Prosecution of the Subject.
THE Sieur de Guron, having received the Complements and visits of all the Towns-men, by their several Companies, he addressed himself to treat with the Consuls concerning his business; It was agreed between them, that he should the next morning come to the Town House, and shew his Majesties letter of Cre∣dence, as also that of Monsieur the Cardinal, and acquaint the Assembly with the subject of his Commission. The Cardinal, by a provident foresight, had sent two of the Deputies of Nismes, with the Sieur de Guron, Gentlemen of great esteem in the Hugonot party, affable and wel spoken, who might testifie to those stubborn peo∣ple of Montauban, with how great Clemency and Mercy his Majesty, had pardoned them; and on the other side, how severely he had chastised those of Privas for their Rebellion; how that they for their parts lived in a great deal of quiet & freedome in the Exercise of their Religion; how punctual Monsieur the Cardinal was to perform whatever he promised to them, and all others; how it was in vain to hold out in hopes of succour or assistance, seeing those very persons who had ingaged them in the War, had already made their Peace. These Deputies upon their first com∣ming, began to execute the design for which they came, to wit, to dispose the Chief of the City to submit, as they had done. The next morning the Sieur de Guron came to the Town house, where he discoursed to them with such Eloquence, Ingenuity and Address, that he made a good Impression on them; He related to them the many victories and good success, which had alwayes accompanied his Ma∣jesties Arms; the mis-fortunes of Rochel and Privas, which they too could not possibly avoid, if they persisted in their Rebellion; he likewise told, that his Maje∣sty was fully resolved not to suffer any people or places in his Kingdome, which were not in his power and under his obedience; Next of all, he acquainted them, that his Majesty did passe his word to them, for enjoyment of their goods, and the exercise of their Religion, whilst they for their parts continued in their duties and obedience, and lastly he gave them to understand how inviolable an observer the Cardinal was of his word and he conjured them to be absolutely confident of whatever the Cardinal should promise to them: They were generally so touched with this discourse, that they presently seemed to be as much inclined to Peace, as formerly they had been to War. The Deputies of Nismes seconded the Sieur de Guron's speech, and were not wanting to acquaint the people unto what mis-for∣tunes some other Towns of their party had been reduced; The Peace and quietness, which they enjoyed by the Kings bounty, the deceits of them, who had engaged them in this War by their great hopes of succors, which were now vanished, seeing their head had made his Peace with his Majesty; That the great victories, which his Majesty had of late obtained, might sufficiently let them see that nothing was able to resist him, and that this had been the chief reason which had induced them, and those of their City, to cast themselves at his Majesties feet, and that after, had had the honour to confer with the Cardinal, they admired the incomparable vir∣tues