liefs. To accomplish this end they got a priest with
whom they were intimate to say that I had changed my views once more,
and I did not contradict the report. It was a great sin on my part, and
I deeply repent it. I must add, however, that whenever anyone has asked
me the question your Excellency asked me just now I have always given
the same reply."

The minister did not seem to take the baron's frankness in bad part;
only he remarked, when dismissing him, that he hoped he would find
out some way of ridding the kingdom of those who refused to think in
religious matters as His Majesty commanded.

D'Aygaliers replied that it was a problem to which he had given much
thought, but without ever being able to find a solution, but that he
would think about it more earnestly in future. He then withdrew.

Some days later, Chamillard sent ward to d'Aygaliers that the king would
graciously give him a farewell audience. The baron relates what took
place at this second interview, as follows.

"His Majesty," says he, "received me in the council chamber, and was so
good as to repeat once more in the presence of all his ministers that
he was very much pleased with my services, but that there was one thing
about me he should like to correct. I begged His Majesty to tell me what
the fault was, and I should try to get rid of it at, the peril of my
life."

"'It is your religion,' said the king. 'I should like to have you become
a good Catholic, so that I might be able to grant you favours and
enable you to serve me better.' His Majesty added that I ought to seek
instruction, and that then I should one day recognise what a great
benefit he desired to bring within my reach.

"I answered that I would esteem myself happy if at the cost of my life I
could prove the burning zeal with which I was filled for the service
of the greatest of earthly kings, but that I should be unworthy of the
least of his favours if I obtained it by hypocrisy or by anything of
which my conscience did not approve, but that I was grateful for the
goodness which made him anxious for my salvation. I told him also that
I had already taken every opportunity of receiving instruction, and had
tried to put aside the prejudices arising from my birth, such as often
hindered people from recognising the truth, with the result that I had
at one time almost lost all sense of religion, until God, taking pity on
me, had opened my eyes and brought me out of that deplorable cond