zens were weary of all these
troubles, desired nothing so much as the king's return, and detested the
ambition of the leaders of faction. Indeed, the magistrates were
negotiating with Mazarin, and declared the city neutral. On July 2 the
Prince of Conde was marching his force from Saint-Cloud to Charenton
when he was attacked by Turenne; and in the sanguinary combat which
followed, and in which I was fighting beside the prince, I received a
wound in the head which prevented my taking any further part in these
disturbances.

Shortly afterwards, the Prince of Conde, his popularity wholly gone,
took service under the King of Spain; King Louis XIV., amid general
acclamations, returned to Paris on October 21; and Cardinal Mazarin,
having overcome all his enemies, entered the capital in a veritable
triumph, in February, 1653.

* * * * *

MADAME DE SEVIGNE

Letters

Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, who became Madame de Sevigne, was
born at Paris on February 6, 1626. Her father and mother died
during her childhood and Marie was left to the care of her
uncle, priest of Coulanges; she received an admirable
education and became a great lover of history and of classical
literature. At eighteen years of age she married the Marquis
Henri de Sevigne, who was killed in a duel in 1651, and
thenceforth Madame de Sevigne gave herself up altogether to
the care of her two children. Her wit, her kindliness, and
happiness, her charity and fidelity, and especially a certain
rare genius for friendship, won for her the warm devotion of
many great people of that brilliant age. Her daughter was
married in 1669 to the Comte de Grignan, a great official,
lieutenant-general of Languedoc and then of Provence, a man of
honour, but accustomed to the most lavish expenditure, which
burdened his life with enormous debts. The famous "Letters" of
Madame de Sevigne numbering over 1,000 were written over a
period of twenty-five years, chiefly to this daughter, Madame
de Grignan. They are valued for their vivacious and graceful
style, the light which they throw upon the thoughts and
movements of her time, but especially for their revelation of
a wonderfully sweet and gracious personality. Madame de
Sevigne died on April 18, 169696.

_Love for her Daughter_

My dear child: I have been here but three hours