Biron, assured the too-credulous monarch, that in the event of his
restoration to favour, he would, if permitted to continue his
intercourse with Philip of Spain as unrestrictedly as heretofore, profit
by the facility thus afforded to him to reveal to his Majesty all the
secrets of the Spanish Government.

There can be no doubt that such a proposal must have startled and even
disgusted the frank nature of the French King; but it was nevertheless
too tempting to be rejected; and he himself avowed to Sully, when the
new conspiracy of D'Auvergne became known to him, that it was less by
the prayers of the culprit's sister, and by his own consideration for
the children whom she had borne to him, than in the hope that he might,
through the medium of the Count, be enabled to counteract the measures
of his most subtle and dangerous enemy, that he had been induced on that
occasion to pardon his disloyalty.[256]

By this unwise and ill-calculated concession the King had afforded an
opportunity to the restless and disaffected noble of pursuing a
correspondence with Philip as dangerous as it was convenient. Couriers
were permitted to come and go unquestioned; and it was not long ere
every measure of the French Cabinet was as intimately known at Madrid as
it was in the Privy Council of Henry himself. This evil was, moreover,
increased by the unconditional pardon which had enabled M. d'Auvergne,
after his strange and degrading offer, to return to the Court; and he
profited so eagerly by the opportunity which was thus afforded to him
that he had little difficulty in convincing the false and vindictive
Philip that the moment was at length come in which he might overthrow
the power of the sovereign whom he hated.

M. de Lomenie, however, who, unaware of the promise made by the Count to
Henry, became uneasy at the constant communication which the former
maintained with the Court of Spain, at length determined to satisfy
himself as to its nature, and for this purpose he intercepted some
letters, by which he instantly became convinced of the treason meditated
against his royal master. Indignant at the discovery which supervened,
he suffered his displeasure to reach the ears of the culprit, who
forthwith quitted the capital, and hastened to secure himself from
arrest in Auvergne, of which province he was the governor, and where he
made instant preparations to leave the kingdom should such a step become
necessary.

It was consequently in