n　of　love　influenced　her　conduct　more　than　politics；　she　who　was　the　Amazon　of　a　great　party　degenerated　into　the　character　of　a　fortune…hunter。　　But　the　grace　of　God　brought　her　back　to　her　former　self；　which　all　the　world　was　not　able　to　do。
  Character　of　Madame　de　Chevreuse。
  Madame　de　Chevreuse　had　not　so　much　as　the　remains　of　beauty　when　I　knew　her；　she　was　the　only　person　I　ever　saw　whose　vivacity　supplied　the　want　of　judgment；　her　wit　was　so　brilliant　and　so　full　of　wisdom　that　the　greatest　men　of　the　age　would　not　have　been　ashamed　of　it；　while；　in　truth；　it　was　owing　to　some　lucky　opportunity。　　If　she　had　been　born　in　time　of　peace　she　would　never　have　imagined　there　could　have　been　such　a　thing　as　war。　　If　the　Prior　of　the　Carthusians　had　but　pleased　her；　she　would　have　been　a　nun　all　her　lifetime。　　M。　de　Lorraine　was　the　first　that　engaged　her　in　State　affairs。　　The　Duke　of　Buckingham＇George　Villiers；　Duke　of　Buckingham；　assassinated　when　preparing　to　succour　Rochelle。＇　and　the　Earl　of　Holland　（an　English　lord；　of　the　family　of　Rich；　and　younger　son　of　the　Earl　of　Warwick；　then　ambassador　in　France）　kept　her　to　themselves；　M。　de　Chateauneuf　continued　the　amusement；　till　at　last　she　abandoned　herself　to　the　pleasing　of　a　person　whom　she　loved；　without　any　choice；　but　purely　because　it　was　impossible　for　her　to　live　without　being　in　love　with　somebody。　　It　was　no　hard　task　to　give　her　one　to　serve　the　turn　of　the　faction；　but　as　soon　as　she　accepted　him　she　loved　him　with　all　her　heart　and　soul；　and　she　confessed　that；　by　the　caprice　of　fortune；　she　never　loved　best　where　she　esteemed　most；　except　in　the　case　of　the　poor　Duke　of　Buckingham。　　Notwithstanding　her　attachment　in　love；　which　we　may；　properly　call　her　everlasting　passion；　notwithstanding　the　frequent　change　of　objects；　she　was　peevish　and　touchy　almost　to　distraction；　but　when　herself　again；　her　transports　were　very　agreeable；　never　was　anybody　less　fearful　of　real　danger；　and　never　had　woman　more　contempt　for　scruples　and　ceremonies。
  Character　of　Mademoiselle　de　Chevreuse。
  Mademoiselle　de　Chevreuse　was　more　beautiful　in　her　person　than　charming　in　her　carriage；　and　by　nature　extremely　silly；　her　amorous　passion　made　her　seem　witty；　serious；　and　agreeable　only　to　him　whom　she　was　in　love　with；　but　she　soon　treated　him　as　she　did　her　petticoat；　which　to…day　she　took　into　her　bed；　and　to…morrow　cast　into　the　fire　out　of　pure　aversion。
  Character　of　the　Princess　Palatine。
  The　Princess　Palatine'　had　just　as　much　gallantry　as　gravity。　　I　believe　she　had　as　great　a　talent　for　State　affairs　as　Elizabeth；　Queen　of　England。　　I　have　seen　her　in　the　faction；　I　have　seen　her　in　the　Cabinet；　and　found　her　everywhere　equally　sincere。
  Character　of　Madame　de　Montbazon。
  Madame　de　Montbazon　was　a　very　great　beauty；　only　modesty　was　visibly　wanting　in　her　air；　her　grand　air　and　her　way　of　talking　sometimes　supplied　her　want　of　sense。　　She　loved　nothing　more　than　her　pleasures；　unless　it　was　her　private　interest；　and　I　never　knew　a　vicious　person　that　had　so　little　respect　for　virtue。
