ld　not　tie　us　up　to　conclude　anything　positively　in　relation　to　the　general　peace；　〃yet　this；〃　said　he；　〃would　be　a　sufficient　motive　to　cause　them　to　advance　with　their　army；　and　that　of　my　brother　will　come　up　at　the　same　time；　which　will　astonish　the　Court　and　incline　them　to　an　arrangement。　And　forasmuch　as　in　our　treaty　with　Spain　we　leave　a　back　door　open　by　the　clause　which　relates　to　the　Parliament；　we　shall　be　sure　to　make　good　use　of　it　for　the　advantage　of　the　public　and　of　ourselves　in　case　of　the　Court's　noncompliance。〃
  These　considerations；　though　profoundly　wise；　did　not　convince　me；　because　I　thought　his　inference　was　not　well…grounded。　　I　saw　he　might　well　enough　engage　the　attention　of　the　envoys；　but　I　could　not　imagine　how　he　could　beguile　the　Parliament；　who　were　actually　treating　with　the　Court　by　their　deputies　sent　to　Ruel；　and　who　would　certainly　run　madly　into　a　peace；　notwithstanding　all　their　late　performances。　　I　foresaw　that　without　a　public　declaration　to　restrain　the　Parliament　from　going　their　own　lengths　we　should　fall　again；　if　one　of　our　strings　chanced　to　break；　into　the　necessity　of　courting　the　assistance　of　the　people；　which　I　looked　upon　as　the　most　dangerous　proceeding　of　all。
  M。　de　Bouillon　asked　me　what　I　meant　by　saying；　〃if　one　of　our　strings　chanced　to　break。〃　　I　replied；　〃For　example；　if　M。　de　Turenne　should　be　dead　at　this　juncture；　or　if　his　army　has　revolted；　as　it　was　likely　to　do　under　the　influence　of　M。　d'Erlach；　pray　what　would　become　of　us　if　we　should　not　engage　the　Parliament？　　We　should　be　tribunes　of　the　people　one　day；　and　the　next　valets　de　chambre　to　Count　Fuensaldagne。　Everything　with　the　Parliament　and　nothing　without　them　is　the　burden　of　my　song。〃
  After　several　hours'　dispute　neither　of　us　was　convinced；　and　I　went　away　very　much　perplexed；　the　rather　because　M。　de　Bouillon；　being　the　great　confidant　of　the　Spaniards；　I　doubted　not　but　he　could　make　their　envoys　believe　what　he　pleased。
  I　was　still　more　puzzled　when　I　came　home　and　found　a　letter　from　Madame　de　Lesdiguieres；　offering　me　extraordinary　advantages　in　the　Queen's　name　the　payment　of　my　debts；　the　grant　of　certain　abbeys；　and　a　nomination　to　the　dignity　of　cardinal。　　Another　note　I　found　with　these　words：　〃The　declaration　of　the　army　of　Germany　has　put　us　all　into　consternation。〃　I　concluded　they　would　not　fail　to　try　experiments　with　others　as　well　as　myself；　and　since　M。　de　Bouillon　began　to　think　of　a　back　door　when　all　things　smiled　upon　us；　I　guessed　the　rest　of　our　party　would　not　neglect　to　enter　the　great　door　now　flung　open　to　receive　them　by　the　declaration　of　M。　de　Turenne。　　That　which　afflicted　me　most　of　all　was　to　see　that　M。　de　Bouillon　was　not　a　man　of　that　judgment　and　penetration　I　took　him　for　in　this　critical　and　decisive　juncture；　when　the　question　was　the　engaging　or　not　engaging　the　Parliament。　　He　had　urged　me　more　than　twenty　times　to　do　what　I　now　offered；　and　the　reason　why　I　now　urged　what　I　before　rejected　was　the　declaration　of　M。　