She gaineth his Favourites.

IT was both difficult and suspitious for the Queen-Mother so often to discourse with Monsieur so it must needs be to draw him off from that resolution which he had taken of adhering to the Kings Interests: They who kept up her soul in those Page  381discontentments, advised her to make use of those Favourites whom he did most of all trust in: This counsel was as judicious as it was wicked, because it was hard to shake the mind of this Prince, who received with his Birth the seeds of obedi∣ence which is due to the King, and which had also been cultivated by those Signieurs who had had the charge of his education. It was altogether impossible to overcome his Inclination, unless by the means of them who were never from him, who knew his humour, and by what devices they might work upon him. Virtue which hath taken deep root in a good nature, is not plucked out but with great labour; it will be needful to assail it by strong means; and none but such in whom he hath confidence and trust can bring it about. The business them was to gain his Favou∣rites, who were three, Coigneux, the Sieur de Puy-Laureus, and Monsigot: But it would do the work if Coigneux only could be gained, for that Puy-Laureus had but a little before received a strong Obligation from him; for having removed Bois-dennemay, who partaked with him in the honour of his masters good affecti∣ons, and so would not offer to be against it; and as for Monsigot, he was so much his creature too, that he had no other motion then that of Puy-Laureus. There were great endeavours used to get him, and a favourable opportunity was soon found; for he being possessed with an absolute unbridled desire to have the Car∣dinals hat, which the King had given him some hopes of, it hapned that the Pope deferred his Promotion for a few moneths, which he was upon the very point of granting: Some of them cast it into his head that this delay was a trick put upon him by the Cardinal; so that he, as a man bewitched to his own ambitious Inte∣rests, swallowed it, and conceived so great a fury against him, that he resolved to be revenged on him whatever it cost him; insomuch that he told a friend of his, who endeavoured to open his eyes, That he was freed from his hopes of a Cardinals Hat, but that within six weeks time they should be glad to send it to him with a witness. It was his usual saying, that a Son of France is alwaies considerable, if he be in a condition to make himself be pitied. And this maxime was the true ground of those hopes which he conceived, That if Monsieur should depart from the Court in discontent, he would be pittied by all people; That the Princes, Go∣vernours of Provinces and Places, and the chief Lords of the Kingdom would come to him, and bring Forces for his assistance, and give him such means to raise and make a war, by which he would die that Cap in the blood of the people, which had not been granted to him according to his desires and expectation. The true cause of its delay was this, The Italians would not give way that the Pope should grant him that favour, unless they might be acquainted with the reason of it, it being contrary to the Bull of Sixtus v. which prohibited the bestowing the Hat on men who had been twice married, as he had been; and thereupon all the Interest of Spain had much ado to promote the Duke of Lerma to the Cardinalship. As for Coigneux, he was much more moved by the hopes which they gave him of step∣ping into the Cardinals place as soon as ever he was ruined; and he flattered him∣self so much the more willingly into this Belief, because having caused his Nativity to be cast during the Kings sickness, he had been told of great advantages of For∣tune which should befall unto him. The splendour of this pretended Ministry did so dazle his eyes, that he lost his reason at the first motion of it, and was absolutely fixed in the resolution of giving himself to the Queen Mother, and to perswade Monsieur to what-ever she pleased: That he might give her a sure testimony of it, he had the boldness to oppose the Kings will, when his Majesty desir'd to en∣gage Monsieur a little more strictly to the Court, by granting him that satisfaction which he had so long wished for, of marrying him to the Princess Mary. The Queen-Mother who could not endure this match, assured Coigneux, that he would do her a most particular kindness to divert Monsieur from it; who forthwith used all the Artifices which the malice of his soul could suggest to him, to break it off, insomuch that he beseeched his Majesty that he would not oblige him to marry so suddenly, Coigneux became so insolently proud of this prank, that Monsieur be∣ing at Chantilly, he vaunted (speaking to some one who was not at all engaged to Page  382him) that he had hindred the Match, and that it would never be concluded. Its true, the words were no sooner out of his mouth, but he repented them, fearing, and with great reason, lest the King would come to be informed of his insolencie, and chastise him for it. In fine, Fear was joyned to his Ambition: From thence forward, those two furious Passions wrought so mightily upon his inconsiderate Spirit, that he was at no quiet until he wrought Monsieur to leave the Court. There was no essay which he left unattempted to shake that resolution of Monsieurs, which he stuck close to, of not forsaking the King: He found means to renew in his mind fresh sentiments of revenge against the Cardinal, by remembring him of the Imprisonment and death of the Grand Prior, and of the Marshal d' Ornano, and the execution of Chalais: He often put him in mind of the Obligation which lay upon him to undertake the Queen-Mothers quarrel, who had alwaies tenderly lo∣ved him: But finding that none of these devices wrought any effect he attempted to possess him with fear, which shaketh the greatest Courages: He made him be∣lieve that the King had been inform'd of his relapsing into the Queen-Mothers Interests, and was by the Cardinal's advice resolved to send him Prisoner to the Boys de Vincennes. Then it was that without more ado he absolutely concluded to leave the Court with all speed, not having the power to recollect (as it was to be wished) that this Favourite led h•m away, only that he might obtain that Honour by force, of which his small worth made him very undeserving.