  Character　of　the　First　President。
  If　it　were　not　a　sort　of　blasphemy　to　say　that　any　mortal　of　our　times　had　more　courage　than　the　great　Gustavus　Adolphus　and　the　Prince　de　Conde；　I　would　venture　to　affirm　it　of　M。　Mole；　the　First　President；　but　his　wit　was　far　inferior　to　his　courage。　　It　is　true　that　his　enunciation　was　not　agreeable；　but　his　eloquence　was　such　that；　though　it　shocked　the　ear；　it　seized　the　imagination。　　He　sought　the　interest　of　the　public　preferably　to　all　things；　not　excepting　the　interest　of　his　own　family；　which　yet　he　loved　too　much　for　a　magistrate。　　He　had　not　a　genius　to　see　at　times　the　good　he　was　capable　of　doing；　presumed　too　much　upon　his　authority；　and　imagined　that　he　could　moderate　both　the　Court　and　Parliament；　but　he　failed　in　both；　made　himself　suspected　by　both；　and　thus；　with　a　design　to　do　good；　he　did　evil。　　Prejudices　contributed　not　a　little　to　this；　for　I　observed　he　was　prejudiced　to　such　a　degree　that　he　always　judged　of　actions　by　men；　and　scarcely　ever　of　men　by　their　actions。
  To　return　to　our　history。　　All　the　companies　having　united　and　settled　the　necessary　funds；　a　complete　army　was　raised　in　Paris　in　a　week's　time。　　The　Bastille　surrendered　after　five　or　six　cannon　shots；　and　it　was　a　pretty　sight　to　see　the　women　carry　their　chairs　into　the　garden；　where　the　guns　were　stationed；　for　the　sake　of　seeing　the　siege；　just　as　if　about　to　hear　a　sermon。
  M。　de　Beaufort；　having　escaped　from　his　confinement；　arrived　this　very　day　in　Paris。　　I　found　that　his　imprisonment　had　not　made　him　one　jot　the　wiser。　　Indeed；　it　had　got　him　a　reputation；　because　he　bore　it　with　constancy　and　made　his　escape　with　courage。　　It　was　also　his　merit　not　to　have　abandoned　the　banks　of　the　Loire　at　a　time　when　it　absolutely　required　abundance　of　skill　and　courage　to　stay　there。　　It　is　an　easy　matter　for　those　who　are　disgraced　at　Court　to　make　the　best　of　their　own　merit　in　the　beginning　of　a　civil　war。　　He　had　a　mind　to　form　an　alliance　with　me；　and　knowing　how　to　employ　him　advantageously；　I　prepossessed　the　people　in　his　favour；　and　exaggerated　the　conspiracy　which　the　Cardinal　had　formed　against　him　by　means　of　Du　Hamel。
  As　my　friendship　was　necessary　to　him；　so　his　was　necessary　to　me；　for　my　profession　on　many　occasions　being　a　restraint　upon　me；　I　wanted　a　man　sometimes　to　stand　before　me。　　M。　de　La　Mothe　was　so　dependent　on　M。　de　Longueville　that　I　could　not　rely　on　him；　and　M。　de　Bouillon　was　not　a　man　to　be　governed。
  We　went　together　to　wait　on　the　Prince　de　Conti；　we　stopped　the　coach　in　the　streets；　where　I　proclaimed　the　name　of　M。　de　Beaufort；　praised　him　and　showed　him　to　the　people；　upon　which　the　people　were　suddenly　fired　with　enthusiasm；　the　women　kissed　him；　and　the　crowd　was　so　great　that　we　had　much　ado　to　get　to　the　Hotel　de　Ville。　　The　next　day　he　offered　a　petition　to　the　Parliament　desiring　he　might　have　leave　to　justify　himself　against　the　accusation　of　his　having　formed　a　design　against　the　life　of　the　Cardinal；　which　was　granted；　and　he　was　accordingly　cleared　next　day；　and　the　Parliament　issued　that　famous　decree　for　seizing　all　the　cash　of　the　Crown　in　all　the　public　and　private　receipt　offices　of　the　kingdom　and　employing　it　in　the　common　defence。
