Queen, acquainting him at the same time, that had
her Swedish Majesty been informed of the Queen’s
pregnancy, she would undoubtedly have ordered him
to signify to the King her extreme satisfaction at
such important news; that he knew the Queen and all
the Swedes passionately desired that the posterity
of St. Lewis, of Henry the Great, and Lewis the Just,
might long govern France; and that under them the kingdom
might flourish in piety, increase in power, and be
established in justice. The King received these
good wishes with much satisfaction, and desired Grotius
to acquaint her Swedish Majesty that the Queen was
certainly with child. He farther assured him
that the Count de Guebriant was already on his march
to join the Duke of Weymar, and he was going to give
orders for sending an additional reinforcement, and
seconding that Prince’s efforts. He desired
him to press her Swedish Majesty to send numerous
recruits to her armies: adding, that he hoped
the Venetians would do nothing derogatory to the dignity
of the crown of Sweden; that he would attend to that
point himself; and would nominate Chavigny to confer
with him in relation to the truce. Grotius also
set forth on this occasion what pains the High Chancellor
had taken for the advancement of the common cause;
and the King did justice to the merit of that great
Minister. The Queen’s pregnancy being declared
at court, Grotius’s lady went to make her compliments:
on the 8th of May, 1638[330], he himself waited on
her Majesty for the same end: he had demanded
an audience for this purpose as soon as it was publicly
known that she was with child. He told the Queen,
that, being eager to express his joy, he could not
think of waiting for orders from his court, to make
his compliment; that well knowing the sentiments of
the Queen his mistress he could affirm, with great
certainty, that her Majesty and all her subjects were
filled with the highest joy; that he had lately met
with a Greek inscription in honour of a Queen, containing
a very short but very emphatical encomium: it
was said of this Princess, that she was the daughter,
sister, wife, and mother of a King, yet without any
pride in so high elevation: that this modesty
was the more to be admired in the Queen of France,
as she was much above the Grecian Queen, and even
all other Queens, since she was the consort of a King,
whose provinces and even towns were equivalent to
kingdoms; that she had a King for her father, and was
descended from Kings and Emperors who conquered and
long possessed kingdoms in the four parts of the world;
in fine, that she was sister of a most powerful King;
that only one thing was wanting to her happiness,
to be mother not of a King, since France and all the
friends of France wished that the King might attain
to the most advanced age, but of a Prince capable
of ruling over a great nation; that God had at length
granted her this felicity, and rendered her fruitful
when it was no longer expected, as happened formerly