The Court being satisfied[388], Chavigny went on the 13th of March, 1640, at night, to Vincennes, and brought the Prince to the Earl of Leicester’s house; where he staid incognito till the Hotel of the Ambassadors Extraordinary, then occupied by Prince Casimir, should be empty.  In this manner the Prince recovered his liberty[389], which he owed to the powerful solicitation of the Queen of Sweden, and the good-offices of her Minister.  Grotius informed the Queen, that the Prince was come out of Vincennes, by a letter of the 7th of April, 1640[390].  He went to pay his compliments to his Highness, and gave him all the honours due to an Elector, though he was not treated as such by the French, because they were in negotiation with the Duke of Bavaria, who was invested with the title of Elector, which the Palatine house enjoyed before the troubles in Bohemia.  But Sweden had still continued to regard the Prince as if he had been in possession of his electorate.  Grotius held a correspondence with him before this event:  we have a letter of that Ambassador, written on the 16th of November, 1638, to the Elector Palatine, in which he allures him, that he had spoken to the Most Christian King and his Ministers, and to the English Ambassador, for the restoration of the Palatine house; and that he had also written about it to the Queen of Sweden and the Grandees of the kingdom.

The Elector came to make Grotius a visit[391], and begged he would recommend him to the favour of the Queen of Sweden.  Grotius demanded an audience of the King, to thank him for the regard he had shewn to the Queen his Mistress’s recommendation.

The Prince made his court so well to the King, and so managed the French Ministry, that he at last got the title of Elector.  He was extremely well received at Court:  but grew weary, however, of France, and was desirous of obtaining full and entire liberty by the Queen of Sweden’s credit.  He spoke of it to Grotius; who promised him his good-offices.  The uneasiness, which the protracting of this negotiation gave the Prince, threw him into an ague.  At length, after much ado, he obtained full liberty.  July 25, 1640, the King gave him permission to go where he pleased, after giving assurances, that he would adhere to the writing signed at Vincennes, by which he engaged to do nothing against the interest of France.  He came to acquaint Grotius with this agreeable news; adding, that he was resolved to go to Holland, and continue there till the troubles in Scotland were ended.  It was not then foreseen that they would last so long, and still less that they would bring the King to the block.

FOOTNOTES: 

[372] Ep. 1876. p. 578.

[373] Hist. de l’Acad. p. 162.

[374] Ep.  Grot. 1629. p. 575.

[375] Ep. 1250. p. 576.

[376] Ep. 1271. p. 576.

[377] Puffendorf, l. 11. sec. 60.

[378] Ep. 1283. p. 581.