first consulting with the queen his mother, could proceed only from the instigation of the chancellor of the exchequer. The cardinal de Retz sent tille. Her majesty, with a very great proportion of sharpness, reproached the king for his neglect, and gave him his letter. The king was exceedingly sensible of the little respect the queen mother had |