623. He had issue by his wife, Charlotte de
l'Arbalete, widow of the Marquis de Feuquieres, one son (Plessis-Mornay,
Sieur de Bauves), who was killed in 1605 while serving under Prince
Maurice in the Low Countries, and three daughters, the younger of whom
married the Duc de la Force.

[281] Mezeray, vol. x. pp. 254, 255.

[282] Bonnechose, _Hist. de France_, vol. i. p. 438, seventh edition.

[283] Bonnechose, vol. i. p. 438.

CHAPTER V

1605

Trial of the conspirators--Pusillanimity of the Comte
d'Auvergne--Arrogant attitude assumed by Madame de Verneuil--She refuses
to offer any defence--Defence of the Comte d'Entragues--The two nobles
are condemned to death--Madame de Verneuil is sentenced to imprisonment
for life in a convent--A mother's intercession--The King commutes the
sentence of death passed on the two nobles to exile from the Court and
imprisonment for life--Expostulations of the Privy Council--Madame de
Verneuil is permitted to retire to her estate--Disappointment of the
Queen--Marriage of the Due de Rohan--Singular ceremony--A tilt at the
Louvre--Bassompierre is dangerously wounded--His convalescence--Death of
Clement VIII--Election of Leo XI--His sudden death--Election of Paul
V--The Comte d'Entragues is authorised to return to Marcoussis--Madame
de Verneuil is pardoned and recalled--Marriage of the Prince de
Conti--Mademoiselle de Guise--Marriage of the Prince of Orange--The
ex-Queen Marguerite--She arrives in Paris--Gratitude of the King--Her
reception--Murder at the Hotel de Sens--Execution of the
criminal--Marguerite removes to the Faubourg St. Germain--The King
condoles with her on the loss of her favourite--Her dissolute
career--Her able policy--Death of M. de la Riviere--Execution of M. de
Merargues--Attempt to assassinate Henri IV--Magnanimity of the
monarch--Henry seeks to initiate the Queen into the mysteries of
government--_Madame la Regente_--A timely warning.

The year 1605 commenced, as had been the case each year since the peace,
with a succession of Court-festivals; tilts and tournaments, balls and
masquerades, occupied the attention of the privileged; presents of value
were exchanged by the sovereigns and princes; and during all this
incessant dissipation the Parliament was diligently employed upon the
trial of the conspirators.

On Saturday, the 29th of January, the Comte d'Auvergne was placed out
the sellette,[284] where L'Etoile[285] asserts that he communicated much
more