--Sully
and the Queen--The letter--Anger of the King--Sully reconciles the King
and Queen--Madame de Verneuil and the Duc de Guise---Court
gambling--Birth of the Duc d'Anjou--Betrothal of the Duc de Vendome and
Mademoiselle de Mercoeur--Reluctance of the lady's family--Celebration
of the marriage--Munificence of Henry--Arrival of Don Pedro de
Toledo--His arrogance--Admirable rejoinder of the King--Object of the
embassy--Passion of Henry for hunting--Embellishment of Paris--Eduardo
Fernandez--The King's debts of honour--Despair of Madame de
Verneuil--Defective policy--A bold stroke for a coronet--The fallen
favourite.

Despite the presence of the pestilence the gaieties of the past winter
had surpassed, alike in the Court and in the capital, all that had
hitherto been witnessed in France. The profusion of the nobles, whom no
foreign war compelled to disburse their revenues in arming their
retainers, and in preparing themselves to maintain their dignity and
rank in the eyes of a hostile nation, was unchecked and excessive;
while, as we have already shown, the monarch felt no inclination to
control an outlay by which they thus voluntarily crippled their
resources.

The year 1607 commenced, with the exception of the fatal scourge which
still existed in and about Paris, in the greatest abundance, and the
most perfect peace. The Court celebrated the New Year at St.
Germain-en-Laye, and on the following day proceeded to Fontainebleau,
where during the _careme-prenant_[356] a ballet was danced, and several
magnificent entertainments were given to their Majesties by the great
nobles of the household. These festivities were, however, unfortunately
interrupted by an event which created universal consternation and
anxiety. The most glaring evil of the reign of Henri IV had long been
the prevalence of duelling, which he had in the first instance neglected
to discountenance; and which had, in consequence, reached an extreme
that threatened the most serious results, not only to the principal
personages of the kingdom, but even to those whose comparative
insignificance in society should have shielded them from all
participation in so iniquitous and senseless a practice. L'Etoile
computes the number of individuals who lost their lives in these illicit
encounters at several thousands; nor did the tardy edicts issued by the
King produce a cessation of the custom. On the 4th of February, the
Prince de Conde, conceiving himself aggrieved