at the head of the royal
troops in one of the provinces, where he gained several unimportant
victories over the bands of the Fronde. These successes were trumpeted
abroad as great achievements, so as to invest the cardinal with the
renown of a great conqueror. Mazarin was well aware of the influence
of military glory upon the populace in Paris. The king also began to
feel the need of his dominant mind. He was invited to return to Paris.
Louis himself rode out six miles beyond the walls to receive him. The
cardinal entered the city in triumph, in the same carriage with his
sovereign, and seated by his side. All the old idols were forgotten,
and the once detested Mazarin was received as though he were an angel
from heaven. Bonfires and illuminations blazed through the streets;
the whole city resounded with demonstrations of rejoicing. Thus
terminated the year 1652.

The first care of Cardinal Mazarin, after his return to Paris, was to
restore the finances, which were in a deplorable condition. Louis was
fond of pleasure. It was one great object of the cardinal to gratify
him in this respect, in every possible way. Notwithstanding the
penury of the court, the cardinal contrived to supply the king with
money. Thus, during the winter, the royal palaces resounded with
festivity and dissipation. The young king became very fond of private
theatricals, in which he, his brother Philip, and the young ladies of
the court took prominent parts. Louis often appeared upon the stage in
the character of a ballet-dancer. He was proud of the grace with which
he could perform the most difficult pirouettes. He had plays written,
with parts expressly composed for his aristocratic troop.

The scene of these masqueradings was the theatre of the Hotel du Petit
Bourbon, which was contiguous to the Louvre. When royalty plays and
courtiers fill pit and gallery, applause is without stint. The
boy-king was much elated with his theatric triumphs. The queen and
Cardinal Mazarin were well pleased to see the king expending his
energies in that direction.

These entertainments cost money, which Mazarin was greatly embarrassed
in obtaining. The hour was approaching for the coronation of Louis.
The pageant would require large sums of money to invest the occasion
with the desirable splendor. But gold was not all that was wanted.
Rank, brilliance, beauty were requisite suitably to impress the
masses of the people. But the civil war had robbed the court of