592 FRA 
Mixory. and the great mass of the le, he said, were ; 
—Y—" andl the same means which’ weuld render the King te. 
spected and beloved by his subjects, would put him in 
ion of that authority of which he had been so 
deprived. Louis listened attentively. At first, 
the habits of dependence and submission in which he 
had been brought up, rendered him timid and appre- 
hensive; but afterwards, the love of power, and a sense 
of his own danger, from the disturbed state of the 
country, made him anxious to free himself from the 
influence of the Italians. This resolution he immedi- 
ately communicated to Licenes ; and, by his ‘advice, 
he exacted an oath from the captain of the guard to 
execute what he should command. Having obtained 
this oath, he informed him, that the royal orders were, 
that be should arrest the Marquis. He immediatel 
prepared to obey. By this time, he, as well as his 
wife and the queen, had intimation given them of the 
danger which was hanging over them. The marchio- 
ness, intimidated, wished to leave France; but her 
husband declared, that he never would desert the for- 
time which had hitherto befriended him.’ On the morn- 
ing of the day fixed for his destination, he had gone 
to the Louvre, surrounded by forty of his favourites or 
dependants ; and was attentively employed in reading 
a letter, when the captain of the guard, and a few 
friends whom he had associated with him in the enter- 
prise, made their appearance. The attendants of D’Ancre, 
supposing that the king was approaching, gave way ; 
and the captain of the guards advancing, him 
in the name of the king. Astonished, and su i 
treachery, he laid his band on his sword. This mark 
of his resistance was the signal for his destruction : 
three pistols were instantly fired at him, and he fell 
lifeless on the ground. As the king was at a window 
where he could see what was going on, his presence 
prevented the adherents of D’Ancre from rising in 
their master’s behalf. His son and his wife were im- 
mediately arrested. The latter, instead of being tried 
for her real crimes, though they were sufficiently noto- 
rious, was principally accused of sor and magic. 
The judge having demanded what charm she made use 
of for the Purpose of fascinating the queen, she replied, 
hobly and truly, “ The ascendant which a superior 
ius always has over a weak mind.” She was con- 
Secttied: and suffered the severest tortures. 
Andhenelf ‘The disgrace of the Queen-mother followed the de- 
disgraced. struction of her favourites. “Licenes succeeded to the 
honours and situations of D’Ancre ; the captain of the 
ards was raised to the rank of marshal; and the Bi- 
shop of Lucon was compelled to resign the seals of 
secretary of state. The submission of the Dukes of 
Mayence, Vendome, Nevers, and Rohan, were among 
the first consequences of the fall of the Italian favou- 
rites. Licenes now turned his attention to the best 
means of securing the permanency of his high situa- 
tion, and of ennobling his obscure birth by an illus- 
trious alliance. At first, he aspired to the sister of the 
Duke of Vendome, the natural daughter of Henry IV. ; 
but he afterwards judged it more prudent to lower his 
Views to the daughter of the Duke of Montbazon, who 
with pleasure received as his son-in-law the favourite of 
the king. Still, however, further measures were ne- 
cessary, to make the nobility and people forget that 
one favourite had only been destroyed to make roém 
for another. Licenes, therefore, who had been created 
Duke, assembled the states of Rouen in the year 1618, 
and abolished the most burdensome i ts: he also 
appeared zealous to procure the freedom of the Prince 
: 1 
NCE. 
of Condé, in order to secure the favour of the pee 
of the blood. By these , and by 
pointment of the Duke of Mayence to the governn 
of Guienne, and the Marshal Ornano to that of Nor- 
great measure, in accom- 
mandy, he succeeded, in a 
pee his object. The government of the Isle of 
rance he reserved to himself, as allowing bim, at the 
same time, to attend to his interest at court. — 
The Queen-mother, ase. 4 was still formidable, my — 
even in her exile at Blois: and Licenes, consi ntiy, 
could not deem himself perfectly seesarel" he Weta ret 
into a plot with the Duke of Epernon, who suddenly 
quitting Metz at the head of 100 horse, and ad 
to Blois, succeeded in rescuing Mary from her captivi- Ls 
ty, and immediately conveyed her into Angouleme, at 
the very time when Licenes had persuaded Louis to 
commit her a close prisoner to the castle of Amiboise. 
The king at first was highly enraged, and resolved to 
recover her mother by force of arms; but Licenes, ap- 
prehensive that such a proceeding would excite univer- 
sal disgust and dissatisfaction, had the prudence to op- 
pose this resolution. The Duke of Epernon and’ Mary, 
on their part, were sincerely desirous of a reconciliation 
with the king. In order to effect this, Licenes recalled 
the Bishop of Lucon, and by his influence tranquillity 4 
was again established. The Queen-mother was restored + 
to liberty, and in lieu of the Saba eoe of Normandy, ¥ 
she received that of Anjou : her adherents were reinsta , 
ted in their offices; but the Bishop himself, who had 
been so instrumental in bringing about this wi 
reconciliation, concealing his passion fo ne 
more favourable Yate , at present displayed the 
appearance of an psn disinterestedness, and re- 
fused to accept of any situation, © == 
From the beginning of the reign of Louis, the Pro- 1 ouig mea. 
testants had been treated in such a manner, as justly suresagainst 
ri 
a ar 
rendered them apprehensive that the privil Nt- the Protess 
ed them by Henry IV. would be i ~ In 1617, tants, ~~ 
the King gave them great offence by an arret of coun- 
cil, ordering the restitution of the church lands in the 
district of Bearn, which the Protestants in that pro- 
vince had enjoyed above 60 years. Upon this a meet- 
ing was held at Rochelle, and they resolved to erect a 
peg gh the model of the Du About tie’s baie 
iod, e le at heger to bpabententane at th. 
aitaee of Few axes ee the nobility were displeased 
at the increasing fondness of the for his favourite 
the Duke of Licenes. The Duke of Mayence retired jy offends 
to his government of Guienne ; the Count of Soissons, the nobility. 
the Dukes of Vendome, Nevers, Rohan, and Retz, re- 
paired to Angers, where the Queen-mother resided, ‘ 
ho had slready begun to intrigue again. "The Duke : 
of Epernon also in her favour; so thet she F 
found herself in a condition to assume a lofty and de- 
cided tone, and to declare that she never would con-. 
sent to any future treaty, unless it were guaranteed by 
the Parliament of France, or by some foreign power. 
The King’s character for indecision and weakness, on é 
this occasion, had induced the Queen-mother and her 
adherents to pass all bounds of decency: But, to 
surprise and terror, he acted with vigour, activity, and. 
firmness: assembling his forces as rapidly as possible, 
he went into Normandy, where he reduced Caen, and 
prevented Rouen from joining the rebels. Mary on 
this took the alarm ; and the Bishop of Lucon, in whom 
she still placed the greatest confidence, her. 
to try the effects of a new 1 n, she deserted 
her party, and a new treaty, which confirmed the for- 
mer, was signed. The Bishop of Lucon, on this occa- 
oe ae he 
te 
om 
