ached the chateau four
days before his expected guests, for whose reception he made the most
magnificent preparations of which so brief an interval would admit. As
the approaches to the domain were not yet completed, and it was
necessary to level the road by which their Majesties would arrive, the
Duke, in order to accomplish this object, incautiously caused a canal by
which it was traversed, and over which the bridge was still unbuilt, to
be dammed up; and this arrangement made, he directed his whole
attention to the internal decorations of the castle. Unfortunately,
however, while his royal and noble guests were still seated at the
elaborate and costly banquet which had been prepared for them, a
terrific storm burst over the edifice, and information was brought to
the host that the waters had become so swollen as to have overflowed
their banks, while the pent-up canal which he had just driven back had
inundated the court, and was pouring itself in a dense volume through
the offices. The alarm instantly became general; the Queen, the
Princesses, and the ladies of the Court sought refuge in the upper rooms
of the castle, whither, as the danger momentarily increased, they were
soon followed by Henry and his retinue; and meanwhile Sully gave instant
orders that workmen should be despatched to clear the bed of the canal,
and thus afford an escape for the invading element. This was happily
accomplished without any loss of life, and the accident entailed no
further evil consequence than the destruction of all the fruits and
confectionary by which the banquet was to have terminated.[224] After
this misadventure the Court proceeded to Caen, where at the close of a
patient investigation the King withdrew the government of the city from
M. de Crevecoeur-Montmorency, who was accused of being engaged in a
treasonable correspondence with the Duc de Bouillon, the Comte
d'Auvergne, and the Duc de la Tremouille, his relative, and bestowed it
upon M. de Bellefonds.[225] Thence the royal party removed to Rouen,
where Henry succeeded in re-establishing perfect order throughout the
whole province of Lower Normandy.

On his return to Paris the King learnt that M. de Soissons, who had
declined to accompany him in his journey, so deeply resented his visit
to Rosny, the purpose of which he had comprehended upon the instant,
that he had resolved in consequence to quit the kingdom. As the
voluntary expatriation of the Princes of the Blood tende