Page:Secret History of the French Court under Richelieu and Mazarin.djvu/54

40 course of all would be to suffer her to quit France. "This spirit is so dangerous, that, being abroad, she may bring affairs into new disorder which it is impossible to foresee. It is she, who, having absolute disposal of the Duke of Lorraine, has persuaded him to give an asylum in his territory to Monsieur, the Duke of Orleans; and it is also she who has urged on England to war; if she is thrust from the kingdom, she will hinder the Duke of Lorraine from coming to terms; she will incite the English towards the point to which she wishes to carry them; she will agitate new schemes in favor of the Chevalier de Jars and Châteauneuf; she will stir up a thousand troubles within and without;" and the cardinal concluded to retain her in France.

For this there were two courses open, violence and gentleness. The cardinal showed many objections to violence, which would certainly be followed by importunate solicitations on the part of all the family of Madame de Chevreuse, together with all the powers of Europe, which it would be difficult long to resist. He proposed, therefore, to win her over by kindness, and to treat her as they had treated the queen, but on condition that she should be as frank as Anne had been, and should answer all the questions that might be addressed to her; but, knowing Madame de Chevreuse, he must have foreseen that she would make no confession, and he forgets to tell us what he should then have done. They had pardoned the humbled and repentant queen, but what course would they have pursued with the proud and artful duchess, persisting in an absolute denial? Satisfied with having separated her from Anne of Austria, would Richelieu have left her free and tranquil in Touraine? Is he really sincere when he affirms it, or is the old charm still acting, and is this iron heart, this inexorable soul, which beauty, however, more than once found impressible, unable to shield itself from a