as to renew all the
slumbering apprehensions of the unfortunate Queen.

It was soon evident, however, that M. de Conde was by no means prepared
to lend-himself to the licentious views of the King, and he maintained
so strict a guard over his beautiful young wife that neither sarcasm nor
reproach could induce him to relax his vigilance. This opposition only
served to aggravate the unhappy passion of the monarch, while the
indignation of the Prince and the anger of the Queen were, although from
a different motive, similarly excited; and in the month of July, during
the festivities which took place on the marriage of the Duc de Vendome
with Mademoiselle de Mercoeur, the advances of the monarch to the wife
of his nephew became so undisguised that the latter openly resented so
great an insult to his honour; a crime for which he was immediately
punished by the revocation of all the grants made to him on the occasion
of his marriage, and he was thus reduced to comparative poverty.[402]
This extreme and wanton severity produced a diametrically opposite
effect to that which had been anticipated by the King, the Prince
instantly feeling that he had been wronged as well as insulted; while
the Queen, alarmed by the evident progress of this new and fatal
passion, which must, should it ultimately prove successful, overwhelm
the monarch with disgrace and remorse from the near consanguinity of the
parties, did not fail to urge upon M. de Conde in the most energetic
manner the necessity of preserving alike his own honour and that of the
King by removing his wife from the Court. This advice found support on
all sides, as those who made it a matter of conscience trembled at the
idea of the scandal which must ensue; while others, who merely sought to
annoy the sovereign without any regard for his reputation, still saw
their purpose answered by the proposed departure of the Princess.

Difficult as it was for the Prince to consent to a separation from his
beautiful young bride, the perseverance of Henry soon convinced him that
he had no other alternative, and he accordingly caused her to quit the
capital, and to take up her temporary abode at Saint-Valery; but the
remonstrances of the monarch were so earnest, and he succeeded so
thoroughly in concealing his indignation against M. de Conde personally,
that for a time he flattered himself that he should be enabled to effect
her recall. Upon this point, however, the Prince was firm; and as day