de　Turenne；　his　own　brother；　which　should　have　made　him　bolder　than　I；　but；　instead　of　this；　it　slackened　his　courage；　and　he　flattered　himself　that　Cardinal　Mazarin　would　let　him　have　Sedan。　　This　was　the　centre　of　all　his　views；　and　he　preferred　these　petty　advantages　to　what　he　might　have　gained　by　procuring　peace　to　Europe。　　This　false　step　made　me　pass　this　judgment　upon　the　Duke：　that；　though　he　was　a　person　of　very　great　parts；　yet　I　questioned　his　capacity　for　the　mighty　things　which　he　has　not　done；　and　of　which　some　men　thought　him　very　capable。　　It　is　the　greatest　remissness　on　the　part　of　a　great　man　to　neglect　the　moment　that　is　to　make　his　reputation；　and　this　negligence；　indeed；　scarcely　ever　happens　but　when　a　man　expects　another　moment　as　favourable　to　make　his　fortune；　and　so　people　are　commonly　deceived　both　ways。
  The　Duke　was　more　nice　than　wise　at　this　juncture；　which　is　very　often　the　case。　　I　found　afterwards　that　the　Prince　de　Conti　was　of　his　opinion；　and　I　guessed；　by　some　circumstances；　that　he　was　engaged　in　some　private　negotiation。　　M。　d'Elbeuf　was　as　meek　as　a　lamb；　and　seemed；　as　far　as　he　dared；　to　improve　what　had　been　advanced　already　by　M。　de　Bouillon。　　A　servant　of　his　told　me　also　that　he　believed　his　master　had　made　his　peace　with　the　Court。　　M。　de　Beaufort　showed　by　his　behaviour　that　Madame　de　Montbazon　had　done　what　she　could　to　cool　his　courage；　but　his　irresolution　did　not　embarrass　me　very　much；　because　I　knew　I　had　her　in　my　power；　and　his　vote；　added　to　that　of　MM。　de　Brissac；　de　La　Mothe；　de　Noirmoutier　and　de　Bellievre；　who　all　fell　in　with　my　sentiments；　would　have　turned　the　balance　on　my　side　if　the　regard　for　M。　de　Turenne；　who　was　now　the　life　and　soul　of　the　party；　and　the　Spaniards'　confidence　in　M。　de　Bouillon；　had　not　obliged　me　to　make　a　virtue　of　necessity。
  I　found　both　the　Archduke's　envoys　quite　of　an　other　mind；　indeed；　they　were　still　desirous　of　an　agreement　for　a　general　peace；　but　they　would　have　it　after　the　manner　of　M。　de　Bouillon；　at　two　separate　times；　which　he　had　made　them　believe　would　be　more　for　their　advantage；　because　thereby　we　should　bring　the　Parliament　into　it。　　I　saw　who　was　at　the　bottom　of　it；　and；　considering　the　orders　they　had　to　follow　his　advice　in　everything；　all　I　could　allege　to　the　contrary　would　be　of　no　use。　　I　laid　the　state　of　affairs　before　the　President　de　Bellievre；　who　was　of　my　opinion；　and　considered　that　a　contrary　course　would　infallibly　prove　our　ruin；　thinking；　nevertheless；　that　compliance　would　be　highly　convenient　at　this　time；　because　we　depended　absolutely　on　the　Spaniards　and　on　M。　de　Turenne；　who　had　hitherto　made　no　proposals　but　such　as　were　dictated　by　M。　de　Bouillon。
