scovered that
he was an object of _espionnage_, became so much exasperated that,
having on one occasion encountered the royal confidant at a convenient
moment for the purpose, he drew his sword and attacked him so vigorously
that his intended victim was compelled to save himself by flight.

In this instance Henry, who had ceased to feel any interest in Madame de
Moret, contented himself by reprimanding the culprit, branding him with
the name of assassin, and finally exiling him to Lorraine, with strict
orders not to leave that province without his express permission.

We will here terminate the history of the ex-favourite, who has already
occupied only too much space. After this last adventure she ceased to
make any figure at Court, her influence over the monarch having entirely
ceased; and seven years subsequent to his death she became the wife of
Rene du Bec, Marquis de Vardes, and the mother of two sons, the elder of
whom, Francois Rene, Comte de Moret, was afterwards famous during the
reign of Louis XIV under the title of Marquis de Vardes.[366]

The estrangement of the monarch from Madame de Moret, coupled with his
increasing coldness towards the Marquise de Verneuil, once more at this
period restored the unhappy Queen to a comparative peace of mind, which
she was not, however, long fated to enjoy; as at the close of the year a
new candidate for the royal favour presented herself in the person of
Mademoiselle des Essarts.[367] This lady, who was a member of the
household of the Comtesse de Beaumont-Harlay, had accompanied her
mistress to England, whither M. de Beaumont-Harlay[368] had been
accredited as ambassador; and on the return of her patroness to France
she appeared in her suite at Court, where she instantly attracted the
attention of the dissolute King. Her reign was happily a short one, and
at the close of two years she retired with the title of Comtesse de
Romorantin, having previously been privately married to the Archbishop
of Rheims.[369]

We shall pass over in silence the other _liaisons_ of the monarch, as
they were too transitory greatly to affect the tranquillity of the
Queen, until we are once more compelled to return to them in order to
record his unhappy passion for the beautiful Princesse de Conde--a
passion which at one period threatened to involve a European war.

On the 6th of April Marie de Medicis gave birth to her second son, who
received the title of Duc d'Orleans, that duchy having a