took　up　arms　in　its　favour。　　The　Duc　de　La　Tremouille　raised　men　for　them　publicly。　　The　Duc　de　Retz　offered　his　service　to　the　Parliament；　together　with　Belle　Isle。　　Le　Mans　expelled　its　bishop　and　all　the　Lavardin　family；　who　were　in　the　interest　of　the　Court。
  On　the　18th　of　January；　1649；　I　was　admitted　to　a　seat　and　vote　in　Parliament；　and　signed　an　alliance　with　the　chief　leaders　of　the　party：　MM。　de　Beaufort；　de　Bouillon；　de　La　Mothe；　de　Noirmoutier；　de　Vitri；　de　Brissac；　de　Maure；　de　Matha；　de　Cugnac；l　de　Barnire；　de　Sillery；　de　La　Rochefoucault；　de　Laigues；　de　Sevigny；　de　Bethune；　de　Luynes；　de　Chaumont；　de　Saint…Germain；　d'Action；　and　de　Fiesque。
  On　the　9th　of　February　the　Prince　de　Conde　attacked　and　took　Charenton。　All　this　time　the　country　people　were　flocking　to　Paris　with　provisions；　not　only　because　there　was　plenty　of　money；　but　to　enable　the　citizens　to　hold　out　against　the　siege；　which　was　begun　on　the　9th　of　January。
  On　the　12th　of　February　a　herald　came　with　two　trumpeters　from　the　Court　to　one　of　the　city　gates；　bringing　three　packets　of　letters；　one　for　the　Parliament；　one　for　the　Prince　de　Conti；　and　the　third　for　the　Hotel　de　Ville。　　It　was　but　the　night　before　that　a　person　was　caught　in　the　halls　dropping　libels　against　the　Parliament　and　me；　upon　which　the　Parliament；　Princes；　and　city　supposed　that　this　State　visit　was　nothing　but　an　amusement　of　Cardinal　Mazarin　to　cover　a　worse　design；　and　therefore　resolved　not　to　receive　the　message　nor　give　the　herald　audience；　but　to　send　the　King's　Council　to　the　Queen　to　represent　to　her　that　their　refusal　was　out　of　pure　obedience　and　respect；　because　heralds　are　never　sent　but　to　sovereign　Princes　or　public　enemies；　and　that　the　Parliament；　the　Prince　de　Conti；　and　the　city　were　neither　the　one　nor　the　other。　At　the　same　time　the　Chevalier　de　Lavalette；　who　distributed　the　libels；　had　formed　a　design　to　kill　me　and　M。　de　Beaufort　upon　the　Parliament　stairs　in　the　great　crowd　which　they　expected　would　attend　the　appearance　of　the　herald。　　The　Court；　indeed；　always　denied　his　having　any　other　commission　than　to　drop　the　libels；　but　I　am　certain　that　the　Bishop　of　Dole　told　the　Bishop　of　Aire；　but　a　night　or　two　before；　that　Beaufort　and　I　should　not　be　among　the　living　three　days　hence。
  The　King's　councillors　returned　with　a　report　how　kindly　they　had　been　received　at　Saint　Germain。　　They　said　the　Queen　highly　approved　of　the　reasons　offered　by　the　Parliament　for　refusing　entrance　to　the　herald；　and　that　she　had　assured　them　that；　though　she　could　not　side　with　the　Parliament　in　the　present　state　of　affairs；　yet　she　received　with　joy　the　assurances　they　had　given　her　of　their　respect　and　submission；　and　that　she　would　distinguish　them　in　general　and　in　particular　by　special　marks　of　her　good…will。　　Talon；　Attorney…General；　who　always　spoke　with　dignity　and　force；　embellished　this　answer　of　the　Queen　with　all　the　ornaments　he　could　give　it；　assuring　the　Parliament　in　very　pathetic　terms　that；　if　they　should　be　pleased　to　send　a　deputation　to　Saint　Germain；　it　would　be　very　kindly　received；　and　might；　perhaps；　be　a　great　step　towards　a　peace。
