Louis XIII. loved my father; but he could scold him at times.  On two occasions he did so.  The first, as my father has related to me, was on account of the Duc de Bellegarde.  The Duke was in disgrace, and had been exiled.  My father, who was a friend of his, wished to write to him one day, and for want of other leisure, being then much occupied, took the opportunity of the King’s momentary absence to carry out his desire.  Just as he was finishing his letter, the King came in; my father tried to hide the paper, but the eyes of the King were too quick for him.  “What is that paper?” said he.  My father, embarrassed, admitted that it was a few words he had written to M. de Bellegarde.

“Let me see it,” said the King; and he took the paper and read it.  “I don’t find fault with you,” said he, “for writing to your friends, although in disgrace, for I know you will write nothing improper; but what displeases me is, that you should fail in the respect you owe to a duke and peer, in that, because he is exiled, you should omit to address him as Monseigneur;” and then tearing the letter in two, he added, “Write it again after the hunt, and put, Monseigneur, as you ought.”  My father was very glad to be let off so easily.

The other reprimand was upon a more serious subject.  The King was really enamoured of Mademoiselle d’Hautefort.  My father, young and gallant, could not comprehend why he did not gratify his love.  He believed his reserve to arise from timidity, and under this impression proposed one day to the King to be his ambassador and to bring the affair to a satisfactory conclusion.  The King allowed him to speak to the end, and then assumed a severe air.  “It is true,” said he, “that I am enamoured of her, that I feel it, that I seek her, that I speak of her willingly, and think of her still more willingly; it is true also that I act thus in spite of myself, because I am mortal and have this weakness; but the more facility I have as King to gratify myself, the more I ought to be on my guard against sin and scandal.  I pardon you this time, but never address to me a similar discourse again if you wish that I should continue to love you.”  This was a thunderbolt for my father; the scales fell from his eyes; the idea of the King’s timidity in love disappeared before the display of a virtue so pure and so triumphant.

My father’s career was for a long time very successful, but unfortunately he had an enemy who brought it to an end.  This enemy was M. de Chavigny:  he was secretary of state, and had also the war department.  Either from stupidity or malice he had left all the towns in Picardy badly supported; a circumstance the Spaniards knew well how to profit by when they took Corbie in 1636.  My father had an uncle who commanded in one of these towns, La Capelle, and who had several times asked for ammunition and stores without success.  My father spoke upon this subject to Chavigny, to the Cardinal de Richelieu, and to the King, but with