The King entreats the Queen-Mother to desist from her Intreagues.
THough the inflexible stubbornness of the Queen-Mother was able to provoke the most patient Courages, yet the goodness of the King could not be over∣come by it. Whilest she was at Compeigne, whither she followed his Majesty, he still made new attempts to surmount her resistance. He was not backward to let her daylie see (by his frequent conjuring her, and that with a great tenderness of heart, which did evidently convince to her, that he neither wanted Respect or Affection for her) that she would much oblige him, if she would but recede from the evil advices of those who lived about her, and who only desired a separation between them, for their own Hatreds, or private Interests. He proffered to her to set the Marillacs at liberty, if her content depended upon it, though other∣wise they had deserved to be punished; and indeed he valued nothing in respect of her affections. He often beseeched her to love the Cardinal for his sake, and made her see, that she was obliged to it, seeing she knew better then any one, how beneficial he was to the State, and that he had alwaies faithfully served him. He was not deficient to let her perceive, That the grief which this great Minister had to find himself in her disfavour, was a most pregnant testimony of the affection which he had for her service; and that he did sufficiently oblige himself to an eter∣nal fidelity, by those publike acknowledgements of the Favours which he confessed to have received from her goodness; and that all her eagerness against him, could not obliterate the remembrance of them; and at last (that he might pretermit nothing which might move her) he caused new perswasions to be made to her, by the Sieur de Chasteauneu'f, Lord Keeper of the Seal, and by the Mareschal de Schombergh, that she would be assistant at Counsels, and recede from those under∣hand Intelligences which she might have with Monsieur. But they could procure no other answer, then that she was weary of medling with affairs, and that she would not have any more to do in the Counsels, testifying apparently by this an∣swer, that positive resolution which she had taken, of following the wicked De∣signs of those who had engaged her; so that after all these endeavours, the King was only touch'd with uncomfortable grief, that he could work no more upon her; but his sorrow was accompanyed with this satisfaction, that he had omitted nothing which might properly conduce to the obtaining of his Designe.