the gates of Paris.  Henry wore a cloak and the order of the Holy Ghost, and was surrounded by his council, the princes of the blood, and by more than four hundred of the chief gentlemen of his army.  After passing the barricade, the deputies were received by old Marshal Biron, and conducted by him to the king’s chamber of state.  When they had made their salutations, the king led the way to an inner cabinet, but his progress was much impeded by the crowding of the nobles about him.  Wishing to excuse this apparent rudeness, he said to the envoys:  “Gentlemen, these men thrust me on as fast to the battle against the foreigner as they now do to my cabinet.  Therefore bear with them.”  Then turning to the crowd, he said:  “Room, gentlemen, for the love of me,” upon which they all retired.

The deputies then stated that they had been sent by the authorities of Paris to consult as to the means of obtaining a general peace in France.  They expressed the hope that the king’s disposition was favourable to this end, and that he would likewise permit them to confer with the Duke of Mayenne.  This manner of addressing him excited his choler.  He told Cardinal Gondy, who was spokesman of the deputation, that he had long since answered such propositions.  He alone could deal with his subjects.  He was like the woman before Solomon; he would have all the child or none of it.  Rather than dismember his kingdom he would lose the whole.  He asked them what they considered him to be.  They answered that they knew his rights, but that the Parisians had different opinions.  If Paris would only acknowledge him to be king there could be no more question of war.  He asked them if they desired the King of Spain or the Duke of Mayenne for their king, and bade them look well to themselves.  The King of Spain could not help them, for he had too much business on hand; while Mayenne had neither means nor courage, having been within three leagues of them for three weeks doing nothing.  Neither king nor duke should have that which belonged to him, of that they might be assured.  He told them he loved Paris as his capital, as his eldest daughter.  If the Parisians wished to see the end of their miseries it was to him they should appeal, not to the Spaniard nor to the Duke of Mayenne.  By the grace of God and the swords of his brave gentlemen he would prevent the King of Spain from making a colony of France as he had done of Brazil.  He told the commissioners that they ought to die of shame that they, born Frenchmen, should have so forgotten their love of country and of liberty as thus to bow the head to the Spaniard, and—­while famine was carrying off thousands of their countrymen before their eyes—­to be so cowardly as not to utter one word for the public welfare from fear of offending Cardinal.  Gaetano, Mendoza, and Moreo.  He said that he longed for a combat to decide the issue, and that he had charged Count de Brissac to tell Mayenne that he would give a finger