  When　I　found　that　all　M。　de　Bellievre　and　I　said　could　not　persuade　M。　de　Bouillon；　I　feigned　to　come　round　to　his　opinion；　and　to　submit　to　the　authority　of　the　Prince　de　Conti；　our　Generalissimo。　　We　agreed　to　treat　with　the　Archduke　upon　the　plan　of　M。　de　Bouillon；　that　is；　that　he　should　advance　his　army　as　far　as　Pont…A…Verre；　and　further；　if　the　generals　desired　it；　who；　on　their　part；　would　omit　nothing　to　oblige　the　Parliament　to　enter　into　this　treaty；　or　rather；　to　make　a　new　one　for　a　general　peace；　that　is　to　say；　to　oblige　the　King　to　treat　upon　reasonable　conditions；　the　particulars　whereof　his　Catholic　Majesty　would　refer　to　the　arbitration　of　the　Parliament。　　M。　de　Bouillon　engaged　to　have　this　treaty　'in　totidem　verbis'　signed　by　the　Spanish　ministers；　and　did　not　so　much　as　ask　me　whether　I　would　sign　it　or　no。　　All　the　company　rejoiced　at　having　the　Spaniards'　assistance　upon　such　easy　terms；　and　at　being　at　full　liberty　to　receive　the　propositions　of　the　Court；　which　now；　upon　the　declaration　of　M。　de　Turenne；　could　not　fail　to　be　very　advantageous。
  The　treaty　was　accordingly　signed　in　the　Prince　de　Conti's　room　at　the　Hotel　de　Ville；　but　I　forbore　to　set　my　hand　to　it；　though　solicited　by　M。　de　Bouillon；　unless　they　would　come　to　some　final　resolution；　yet　I　gave　them　my　word　that；　if　the　Parliament　would　be　contented；　I　had　such　expedients　in　my　power　as　would　give　them　all　the　time　necessary　to　withdraw　their　troops。　　I　had　two　reasons　for　what　I　said：　first；　I　knew　Fuensaldagne　to　be　a　wise　man；　that　he　would　be　of　a　different　opinion　from　his　envoys；　and　that　he　would　never　venture　his　army　into　the　heart　of　the　kingdom　with　so　little　assurance　from　the　generals　and　none　at　all　from　me；　secondly；　because　I　was　willing　to　show　to　our　generals　that　I　would　not；　as　far　as　it　lay　in　my　power；　suffer　the　Spaniards　to　be　treacherously　surprised　or　insulted　in　case　of　an　arrangement　between　the　Court　and　the　Parliament；　though　I　had　protested　twenty　times　in　the　same　conference　that　I　would　not　separate　myself　from　the　Parliament。
  M。　d'Elbeuf　said；　〃You　cannot　find　the　expedients　you　talk　of　but　in　having　recourse　to　the　people。〃
  〃M。　de　Bouillon　will　answer　for　me；〃　said　I；　〃that　it　is　not　there　that　I　am　to　find　my　expedients。〃
  M。　de　Bouillon；　being　desirous　that　I　should　sign；　said；　〃I　know　that　it　is　not　your　intent；　but　I　am　fully　persuaded　that　you　mean　well；　that　you　do　not　act　as　you　would　propose；　and　that　we　retain　more　respect　for　the　Parliament　by　signing　than　you　do　by　refusing　to　sign；　for；　〃speaking　very　low；　that　he　might　not　be　heard　by　the　Spanish　ministers；　〃we　keep　a　back　door　open　to　get　off　handsomely　with　the　Parliament。〃
  〃They　will　open　that　door；〃　said　I；　〃when　you　could　wish　it　shut；　as　is　but　too　apparent　already；　and　you　will　be　glad　to　shut　it　when　you　cannot；　the　Parliament　is　not　a　body　to　be　jested　with。〃
  After　the　signing　of　the　treaty；　I　was　told　that　the　envoys　had　given　2；000　pistoles　to　Madame　de　Montbazon　and　as　much　to　M。　d'Elbeuf。
  De　Bellievre；　who　waited　for　me　at　home；　whither　I　returned　full　of　vexation；　used　an　expression　which　has　been　since　verified　by　the　event：　〃We　failed；　this　day；〃　said　he；　〃to　induce　the　Parliament；　which　if　we　had　done；　all　had　been　safe　and　right。　　Pray　God　that　everything　goes　well；　for　if　but　one　of　our　strings　fails　us　we　are　undone。〃
  As　for　the　conferences　for　a　peace　with　the　Court　at　Ruel；　it　was　proposed　on　the　Queen's　part　that　the　Parl