  When　I　saw　that　we　were　besieged；　that　the　Cardinal　had　sent　a　person　into　Flanders　to　treat　with　the　Spaniards；　and　that　our　party　was　now　so　well　formed　that　there　was　no　danger　that　I　alone　should　be　charged　with　courting　the　alliance　of　the　enemies　of　the　State；　I　hesitated　no　longer；　but　judged　that；　as　affairs　stood；　I　might　with　honour　hear　what　proposals　the　Spaniards　would　make　to　me　for　the　relief　of　Paris；　but　I　took　care　not　to　have　my　name　mentioned；　and　that　the　first　overtures　should　be　made　to　M。　d'Elbeuf；　who　was　the　fittest　person；　because　during　the　ministry　of　Cardinal　de　Richelieu　he　was　twelve　or　fifteen　years　in　Flanders　a　pensioner　of　Spain。　　Accordingly　Arnolfi；　a　Bernardin　friar；　was　sent　from　the　Archduke　Leopold；　Governor　of　the　Spanish　Netherlands　for　the　King　of　Spain；　to　the　Duc　d'Elbeuf；　who；　upon　sight　of　his　credentials；　thought　himself　the　most　considerable　man　of　the　party；　invited　most　of　us　to　dinner；　and　told　us　he　had　a　very　important　matter　to　lay　before　us；　but　that　such　was　his　tenderness　for　the　French　name　that　he　could　not　open　so　much　as　a　small　letter　from　a　suspected　quarter；　which；　after　some　scrupulous　and　mysterious　circumlocutions；　he　ventured　to　name；　and　we　agreed　one　and　all　not　to　refuse　the　succours　from　Spain；　but　the　great　difficulty　was；　which　way　to　get　them。　Fuensaldagne；　the　general；　was　inclined　to　join　us　if　he　could　have　been　sure　that　we　would　engage　with　him；　but　as　there　was　no　possibility　of　the　Parliaments　treating　with　him；　nor　any　dependence　to　be　placed　upon　the　generals；　some　of　whom　were　wavering　and　whimsical；　Madame　de　Bouillon　pressed　me　not　to　hesitate　any　longer；　but　to　join　with　her　husband；　adding　that　if　he　and　I　united；　we　should　so　far　overmatch　the　others　that　it　would　not　be　in　their　power　to　injure　us。
  M。　de　Bouillon　and　I　agreed　to　use　our　interest　to　oblige　the　Parliament　to　hear　what　the　envoy　had　to　say。　　I　proposed　it　to　the　Parliament；　but　the　first　motion　of　it　was　hissed；　in　a　manner；　by　all　the　company　as　much　as　if　it　had　been　heretical。　　The　old　President　Le　Coigneux；　a　man　of　quick　apprehension；　observing　that　I　sometimes　mentioned　a　letter　from　the　Archduke　of　which　there　had　been　no　talk；　declared　himself　suddenly　to　be　of　my　opinion。　　He　had　a　secret　persuasion　that　I　had　seen　some　writings　which　they　knew　nothing　of；　and　therefore；　while　both　sides　were　in　the　heat　of　debate；　he　said　to　me：
  〃Why　do　you　not　disclose　yourself　to　your　friends？　　They　would　come　into　your　measures。　　I　see　very　well　you　know　more　of　the　matter　than　the　person　who　thinks　himself　your　informant。〃　　I　vow　I　was　terribly　ashamed　of　my　indiscretion。　　I　squeezed　him　by　the　hand　and　winked　at　MM。　de　Beaufort　and　de　La　Mothe。　　At　length　two　other　Presidents　came　over　to　my　opinion；　being　thoroughly　convinced　that　succours　from　Spain　at　this　time　were　a　remedy　absolutely　necessary　to　our　disease；　but　a　dangerous　and　empirical　medicine；　and　infallibly　mortal　to　particular　persons　if　it　did　not　pass　first　through　the　Parliament's　alembic。
