d；　in　the　name　of　his　colleagues　and　his　own；　to　open　all　the　passages　themselves　if　the　Parliament　would　but　take　a　firm　resolution　and　be　no　more　beguiled　by　deceitful　proposals；　which　had　only　served　to　keep　the　whole　nation　in　suspense；　who　would　otherwise　have　declared　by　this　time　in　favour　of　its　capital。　　It　is　inconceivable　what　influence　these　few　words　had　upon　the　audience；　everybody　concluded　that　the　treaty　was　already　broken　off；　but　a　moment　after　they　thought　the　contrary；　for　the　King's　Council　returned　with　the　passports　for　the　deputies；　and　instead　of　an　order　for　opening　the　passages；　a　grantsuch　a　one　as　it　wasof　500　quarters　of　corn　per　diem　was　made　for　the　subsistence　of　the　city。　　However；　the　Parliament　took　all　in　good　part；　all　that　had　been　said　and　done　a　quarter　of　an　hour　before　was　buried　in　oblivion；　and　they　made　preparations　to　go　next　day　to　Ruel；　the　place　named　by　the　Queen　for　the　conference。
  The　Prince　de　Conti；　M。　de　Beaufort；　M。　d'Elbeuf；　Marechal　de　La　Mothe；　M。　de　Brissac；　President　Bellievre；　and　myself　met　that　night　at　M。　de　Bouillon's　house；　where　a　motion　was　made　for　the　generals　of　the　army　to　send　a　deputation　likewise　to　the　place　of　conference；　but　it　was　quashed；　and　indeed　nothing　would　have　been　more　absurd　than　such　a　proceeding　when　we　were　upon　the　point　of　concluding　a　treaty　with　Spain；　and；　considering　that　we　told　the　envoy　that　we　should　never　have　consented　to　hold　any　conference　with　the　Court　were　we　not　assured　that　it　was　in　our　power　to　break　it　off　at　pleasure　by　means　of　the　people。
  The　Parliament　having　lately　reproached　both　the　generals　and　troops　with　being　afraid　to　venture　without　the　gates；　M。　de　Bouillon；　seeing　the　danger　was　over；　proposed　at　this　meeting；　for　the　satisfaction　of　the　citizens；　to　carry　them　to　a　camp　betwixt　the　Marne　and　the　Seine；　where　they　might　be　as　safe　as　at　Paris。　　The　motion　was　agreed　to　without　consulting　the　Parliament；　and；　accordingly；　on　the　4th　of　March；　the　troops　marched　out　and　the　deputies　of　Parliament　went　to　Ruel。
  The　Court　party　flattered　themselves　that；　upon　the　marching　of　the　militia　out　of　Paris；　the　citizens；　being　left　to　themselves；　would　become　more　tractable；　and　the　President　de　Mesmes　made　his　boast　of　what　he　said　to　the　generals；　to　persuade　them　to　encamp　their　army。　But　Senneterre；　one　of　the　ablest　men　at　Court；　soon　penetrated　our　designs　and　undeceived　the　Court。　　He　told　the　First　President　and　De　Mesmes　that　they　were　beguiled　and　that　they　would　see　it　in　a　little　time。　　The　First　President；　who　could　never　see　two　different　things　at　one　view；　was　so　overjoyed　when　he　heard　the　forces　had　gone　out　of　Paris　that　he　cried　out：
  〃Now　the　Coadjutor　will　have　no　more　mercenary　brawlers　at　the　Parliament　House。〃
  〃Nor；〃　said　the　President　de　Mesmes；　〃so　many　cutthroats。〃
  Senneterre；　like　a　wise　man；　said　to　them　both：
  〃It　is　not　the　Coadjutor's　interest　to　murder　you；　but　to　bring　you　under。　　The　people　would　serve　his　turn　for　the　first　if　he　aimed　at　it；　and　the　army　is　admirably　well　encamped　for　the　latter。　　If　he　is　not　a　more　honest　man　than　he　is　looked　upon　to　be　here；　we　are　likely　to　have　a　tedious　civil　war。〃
  The　Cardinal　confessed　that　Senneterre　was　in　the　right；　for；　on　the　one　hand；　the　Prince　de　Conde　perceived　that　our　army；　being　so　advantageously　posted　as　not　to　be　attacked；　would　be　capable　of　giving　him　more　trouble　than　if　they　were　still　within　the　walls　of　the　city；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　we　began　to　talk　with　more　courage　in　Parliament　than　usual。
  The　afternoon　of　the　4th　of　March　gave　us　a　just　occasion　to　show　it。　The　deputies　arriving　at　Ruel　understood　that　Cardinal　Mazarin　was　one　of　the　commissioners　named　by　the　Queen　to　assist　at　the　conference。　The　Parliamentary　deputies　pretended　that　they　could　not　confer　with　a　person　actually　condemned　by　Parliament。　　M。　de　Tellier　told　them　in　the　name　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans　that　the　Queen　thought　it　strange　that　they　were　not　contented　to　treat　upon　an　equality　with　their　sovereign；　but　that　they　should　presume　to　limit　his　authority　by　excluding　his　deputies。　　The　First　President　and　the　Court　seeming　to　be　immovable；　we　sent　orders　to　our　deputies　not　to　comply；　and　to　communicate；　as　a　great　secret；　to　President　de　Mesmes　and　M。　Menardeau；　both　creatures　of　the　Court；　the　following　postscript　of　a　letter　I　wrote　to　Longueville：
  〃P。S。We　have　concerted　our　measures；　and　are　now　capable　to　speak　　　　　　more　to　the　purpose　than　we　have　been　hitherto；　and　since　I　finished　　　　　　this　letter　I　have　received　a　piece　of　news　which　obliges　me　to　tell　　　　　　you　that　if　the　Parliament　do　not　behave　very　prudently；　they　will　　　　　　certainly　be　ruined。〃
