trary to the interest of
Sweden and of the High Chancellor, to whom he owed every thing; and that
if his Eminence would put it in his power to do some service to France,
he would much more chearfully refute these calumnies by his actions,
than by his words. The Cardinal resumed an air of serenity, said several
obliging things, and assured him that for the future he would behave to
him with more openness. He reconducted him a pretty way, politely
excusing himself that he did not go farther lest he should be oppressed
by the croud that wanted to speak to him.

[266]The Duke of Parma arriving about this time at Paris to negotiate
with the Court of France, great difficulties arose with regard to the
ceremonial. The Pope's Nuncios, Mazarin, and Bolognetti, and the other
Ambassadors, would not visit him because they could not agree about the
manner in which he should receive them: the English and Swedish
Ambassadors did not even send their Coaches to meet him, because they
knew that those of the Nuncios would take the precedence. The Duke of
Weymar came to Paris in spring 1636. Grotius[267], who was extremely
circumspect, was in doubt whether he should pay him the first visit: and
before he determined, he wanted to see what the English Ambassador would
do. The Duke sent him his compliments, and the Ambassadors coming to an
agreement to wait first on that Prince[268], Grotius went to see him,
and was extremely well received: the Duke returned his visit. As it was
through the mediation of the Count d'Avaux that the truce of twenty-six
years between Sweden and Poland was concluded, Queen Christina[269]
ordered her Ambassador to return her thanks to the King of France.
Grotius obtained an audience, April 17, 1636, at Chantilly, and gave an
account of what passed at it in a letter to her Majesty, dated April
24[270]. Having presented to the King the Queen of Sweden's letter, his
Majesty assured him, that he interested himself most sincerely in her
Majesty's health and prosperity; that she might depend upon the
constancy of these his sentiments; that he had had the conclusion of the
war between Sweden and Poland the more at heart, as he hoped her Swedish
Majesty, having no longer any differences with the Poles, would give all
her attention to the affairs of Germany; that he already saw with
pleasure his hopes had not been without foundation: that he would write
to his Ministers to know how the payment of the subsidies stood; that he