The history of the government of France, under the administration of the great Armand du Plessis, Cardinall and Duke of Richlieu, and chief minister of state in that kingdome wherein occur many important negotiations relating to most part of Christendome in his time : with politique observations upon the chapters / translated out of French by J.D. Esq.

Monsieur goeth into Burgogne.

WE have before declared how the King being just upon his March into Lor∣rain, Monsieur pass'd by with his Forces; The sight of his Majesty's For∣ces hindred him from making any great stay, as also from carrying the Duke of Lor∣rain's Troops along with him, which he intended, and was a thing very necessary, in order to his designs, because the business in Languedoc was not yet so forward as was expected. From Lorrain he went into Bassigny, and quartered at Andelot on the 13 of June, where they who abused his favour, and made use of his Name, published the most seditious Libel that was ever yet heard; it was fraught with in∣finite protestations of doing his Majesty service, their usual pretexts who imbroyl the State: As if to trouble the whole Kingdom, to besiege Towns and Cities, to op∣press his Subjects, to seize on the money belonging to the Exchequer, to engage the Nobility in a Revolt, were to do his Majesty service, and all this expresly a∣gainst his Majesty's command and inhibition. Were not these Protestations a spe∣cious veyl, wherewith Monsieurs followers endeavoured to hide the impatiency of their spirits;, when they saw those predictions which foretold the King's death above two years before come to nothing upon which they built all the hopes of their advancements? That indeed was the true cause which induced them to spread those libellous calumnies against the Cardinal, with such absurd exaggerations, that they made them incredible; so true it is, that slanders of excess, and contrary to any probable appearance, make but small impressions upon them who are masters but of never so little reason. Indeed who could well believe him to be a disturber of

the Publike peace, an enemy to the King and Royal Family, as they published in their Manifest, who in fifteen days time procured by his prudent conduct, so many glories for France and his Majesty in Lorrain? What probability was there to per∣swade the world that he would make himself Master of the State, as they endea∣voured to convince unto Monsieur, who had used such great industry to cause his return into France, when he first left the Kingdom, and who never stirred towards Piedmont, until his return was certainly concluded? And in the end, he forced them to dis-own that imputation, by his perswading the King to shew him so much clemency, and such extraordinary magnificence, to oblige him to a second return. What reason could they then have to take up Arms upon his accompt? They had not any the least just ground for it, which is evident to all the world; neither were all their slanders able to sully his glory in any particular what-ever: But rather on the contrary, as Musk and Civet acquire a pleasant and delightful smell amidst the dunghil and Ordure, by the same Anti-peristasis that fire is hottest in the coldest of Winter; so all their slanders proclaimed against him, serv'd only to increase the sweet odour of his Reputation, which his Services and Qualities (more then hu∣mane) had acquired unto him: That I may say somthing touching his own particu∣lar resentment, it is most certain, his soul was more affected with compassion for France▪ then concern'd for his own Interests, amidst all those Thunders, which did not much trouble him. All the vain attempts of those storms did but redouble his courage; all those Thunders did break themselves against the Rocks of his con∣stancy, which seemed to have grown harder from those many blows struck against him in the course of one year: In fine, all those waves and huge Billows which threatned to overwhelm him, served only to manifest, that his services had made his favour inexpugnable.