ister of Louis XIII., and
consequently aunt of Louis XIV. Thus there was a peculiar bond of
relationship between the French and Spanish courts. Still Louis was
unrelenting in the vigorous action upon which he had entered. In
addition to the hostile measures already adopted, a special messenger
was sent to Philip IV. to inform him that, unless he immediately
recognized the supremacy of the French court, and made a formal
apology for the insult offered the French minister, war would ensue.
The Spanish king, unwilling, for so trivial a cause, to involve the
two nations in a bloody conflict, very magnanimously yielded to the
requirements demanded by the hot blood and wounded pride of his
son-in-law. In the presence of all the foreign ministers and the
assembled court at Fontainebleau, the Spanish embassador made a humble
apology, and declared that never again should the precedence of the
embassador of France be denied.

A very similar difficulty occurred a short time after at Rome. The
French embassador there, the Duke of Crequi, an old feudal noble,
accompanied by troops of retainers armed to the teeth, had, by his
haughty bearing, become extremely unpopular both with the court and
the people of Rome. The myrmidons of the duke were continually engaged
in night-brawls with the police. On one occasion they even attacked,
sword in hand, the Pope's guard, and put them to flight. The brother
of Pope Alexander VII., who hated Crequi, instigated the guard to take
revenge. In an infuriated mob, they surrounded the palace of the
embassador, and fired upon his carriage as it entered his court-yard.
A page was killed, and several other attendants wounded. Crequi
immediately left the city, accusing the Pope of instigating the
outrage.

Louis XIV. demanded reparation, and the most humble apology. The
proud Pope was not disposed to yield to his insolent demands. Affairs
assumed so threatening an aspect, that the Pope ordered two of the
guard, one an officer, to be hung, and the Mayor of Rome, who was
accused of having instigated the outrage, to be banished. This
concession, however, by no means satisfied the irascible Louis. He
commenced landing troops in Italy, threatening to besiege Rome. The
Pope appealed to the Roman Catholic princes of Germany for aid. They
could not come to his rescue, for they were threatened with war by the
Turks. The unhappy Pope was thus brought upon his knees. He was
compelled to banish from Rome his own b