onde, and treated it as a
matter without importance, he would at once render him insignificant in
the eyes of those sovereigns who would fain look upon him as a martyr,
and use him as a means to harass and annoy his own monarch.

Henry was, however, too much excited to defer to the sober reasonings of
his finance minister, and declared that he would suffer no petty prince
to harbour the first noble of his kingdom without resenting so gross an
affront. The advice of Jeannin suited his views far better, and he
accordingly despatched M. de Praslin on the following day to Landrecies
with a peremptory order for the return of the fugitives. His messenger
was met by a firm refusal on the part of the Prince; upon which, finding
that his expostulations were of no avail, he proceeded, as he had been
ordered, to Brussels, where, in an interview with the Archduke
Albert,[412] he delivered to him the message of his sovereign, and
explained the danger of the position in which he would personally be
placed should he venture to oppose the royal will.

This intelligence greatly embarrassed the Archduke, who had already
given to M. de Rochefort an assurance of the readiness with which he
would offer an asylum to the princely fugitives; but as M. de Praslin
continued to press upon him the certain indignation of the French
monarch should he venture to receive them at his Court, his previous
resolution gave way; and he hastened to despatch a messenger to
Landrecies to decline the honour proffered to him by M. de Conde, but at
the same time to assure him of a safe passage through his territories.
On the receipt of this unexpected prohibition the self-exiled Prince,
who had gone too far to recede, had no other alternative than to proceed
through the duchy of Juliers to Cologne; in which, being a free city,
and perfectly neuter in the affairs of France and Spain, the chief
magistrate granted him permission to reside.

Although the Prince de Conde had been refused a retreat in Flanders, the
Archduke willingly yielded to the request of the Princess that she might
be permitted to reside for a time in Brussels, until the final abode of
her husband should be decided; and she accordingly arrived in that city
under his escort, where the illustrious couple were received with great
ceremony and cordiality by the Papal Nuncio and the other dignitaries of
the town. Their arrival was no sooner known than Philip of Orange and
his Princess (the sister of