“Where is he?” he inquired hurriedly of one of his confederates.

“Yonder,” was the reply; “he has stopped at the foot of the bridge to read a letter.”

De Vitry sprang towards his prey; and as Concini, absorbed in his occupation, still read on, he felt the grasp of a strong hand upon his arm, and on looking up he saw the Captain of the Guard standing at his side.  Before he had time to inquire the meaning of this affront, De Vitry had already uttered the ominous words, “I arrest you in the King’s name.”

“Arrest me!” exclaimed the Marechal, with astonishment, as he clutched the hilt of his sword.

“Yes, you,” replied De Vitry haughtily; and while he spoke he made a signal, which was instantly responded to by the simultaneous report of three pistol-shots.  As the sounds ceased Concini dropped upon his knees, and fell against the parapet of the bridge.  Several weapons were then thrust into his body; and finally De Vitry, with wanton and revolting cruelty, gave him so violent a kick that he extended his body at full length upon the pavement, where it was immediately pilfered of every article of value; among other things, diamonds of great price and notes of hand to a large amount were abstracted from the pockets of his vest.[281]

A few of his followers endeavoured to interpose; but in a second or two all was over, and they were warned by the bystanders instantly to sheathe their swords, and to beware of opposing the orders of the King.  They had scarcely had time to obey this bidding when Louis presented himself at the window of a closet adjoining the guard-room, to which, from its height, he was obliged to be lifted by M. d’Ornano;[282] there, by the advice of those about him, the young King appeared with a smile upon his face; and as the members of the cabal raised a cry of “Vive le Roi!” he shouted to his Captain of the Guard, “I thank you, Vitry; now I am really a King.”  Then showing himself, sword in hand, successively at each window of the guard-room, he cried out to the soldiers who were posted beneath, “To arms, comrades, to arms!”

Meanwhile De Vitry, by the direction of De Luynes, proceeded to the hall occupied by the bodyguard of the Queen-mother, and demanded their weapons, which they refused to deliver up without an express order to that effect from their own officers; upon which the latter were commanded in the name of the King to withdraw their men, and to remain in the antechamber of their mistress.  The royal guards then took possession of all the approaches to the Louvre; and horsemen were despatched with instructions to traverse the streets of the capital, and to apprise the citizens of the death of Concini.  A dense crowd soon collected in the court of the Louvre, and cries of “Vive le Roi!” resounded on all sides.

A murder had been committed, and the ovation was one which would only have befitted a victory.  Louis XIII had proclaimed himself a King, and the hand with which he grasped his sceptre was steeped in blood.  Louis “the Just”—­we append to his baptismal appellation that which was gravely conferred upon him on this occasion by both clergy and laity—­stood an undisguised assassin and a moral matricide before the people who were about to be subjected to his rule.[283]