The love-affairs of the Condés (1530-1740)

Prefatory Note

THE principal authorities, both contemporary and modern, which I have consulted in the preparation of this volume are mentioned either in the text or the footnotes. I desire, however, to acknowledge my obligations to the following works by modern writers : Due d'Aumale, " Histoire des Princes de Conde ; " M. Edouard Barthelemy, " La Princesse de Conde : Charlotte Catherine de la Tremoille ; " M. Henri Bouchot, " Les Femmes de Brantdme ; " Victor Cousin, "La Jeunesse de Madame de Longueville ; " Comte Jules Delaborde, " Eleonore de Roye, Princesse de Cond6 (1535-1564);" M. L Henrard, "Henri IV. et la Princesse de Conde ; " MM. Homberg and Jousselin, " La Femme du Grand Cond6 ; " Comte Hector de la Ferriere, " Trois Amoureuses au XVP si^cle ; " and M. H. Thirion, " Madame de Prie (1698-1727)."

H. NOEL WILLIAMS.

Chapter I

Origin of the House of Conde — Louis de Bourbon, first prince of the name — His modest debut at the Court — His personal appearance and character — Enmity between the Bourbons and the Guises — Conde attaches himself to the party of the Connetable Anne de Montmorency, and marries the latter's niece, Eleonore de Roye — Noble character of Eleonore — Gallantries of Conde — His early military career — Death of Henry H. — Progress of the Reformation in France — Conde embraces Protestantism and places himself at the head of the opposition to the Guises — He is arrested at Orleans, brought to trial for high treason and condemned to death — But is saved by the opportune death of Francois n 1-15

CHAPTER H

Critical condition of France at the accession of Charles IX. — Character and policy of Catherine de' Medici — The Triumvirate — Catherine leans to the side of the Reformers — The " Edict of January " — Massacre of Vassy — Conde remains faithful to the Protestant cause — Beginning of the civil war — The Protestants, at first successful, soon in a desperate position — Conde turns to England for aid : Treaty of Hampton Court — Fall of Rouen — Conde marches on Paris — Battle of Dreux : the prince taken prisoner — Second Captivity of Conde — Assassination of Guise — Conference on the Ile-aux-Boeufs — The maids-of-honour — Peace of Amboise — Conde follows the Court . 16-28

Chapter III

Catherine de* Medici and her ^^ escadron volant^'' — Adroitness with which the Queen employs the charms of her maids-of-honour to seduce the Huguenot chief — The King of Navarre and la belle Rouet — Policy of Catherine after the Peace of Amboise — She determines to compromise Conde with his foreign allies and the French Protestants, by encouraging his taste for sensual pleasures — And selects for his subjugation her maid-of-honour and kinswoman Isabelle de Limeuil — Description of this siren — Her admirers

X THE LOVE-AFFAIRS OF THE CONDES

— Her mercenary character — Beginning of her liaison with the prince — Conde and Elizabeth of England — Mile, de Limeuil, inspired by Catherine, seeks to persuade Conde to break with Elizabeth — Mission of d'AUuye to England — Conde is induced to take up arms against his late allies — Siege and surrender of Le Havre 29-42

Chapter IV

Conde is disappointed in his hopes of obtaining the post of Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom — The prince incurs the hatred of the extreme Catholics — Plot to assassinate him on the Feast of Corpus Christi — Suspicion with which he is regarded by the zealots of his own party — Conde, deceived in his ambition and mortified by the hostility of the extremists on both sides, turns to pleasure for consolation — Violent passion of the Marechale de Saint-Andre for him — Indignation and alarm aroused at Geneva by the rumours of Conde's amorous adventures — Calvin and Beze address a joint letter of remonstrance to the prince — Conde at Muret — Death of two of his children — Failing health of the Princesse de Conde — Her touching devotion to her husband — Her dignified attitude in regard to his infidelities — Return of Conde to the Court — Quarrel between him and Isabelle de Limeuil — Temporary triumph of the Marechale de Saint-Andre — Refusal of the King to sanction the betrothal of the Marquis de Conti to Mile, de Saint-Andre — Conde quits the Court in anger, but is reconciled to Isabelle and returns — A second honeymoon 43~S2

Chapter V

The fetes of Fontainebleau — Charles IX. and Catherine set out on a grand progress through the kingdom — Dangerous illness of the Princesse de Conde — Her husband obliged to remain with her — Scandalous denoiiment of the amours of Conde and Isabelle de Limeuil — Indignation of the Queen-Mother — Isabelle and the Prince de la Roche-sur-Yon — The Comle de Maulevrier accuses Isabelle of having plotted to poison the princ e — She is arrested and conducted to the Franciscan convent at Auxonne — Tender correspondence between her and Du Fresne — P assionate letters of Conde to his mistress —Isabelle denies the charges against her— Her letter to Catherine — She is removed to Vienne — Her despair — Her pathetic letters to Conde— She is examined by the Bishops of Orleans and Limoges, and confronted by Maulevrier SZ~^9

Chapter VI

Death of the Princesse de Conde — Question of the prince's remarriage — The Marechale de Saint-Andre's bid for his hand — Rumours of a matrimonial alliance with the Guises — Catherine de' Medici, alarmed at such a prospect, resolves to set Mile, de Limeuil at liberty — Isa belle joins Conde at Valery — Intense indignation of the Huguenots at the scandalous conduct of the

