The affair of Montferrato--Intrigues of Concini with Charles Emmanuel of Savoy--Arrest of Concini’s agent Maignan--Bassompierre warns the Italian favourite of his danger and advises him to throw himself on the clemency of the Queen-Mother--Concini follows his advice and is pardoned and shielded by Marie de’ Medici, while his agent is executed--Bassompierre goes to Rouen, where the d’Entragues’s action against him is to be heard--The Regent recommends his cause to the judges--The d’Entragues object to the constitution of the court, and the case is adjourned--Duplicity of Concini--He intrigues to ruin Bassompierre with the Queen-Mother--Semi-disgrace of Bassompierre--He is reconciled with Marie de’ Medici--He is appointed Colonel-General of the Swiss--The Princes surprise Mézières--Peace of Saint-Menehould--Bassompierre accompanies Louis XIII and the Queen-Mother to the West.....pp. 165-176 CHAPTER XV Bassompierre, during his absence in Lorraine, condemned by the Archbishop of Aix to espouse Mlle. d’Entragues, on pain of excommunication--The archbishop’s decision quashed by the Parlement of Paris--Financial and amatory embarrassments of Bassompierre--Death of his mother--The action which the d’Entragues have brought against him finally decided in his favour--Condé withdraws from Court and issues a manifesto against the Government--Civil war begins--Marriage of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria--Peace of Loudun--Fall of the old Ministers of Henri IV--Concini and the shoemaker--Condé becomes all-powerful--He obliges Concini to retire to Normandy--Arrogance of Condé and his partisans, who are suspected of conspiracy to change the form of government--The Queen-Mother sends for Bassompierre at three o’clock in the morning and informs him that she has decided upon the arrest of the Princes--Preparations for this _coup d’état_--Arrest of Condé--Concini’s house sacked by the mob--The Comte d’Auvergne and the Council of War--Bassompierre conducts Condé from the Louvre to the Bastille.....pp. 177-195 CHAPTER XVI Serious illness of the young King, who, however, recovers--Bassompierre and Mlle. d’Urfé--Gay winter in Paris--Richelieu enters the Ministry as Secretary of State for War--His foreign policy--His energetic measures to put down the rebellion of the Princes--Return of Concini--His arrogance and presumption--Singular conversation between Bassompierre and Concini after the death of the latter’s daughter--Policy pursued by Marie de’ Medici and Concini towards Louis XIII--Humiliating position of the young King--His favourite, Charles d’Albert, Seigneur de Luynes--Bassompierre warns the Queen-Mother that the King may be persuaded to revolt against her authority.....pp. 196-207 CHAPTER XVII