Close of the States-General--The Bishop of Luçon--Declaration of the royal marriages--Ballet of Madame--State of the Court--Cabal of Concini--Death of Marguerite de Valois--Condé seeks to gain the Parliament--Distrust of Marie de Medicis--Condé leaves Paris--He refuses to accompany the King to Guienne--Perilous position of the Court party--The Maréchal de Bois-Dauphin is appointed Commander-in-Chief--The Court proceed to Guienne--Illness of the Queen and Madame Elisabeth--The Court at Tours--Enforced inertness of M. de Bois-Dauphin--Condé is declared guilty of _lèse-majesté_--He takes up arms--Murmurs of the royal generals--The Comte de St. Pol makes his submission--The Court reach Bordeaux--The royal marriages--Sufferings of the troops--Disaffection of the nobility--Irritation of the Protestants--Pasquinades--Negotiation with the Princes--The Duc de Guise assumes the command of the royal army--Singular escape of Marie de Medicis--Disgrace of the Duc d'Epernon--He retires to his government--The Queen and the astrologer. CHAPTER VIII 1616 Conference of Loudun--Venality of the Princes--Mutual concessions--Indisposition of M. de Condé--He signs the treaty--Concini is insulted by a citizen of Paris--The Court return to the capital--Schism in the cabal--The seals are transferred to M. du Vair--Disgrace of the ministers--Triumph of Concini--Mangot is appointed Secretary of State, and Barbin Minister of Finance--The young sovereigns---Court costumes--Anne of Austria and Marie de Medicis--Puerility of Louis XIII--The Maréchal de Bouillon and the Duc de Mayenne return to Court--They seek to ruin Concini--The Prince de Condé effects a reconciliation with the Queen-mother--James I. sends an embassy to Paris to negotiate a marriage between the Prince of Wales and the Princesse Christine--Gorgeous reception at the Louvre--Court festivities--Concini returns to Paris--He is abandoned by the Prince de Condé--He is compelled to retire--His forebodings--He endeavours to induce Leonora to leave France--She refuses--Increasing influence of De Luynes--Death of Mademoiselle d'Ancre--Despair of Concini--Ambitious projects of the Prince de Condé--Devotion of Sully--His advice is disregarded--Popularity of Condé--Marie de Medicis resolves to arrest him--He disbelieves the rumour--The other Princes withdraw from the capital--The King is induced to sanction the arrest--Dissimulation of Louis XIII--Arrest of Condé--Fearless reply of M. du Vair--The Prince is conveyed to the Bastille--A batch of Marshals--Noble disinterestedness of Bassompierre--The Dowager Princess of Condé endeavours to excite the populace to rescue her son--The mob pillage the hôtel of the Maréchal d'Ancre--The Queen-mother negotiates with the Guises--The council of war--The seals are transferred from Du Vair to Mangot--Richelieu is appointed Secretary of State--Concini returns to Court--The Maréchale d'Ancre becomes partially insane--Popular execration of the Italian