  The　Prince　de　Conde　was　enraged　at　the　declaration　published　by　the　Prince　de　Conti　and　M。　de　Longueville；　which　cast　the　Court；　then　at　Saint　Germain；　into　such　a　despair　that　the　Cardinal　was　upon　the　point　of　retiring。　　I　was　abused　there　without　mercy；　as　appeared　by　a　letter　sent　to　Madame　de　Longueville　from　the　Princess；　her　mother；　in　which　I　read　this　sentence：　〃They　rail　here　plentifully　against　the　Coadjutor；　whom　yet　I　cannot　forbear　thanking　for　what　he　has　done　for　the　poor　Queen　of　England。〃　　This　circumstance　is　very　curious。　　You　must　know　that　a　few　days　before　the　King　left　Paris　I　visited　the　Queen　of　England；　whom　I　found　in　the　apartment　of　her　daughter；　since　Madame　d'Orleans。　　〃You　see；　monsieur；〃　said　the　Queen；　〃I　come　here　to　keep　Henriette　company；　the　poor　child　has　lain　in　bed　all　day　for　want　of　a　fire。〃　　The　truth　is；　the　Cardinal　having　stopped　the　Queen's　pension　six　months；　tradesmen　were　unwilling　to　give　her　credit；　and　there　was　not　a　chip　of　wood　in　the　house。　　You　may　be　sure　I　took　care　that　a　Princess　of　Great　Britain　should　not　be　confined　to　her　bed　next　day；　for　want　of　a　fagot；　and　a　few　days　after　I　exaggerated　the　scandal　of　this　desertion；　and　the　Parliament　sent　the　Queen　a　present　of　40；000　livres。　Posterity　will　hardly　believe　that　the　Queen　of　England；　granddaughter　of　Henri　the　Great；　wanted　a　fagot　to　light　a　fire　in　the　month　of　January；　in　the　Louvre；　and　at　the　Court　of　France。
  There　are　many　passages　in　history　less　monstrous　than　this　which　make　us　shudder；　and　this　mean　action　of　the　Court　made　so　little　impression　upon　the　minds　of　the　generality　of　the　people　at　that　time　that　I　have　reflected　a　thousand　times　since　that　we　are　far　more　moved　at　the　hearing　of　old　stories　than　of　those　of　the　present　time；　we　are　not　shocked　at　what　we　see　with　our　own　eyes；　and　I　question　whether　our　surprise　would　be　as　great　as　we　imagine　at　the　story　of　Caligula's　promoting　his　horse　to　the　dignity　of　a　consul　were　he　and　his　horse　now　living。
  To　return　to　the　war。　　A　cornet　of　my　regiment　being　taken　prisoner　and　carried　to　Saint　Germain；　the　Queen　immediately　ordered　his　head　to　be　cut　off；　but　I　sent　a　trumpeter　to　acquaint　the　Court　that　I　would　make　reprisals　upon　my　prisoners；　so　that　my　cornet　was　exchanged　and　a　cartel　settled。
  As　soon　as　Paris　declared　itself；　all　the　kingdom　was　in　a　quandary；　for　the　Parliament　of　Paris　sent　circular　letters　to　all　the　Parliaments　and　cities　in　the　kingdom　exhorting　them　to　join　against　the　common　enemy；　upon　which　the　Parliaments　of　Aix　and　Rouen　joined　with　that　of　Paris。　The　Prince　d'Harcourt；　now　Duc　d'Elbeuf；　and　the　cities　of　Rheims；　Tours；　and　Potiers；　took　up　arms　in　its　favour。　　The　Duc　de　La　Tremouille　raised　men　for　them　publicly。　　The　Duc　de　Retz