first audience of Louis XIII—­The Cardinals—­Puerility of the Princes—­Reception of the Spanish Ambassador by Madame—­The year of magnificence—­Splendour of the Court of Spain—­Signature of the marriage articles—­Honours shown to M. de Mayenne at Madrid—­The Spanish Princess and her Duenna—­The Duke of Savoy demands the hand of Madame Christine for his son—­Marie desires to unite her to the Prince of Wales—­Death of Prince Henry of England—­Death of the Comte de Soissons—­The Prince de Conti claims the government of Dauphiny—­The Comte d’Auvergne is released from the Bastille, and resigns his government of Auvergne to M. de Conti—­The Prince de Conde organizes a new faction—­The Regent espouses his views—­Alarm of the Guises—­Recall of the Duc de Bellegarde—­He refuses to appear at Court—­The Baron de Luz is restored to favour—­The Guises prepare to revenge his defection from their cause.

The Prince de Conde and the Comte de Soissons having withdrawn from the capital, MM. de Guise and d’Epernon found themselves once more the principal personages of the Court, but their triumph was nevertheless greatly moderated by the jealousy of Concini, who began to apprehend that their ceaseless efforts to gratify the wishes of the Queen, and to flatter her love of splendour and dissipation, might ultimately tend to weaken his own influence; while the ministers, on their side, aware that the negotiations then pending with Spain for the marriage of the King could not be readily concluded without their aid and concurrence, however they might deprecate their return from other causes, also felt the necessity of securing their co-operation, for which purpose it was essential that such measures should be adopted as might render this concession acceptable to the royal malcontents.[131]

While this subject was under consideration, and Lent rapidly approaching, the Queen, who, being still in slight mourning, could not, according to the established etiquette, hold any assemblies in her own apartments, but who was unwilling to forego the customary amusements of the Carnival, desired the Duc de Guise, the Prince de Joinville, and M. de Bassompierre to perform a ballet every Sunday, which they accordingly did, “dividing,” says the latter, “the expense between us.”

The first of these allegorical dances was executed in the apartments of the Princesse de Conti, where a supper was prepared for her Majesty with an exclusiveness uncommon at the time, and which created considerable disappointment in the Court circle.  None but the Princes then resident in the capital, namely MM. de Guise, de Nevers, and de Reims, with a few chosen courtiers, were permitted to attend, while the number of ladies was equally limited.

The second took place in the apartments of the Duchesse de Vendome, upon which occasion the banquet was offered to the Queen by Madame de Mercoeur; the third at the Hotel de Guise, where the Regent was entertained in the private salon of the Duchess; and the fourth and last in the suite of rooms appropriated to Madame de Guercheville in the Louvre.[132]