he did not share, even to extremity, the
dangers and adversities of the Prince, and whether, during his long
exile, she reappeared for a single moment at Court or in those _salons_
of the Louvre and the Palais Royal, which had witnessed her early
successes, and in which her wit and beauty still promised her fresh
triumphs.

[4] Mad. de Motteville.

CHAPTER VI.

MADAME DE LONGUEVILLE COQUETS WITH THE DUKE DE NEMOURS.

HIS determination to unsheath the sword once taken, Conde put his plans
into execution without throwing one glance behind him. Having collected
together in Berri his family and chief supporters, he distributed
amongst them the several parts they had to play in their common
enterprise. After this, accompanied by La Rochefoucauld, he went to take
possession of his new government of Guienne, and there raise the
standard of insurrection, leaving in Berri his wife and son, his sister,
the Prince de Conti, the Duke de Nemours, with the President Viole and
others whom he nominated to important functions. He had placed his
brother at the head of affairs there, and given the military command to
the Duke de Nemours. But the result of these arrangements was
disappointing to him. The Duke de Nemours undoubtedly possessed the most
brilliant courage, but he had neither the talents nor the steadiness of
a general. Still absorbed with his passion for Madame de Chatillon, who,
as has been said, had long retained him in the party of peace, he found
in Berri a counter-attraction in Madame de Longueville who drew him
towards that of war; and it would seem that he occupied himself more
with paying court to the lovely lady than of raising and arming soldiers
and making Berri a focus of resistance, both political and military;
for very speedily the Prince de Conti and he were reduced to defend
themselves in Bourges instead of being able to operate in the open and
make any advance. The new Minister Chateauneuf showed himself worthy of
the confidence of Madame de Chevreuse and the Fronde. He made the Queen
understand that it was necessary to combat the revolt foot to foot from
its very first step, and he persuaded her to march herself with the
young King into Berri at the head of a strong army. He nobly inaugurated
the new ministry by that measure, which had two objects: the one direct
and immediate, to strangle the insurrection at its birth; the other
still more important, to set royalty at liberty far from Duke