  Upon　this　the　deputies　were　resolved　to　insist　upon　excluding　the　Cardinal　from　the　conference；　a　determination　which　was　so　odious　to　the　people　that；　had　we　permitted　it；　we　should　certainly　have　lost　all　our　credit　with　them；　and　been　obliged　to　shut　the　gates　against　our　deputies　upon　their　return。
  When　the　Court　saw　that　the　deputies　desired　a　convoy　to　conduct　them　home；　they　found　out　an　expedient；　which　was　received　with　great　joy；　namely；　to　appoint　two　deputies　on　the　part　of　the　Parliament；　and　two　on　the　part　of　the　King；　to　confer　at　the　house　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　exclusive　of　the　Cardinal；　who　was　thereupon　obliged　to　return　to　Saint　Germain　with　mortification。
  On　the　5th　of　March；　Don　Francisco　Pisarro；　a　second　envoy　from　the　Archduke；　arrived　in　Paris；　with　his　and　Count　Fuensaldagne's　answer　to　our　former　despatches　by　Don　Jose　d'Illescas；　and　full　powers　for　a　treaty；　instructions　for　M。　de　Bouillon；　an　obliging　letter　from　the　Archduke　to　the　Prince　de　Conti；　and　another　to　myself；　from　Count　Fuensaldagne；　importing　that　the　King；　his　master；　would　not　take　my　word；　but　would　depend　upon　whatever　I　promised　Madame　de　Bouillon。
  The　Prince　de　Conti　and　Madame　de　Longueville；　prompted　by　M。　de　La　Rochefoucault；　were　for　an　alliance　with　Spain；　in　a　manner　without　restriction。　　M。　d'Elbeuf　aimed　at　nothing　but　getting　money。　　M。　de　Beaufort；　at　the　persuasion　of　Madame　de　Montbazon；　who　was　resolved　to　sell　him　dear　to　the　Spaniards；　was　very　scrupulous　to　enter　into　a　treaty　with　the　enemies　of　the　State；　Marechal　de　La　Mothe　declared　he　could　not　come　to　any　resolution　till　he　saw　M。　de　Longueville；　and　Madame　de　Longueville　questioned　whether　her　husband　would　come　into　it；　and　yet　these　very　persons　but　a　fortnight　before　unanimously　wrote　to　the　Archduke　for　full　powers　to　treat　with　him。
  M。　de　Bouillon　told　them　that　he　thought　they　were　absolutely　obliged　to　treat　with　Spain；　considering　the　advances　they　had　already　made　to　the　Archduke　to　that　end；　and　desired　them　to　recollect　how　they　had　told　his　envoy　that　they　waited　only　for　these　full　powers　and　instructions　to　treat　with　him；　that　the　Archduke　had　now　sent　his　full　powers　in　the　most　obliging　manner；　and　that；　moreover；　he　had　already　gone　out　of　Brussels；　to　lead　his　army　himself　to　their　assistance；　without　staying　for　their　engagement。　　He　begged　them　to　consider　that　if　they　took　the　least　step　backwards；　after　such　advances；　it　might　provoke　Spain　to　take　such　measures　as　would　be　both　contrary　to　our　security　and　to　our　honour；　that　the　ill…concerted　proceedings　of　the　Parliament　gave　us　just　grounds　to　fear　being　left　to　shift　for　ourselves；　that　indeed　our　army　was　now　more　useful　than　it　had　been　before；　butyet　not　strong　enough　to　give　us　relief　in　proportion　to　our　necessities；　especially　if　it　were　not；　at　least　in　the　beginning；　supported　by　a　powerful　force；　and　that；　consequently；　a　treaty　was　necessary　to　be　entered　into　and　concluded　with　the　Archduke；　but　not　upon　any　mean　conditions；　that　his　envoys　had　brought　carte　blanche；　but　that　we　ought　to　consider　how　to　fill　it　up；　that　he　promised　us　everything；　but　though　in　treaties　the　strongest　may　safely　promise　to　the　weaker　what　he　thinks　fit；　it　is　certain　he　cannot　perform　everything；　and　therefore　the　weakest　should　be　very　wary。
  The　Duke　added　that　the　Spaniards；　of　all　people；　expected　honourable　usage　at　the　beginning　of　treaties；　and　he　conjured　them　to　leave　the　management　of　the　Spanish　envoys　to　himself　and　the　Coadjutor；　〃who；〃　said　he；　〃has　declared　all　along　that　he　expects　no　advantage　either　from　the　present　troubles　or　from　any　arrangement；　and　is　therefore　altogether　to　be　depended　upon。〃
  This　discourse　was　relished　by　all　the　company；　who　accordingly　engaged　us　to　compare　notes　with　the　envoys　of　Spain；　and　make　our　report　to　the　Prince　de　Conti　and　the　other　generals。
  M。　de　Bouillon　assured　me　that　the　Spaniards　would　not　enter　upon　French　ground　till　we　engaged　ourselves　not　to　lay　down　our　arms　except　in　conjunction　with　them；　that　is；　in　a　treaty　for　a　general　peace；　but　our　difficulty　was　how　to　enter　into　an　engagement　of　that　nature　at　a　time　when　we　could　not　be　sure　but　that　the　Parliament　might　conclude　a　particular　peace　the　next　moment。　　In　the　meantime　a　courier　came　in　from　M。　de　Turenne；　crying；　〃Good　news！〃　as　he　entered　into　the　court。　　He　brought　letters　for　Madame　and　Mademoiselle　de　Bouillon　and　myself；　by　which　we　were　assured　that　M。　de　Turenn