  The　Bernardin；　being　tutored　by　us　beforehand　what　to　say　when　he　came　before　the　Parliament；　behaved　like　a　man　of　good　sense。
  When　he　desired　audience；　or　rather　when　the　Prince　de　Conti　desired　it　for　him；　the　President　de　Mesmes；　a　man　of　great　capacity；　but　by　fear　and　ambition　most　slavishly　attached　to　the　Court；　made　an　eloquent　and　pathetic　harangue；　preferable　to　anything　I　ever　met　with　of　the　kind　in　all　the　monuments　of　antiquity；　and；　turning　about　to　the　Prince　de　Conti；　〃Is　it　possible；　monsieur；〃　said　he；　〃that　a　Prince　of　the　blood　of　France　should　propose　to　let　a　person　deputed　from　the　most　bitter　enemy　of　the　fleurs…de…lis　have　a　seat　upon　those　flowers？〃　　Then　turning　to　me；　he　said；　〃What；　monsieur；　will　you　refuse　entrance　to　your　sovereign's　herald　upon　the　most　trifling　pretexts？〃　　I　knew　what　was　coming；　and　therefore　I　endeavoured　to　stop　his　mouth　by　this　answer：　〃Monsieur；　you　will　excuse　me　from　calling　those　reasons　frivolous　which　have　had　the　sanction　of　a　decree。〃　　The　bulk　of　the　Parliament　was　provoked　at　the　President's　unguarded　expression；　baited　him　very　fiercely；　and　then　I　made　some　pretence　to　go　out；　leaving　Quatresous；　a　young　man　of　the　warmest　temper；　in　the　House　to　skirmish　with　him　in　my　stead；　as　having　experienced　more　than　once　that　the　only　way　to　get　anything　of　moment　passed　in　Parliamentary　or　other　assemblies　is　to　exasperate　the　young　men　against　the　old　ones。
  In　short；　after　many　debates；　it　was　carried　that　the　envoy　should　be　admitted　to　audience。　　Being　accordingly　admitted；　and　bidden　to　be　covered　and　sit　down；　he　presented　the　Archduke's　credentials；　and　then　made　a　speech；　which　was　in　substance　that　his　master　had　ordered　him　to　acquaint　the　company　with　a　proposal　made　him　by　Cardinal　Mazarin　since　the　blockade　of　Paris；　which　his　Catholic　Majesty　did　not　think　consistent　with　his　safety　or　honour　to　accept；　when　he　saw　that；　on　the　one　hand；　it　was　made　with　a　view　to　oppress　the　Parliament；　which　was　held　in　veneration　by　all　the　kingdoms　in　the　world；　and；　on　the　other；　that　all　treaties　made　with　a　condemned　minister　would　be　null　and　void；　forasmuch　as　they　were　made　without　the　concurrence　of　the　Parliament；　to　whom　only　it　belonged　to　register　and　verify　treaties　of　peace　in　order　to　make　them　authoritative；　that　the　Catholic　King；　who　proposed　to　take　no　advantage　from　the　present　state　of　affairs；　had　ordered　the　Archduke　to　assure　the　Parliament；　whom　he　knew　to　be　in　the　true　interest　of　the　most　Christian　King；　that　he　heartily　acknowledged　them　to　be　the　arbiters　of　peace；　that　he　submitted　to　their　judgment；　and　that　if　they　thought　proper　to　be　judges；　he　left　it　to　their　choice　to　send　a　deputation　out　of　their　own　body　to　what　place　they　pleased。　Paris　itself　not　excepted；　and　that　his　Catholic　Majesty　would　also；　without　delay；　send　his　deputies　thither　to　meet　and　treat　with　them；　that；　meanwhile；　he　had　ordered　18；000　men　to　march　towards　their　frontiers　to　relieve　them　in　case　of　need；　with　orders　nevertheless