The circumstances of the times, which rendered it necessary to reign with some degree of caution, but still more the generous and clement character of Henry, for a few years prevented the Bastile from having many captive inmates. Menaces of sending individuals to it were occasionally thrown out, but they were not executed. In 1596, for instance, when, to supply his pressing wants, Henry had unjustly seized on the money destined to pay annuitants at the town-hall, we find him giving vent to a momentary fit of anger, and threatening whoever should presume to hold what he was pleased to call seditious language, with respect to this arbitrary measure. The seditious language, which thus excited his wrath, was nothing more than a petition, which a citizen named Carel had drawn up on behalf of the plundered annuitants. There was a moment when the Bastile was on the point of receiving an illustrious victim; no less a man than Theodore Agrippa d’Aubigné, the long tried and faithful friend of Henry, amidst peril and misfortune. Irritated by d’Aubigné’s restless zeal in the cause of the hugonots, the king gave Sully an order to arrest him, but it was soon withdrawn. In 1602, Sully was appointed governor of the Bastile. Since 1597 he had been at the head of the finance department, and during his able administration, a part of the Bastile was occupied in a manner such as it had never before been, nor ever was afterwards. It became a place of deposit for the yearly surplus of revenue, which was obtained by the judicious system of the minister. The amount of the treasure thus accumulated has been variously estimated, but it was probably about forty millions of livres. It was designed to be appropriated to the realising of Henry’s military projects. The Tour du Trésor is supposed to have derived its name from its having been the tower in which this hoard was secured. CHAPTER V. Reign of Henry IV. continued—Viscount de Tavannes—The marshal duke of Biron—Faults of Biron—Friendship of Henry IV, for Biron—La Fin, and his influence over Biron—The duke of Savoy—Biron’s first treason pardoned—Embassies of Biron—Speech of Queen Elizabeth to Biron—Discontent among the nobles—Art of la Fin—Imprisonment of Renazé—La Fin betrays Biron—Artifices employed to lull Biron into security—Arrest of Biron, and the count of Auvergne—Conduct of Biron in the Bastile—His trial—His execution—Respect paid to his remains—Monbarot sent to the Bastile—The count of Auvergne—He is sent to the Bastile but soon released—He plots again—Cause and intent of the conspiracy—He is again arrested—Sentence of death passed on him, but commuted for imprisonment—He spends twelve years in the Bastile—Mary of Medicis releases him—Conspiracy of Merargues—He is executed—Death of Henry IV.