ined--Interference of the Queen--Philip of Spain promises his
protection to the Prince de Conde--He is invited to return to
Brussels--The Marquis de Coeuvres endeavours to effect the return of the
Prince to France--His negotiation fails--Madame de Conde is placed under
surveillance--Her weariness of the Court of Brussels--The Duc de
Montmorency desires her return to Paris--M. de Coeuvres is authorized to
effect her escape from Brussels--The plot prospers--Indiscretion of the
King--The Queen informs the Spanish minister of the conspiracy--Madame
de Conde is removed to the Archducal palace--Mortification of the
King--The French envoys expostulate with the Archduke, who remains
firm--Henry resolves to declare war against Spain and Flanders--Fresh
negotiations--The King determines to head the army in person--Marie de
Medicis becomes Regent of France--She is counselled by Concini to urge
her coronation--Reluctance of the King to accede to her request--He
finally consents--"The best husband in the world"--Fatal
prognostics--Signs in the heavens--The Cure of Montargis--The Papal
warning--The Cardinal Barberino--The Sultan's message--Suspicious
circumstances--Supineness of the Austrian Cabinet--Prophecy of Anne de
Comans--Her miserable fate--The astrologer Thomassin--The Bearnais
noble--The Queen's dream--Royal presentiments--The hawthorn of the
Louvre--Distress of Bassompierre--Expostulation of the King--Melancholy
forebodings.

In the year upon which we are now about to enter the subject of our
biography occupies, unfortunately, but a small space, destined as it was
to give birth to the most violent and the most dangerous passion of the
whole life of Henri IV, and that which left the most indelible stain
upon his memory, both as a man and as a monarch.

On the 7th of February the Court went into mourning for the Grand Duke
of Tuscany, the uncle of the Queen, to whom she was ardently attached,
and all the Carnival amusements were consequently suspended, but not
before the Queen had resolved upon the performance of the ballet which
she had previously refused to sanction, when her royal consort had
proposed as one of its performers the Comtesse de Moret, his late
favourite. The rehearsal of this entertainment took place on the 16th of
January, and the nymphs of Diana were represented by the twelve reigning
beauties of the Court, among whom the most lovely was Charlotte
Marguerite de Montmorency[391]. So extraordinary, indeed, w