considerable reinforcement, to make a proper advantage
of this happy beginning of the campaign; and concluded his compliment
with good wishes for the King's happiness and that of his posterity, of
which there began to be then some hope. People flattered themselves the
Queen was with child; and she was actually in the third month of her
pregnancy. The King received this compliment with great gaiety: he
promised to send immediately five or at least three thousand foot to the
Duke of Weymar, with some horse, under the command of the Count de
Guebriant. Grotius had a fresh audience of the King on the 19th of
April, 1638[329]. He represented to his Majesty, that though the Duke of
Weymar had begun the year well, he could not make great progress if an
additional force were not sent him: that by proceeding so slowly in this
measure, the enemy had got time to recruit their army: and if it were
not now taken with great expedition, they would lose the fruits of their
late advantages, and the affairs of the allies suffer much; that her
Swedish Majesty was in the same disposition with the King, and had no
other view than to procure an equitable, honourable, and lasting peace;
that the only way to obtain this great end was by making the most
powerful efforts: that the Queen, agreeable to his Majesty's desire,
would accept of the mediation of the Venetians, provided the republic
would treat her with due respect: that his most Christian Majesty being
of opinion that a long truce would lead to a peace, the Queen, who was
sensible of his great prudence, had given her Ambassador in France full
power to treat of this affair, and to draw up a plan of it in
conjunction with such persons as the King should nominate. After this
speech Grotius delivered to Lewis XIII. a letter from the Queen,
acquainting him at the same time, that had her Swedish Majesty been
informed of the Queen's pregnancy, she would undoubtedly have ordered
him to signify to the King her extreme satisfaction at such important
news; that he knew the Queen and all the Swedes passionately desired
that the posterity of St. Lewis, of Henry the Great, and Lewis the Just,
might long govern France; and that under them the kingdom might flourish
in piety, increase in power, and be established in justice. The King
received these good wishes with much satisfaction, and desired Grotius
to acquaint her Swedish Majesty that the Queen was certainly with child.
He farther assured him that t