well-timed tempest—Diplomacy of Madame de
Verneuil—Her reception at Lyons—War
in Savoy—Marie de Medicis lands at Marseilles—Madame
de Verneuil returns to Paris—The Duc de
Bellegarde is proxy for the King at Florence—He
escorts the new Queen to France—Portrait
of Marie de Medicis—Her state-galley—Her
voyage—Her reception—Henry reaches
Lyons—The royal interview—Public
rejoicings—The royal marriage—Henry
returns to Paris—The Queen’s jealousy
is awakened—Profligate habits of the King—Marie’s
Italian attendants embitter her mind against her husband—Marie
reaches Paris—She holds a court—Presentation
of Madame de Verneuil to the Queen—Indignation
of Marie—Disgrace of the Duchesse de Nemours—Self-possession
of Madame de Verneuil—Marie takes possession
of the Louvre—She adopts the French costume—Splendour
of the Court—Festival given by Sully—A
practical joke—Court festivities—Excessive
gambling—Royal play debts—The
Queen’s favourite—A petticoat intrigue—Leonora
Galigai appointed Mistress of the Robes—Reconciliation
between the Queen and Madame de Verneuil—The
King gives the Marquise a suite of apartments in the
Louvre—Her rivalry of the Queen—Indignation
of Marie—Domestic dissensions—The
Queen and the favourite are again at war—Madame
de Verneuil effects the marriage of Concini and Leonora—Gratitude
of the Queen—Birth of the Dauphin—Joy
of the King—Public rejoicings—Birth
of Anne of Austria—Superstitions of the
period—Belief in astrology—A
royal anecdote—Horoscope of the Dauphin—The
sovereign and the surgeon—Birth of Gaston
Henri, son of Madame de Verneuil—Public
entry of the Dauphin into Paris—Exultation
of Marie de Medicis.
CHAPTER III
1602
Court festivities—The Queen’s ballet—A
gallant prelate—A poetical almoner—Insolence
of the royal favourite—Unhappiness of the
Queen—Weakness of Henry—Intrigue
of Madame de Villars—The King quarrels
with the favourite—They are reconciled—Madame
de Villars is exiled, and the Prince de Joinville
sent to join the army in Hungary—Mortification
of the Queen—Her want of judgment—New
dissension in the royal menage—Sully endeavours
to restore peace—Mademoiselle de Sourdis—The
Court removes to Blois—Royal rupture—A
bewildered minister—Marie and her foster-sister—Conspiracy
of the Ducs de Bouillon and de Biron—Parallel
between the two nobles—The Comte d’Auvergne—Ingratitude
of Biron—He is betrayed—His
arrogance—He is summoned to the capital
to justify himself—He refuses to obey the
royal summons—Henry sends a messenger to
command his presence at Court—Precautionary
measures of Sully—The President Jeannin
prevails over the obstinacy of Biron—Double
treachery of La Fin—The King endeavours
to induce Biron to confess his crime—Arrest
of the Duc de Biron and the Comte d’Auvergne—The
royal soiree—A timely caution—Biron
is made prisoner by Vitry, and the Comte d’Auvergne