ithout subjects, and reduced to seek shelter among strangers:
he shewed that his house was ever closely attached to France; that it
defended with all its forces the rights of Henry the Great to the Crown
when unjustly disputed; that the Austrians were always declared enemies
of this house, and now kept the second Prince of it in prison; that the
Courts of Vienna and Madrid ardently desired the continuation of the
Elector's captivity; that this Prince deserved the better treatment in
France, as during his minority he was ever an ally of the Crown of
Sweden, and those, who managed his affairs in his youth, conformed with
the greatest zeal and fidelity to all the desires of the King's
Ministers, and contributed much to the success of their demands in the
diets of Hailbron, Francfort, and Worms; that his Majesty, by setting
the Prince at liberty, would not only do a great pleasure to Germany,
but her Swedish Majesty would consider it as a high obligation, and take
every opportunity to express her gratitude. The King seemed to be
affected with this discourse. He said, Grotius was not ignorant of his
reasons for arresting the Elector Palatine; that the good of the common
cause induced him to do it; that he had always had the restoration of
the Palatine house much at heart, and caused it to be mentioned to the
King of England, whom this affair regarded more, and had made several
proposals on the subject to the Earl of Leicester. Grotius replied, that
it did not become him to enter into a dispute concerning the reasons
which determined so great a King to act as he had done; but if, without
breach of the respect due to his Majesty, he might be permitted to speak
his sentiments, he thought the best measure that could be taken was to
forget what was passed, and attend only to the advantage of the common
cause; adding, that some allowance must be made for the Prince's youth,
and it ought to be considered, that the bad situation of his affairs did
not permit him to engage in his service such as were most capable of
giving him good advice. The King said, he had heard what the Ambassador
represented, and that he was going to read the Queen of Sweden's
letters. The audience concluded with the Swedish Ambassador's instances,
that the King would remember clemency and goodness. Grotius acquainted
the Queen of Sweden with all these particulars, in a letter dated the 3d
of March, 1640[386].

As soon as it was known in France, that Grotius ha