CONTENTS xi prince — Quarrel between Conde and Coligny — The leaders of the party take counsel together " to find a remedy for so great an evil " — The deputation of Protestant pastors — Conde declines to separate from his mistress, but eventually breaks with her — His marriage with Mile, de Longueville — Conde persuaded by his wife to demand the return of the presents he has given his mistress — Revenge of Isabelle — Her marriage — Renewal of the civil war — Battle of Saint-Denis — Peace of Longjuiheau — Flight of Conde to La Rochelle — Third War of Religion breaks out — Battle of Jarnac — Death of Conde 70-91

Chapter VII

Henri I de Bourbon, Prince de Conde — His personal appearance and character — Jeanne d'Albret presents Heni-i of Navarre and Conde to the army — The " Admiral's pages " — The " Journey of the Princes " — Battle of Arnay-le- Duc — Conde at La Rochelle — Henri of Navarre is betrothed to Marguerite de Valois, and Conde to Marie de Cleves — An awkward lover — Marriage of Conde — Massacre of Saint-Bartholomew— The King of Navarre and Conde are ordered to abjure their religion — Firmness of the latter, who, however, at length yields — Humiliating position of Conde— Intrigue between his wife and the Due d'Anjou — Conde at the siege of La Rochelle — Anjou elected King of Poland — He offers the hand of his discarded mistress, Mile, de Chateauneuf, to Nantouillet, provost of Paris — Unpleasant consequences of the provost's refusal of this honour .... 92-107

Chapter VIII

Departure of Anjou for Poland — Conde, compromised in the conspiracy of the "Politiques," escape to Strasbourg, where he reverts to the Protestant faith — Death of Charles IX., who is succeeded by the King of Poland — Flight of the new King from Cracow — Death of the Princesse de Conde : extravagant grief of Henry III. — Conde invades France at the head of an army of German mercenaries — The " Faix de Monsieur" — Conde endeavours to establish himself in the West of France — Formation of the League and renewal of the civil war — Conde refuses the hand of Mile, de Vaudemont, Henry III.'s sister-in-law — His second Odyssey — He commands the Huguenot forces in Poitou and Saintonge — He proposes for the hand of Charlotte Catherine de la Tremoille — Letter of Mile, de la Tremoille to the prince — He visits her at the Chateau of Taillebourg — Disastrous expedition of Conde against Angers — He is obliged to take refuge in Guernsey 108-124

Chapter IX

Loyalty of Mile, de la Tremoille to Conde — She prevents her mother, the Duchesse de Thouars, from surrendering the Chateau of Taillebourg to a Catholic force — And defends it gallantly until she is relieved — She equips two xii THE LOVE-AFFAIRS OF THE CONDES ships-of-war to bring Conde from Guernsey — Reunion of the lovers — Their marriage — Conde takes the field again — Financial embarrassments of the new menage — Battle of Coutras : encounter between Conde and Saint-Luc — Ill-health of the prince — He returns to Saint-Jean-d'Angely — He is suddenly taken ill, and dies in two days — Violent grief of his wife — Suspicions of the doctors — An autopsy is performed, and the prince is declared to have been poisoned — Letter of the King of Navarre to the Comtesse de Gramont — Flight of the princess's page, Belcastel, and her head valet-de-chambre, Corbais — Arrest of her intendant, Brilland — The King of Navarre arrives at Saint-Jean-d'Angely, and orders the Princesse de Conde to be placed under arrest — Terrible situation of the princess 125-138

Chapter X

The King of Navarre appoints a special commission for the trial of Brilland — Brilland is put to the question — His confessions under torture implicate the Princesse de Conde, but on the following day he disavows them — He is found guilty and condemned to be dismembered by horses — The princess denies the competency of the court and appeals to the Parlement of Paris^- But the King of Navarre and the commissioners ignore the decrees of that body — The commission directs that the princess shall be brought to trial — She gives birth to a son — The prosecution is dropped, but the princess remains in captivity — The President de Thou interests himself in her case — Means by which he obtains from Henri IV. the recognition of her son's rights, and, with them, the acknowledgment of the princess's innocence

139-148

Chapter XI

Education of Henri II. de Bourbon, Prince de Conde — Appearance and character of the young prince — He is offered and accepts the hand of Charlotte de Montmorency, unaware that Plenry IV. is desperately enamoured of the lady — Conversation of the King with Bassompierre — Marriage of Conde and Mile, de Montmorency — Infatuation of the King for the young princess — Conde refuses to accept the odious role assigned to him, and "plays the devil " — Violent scenes between him and the King — He removes with his wife to Picardy — Amorous escapade of Henri IV. — Conde, summoned to Court for the accouchement of the Queen, leaves the princess behind him — Indignation of Henri IV. — Conde flies with his wife to Flanders- — Fury of the King, who sends troops in pursuit of the fugitives — Refusal of the Archdukes to deliver them up — Conde goes to Cologne, while the princess proceeds to Brussels 149-162

Chapter XII

Conde summoned by the Archdukes to Brussels — He places himself under the protection of Philip III. of Spain — Mission of the Marquis de Coeuvres to Brussels — His attempted abduction of the Princesse de Conde — Conde

CONTENTS xiii declared guilty of high treason — He leaves Brussels for Milan — Henri IV. and his Ministers threaten the Archdukes with war if the princess is not given up — Despatches of the Spanish Ambassador to his Court — Conde at Milan — Assassination of Henri IV. — Embarrassing position of Conde in regard to Spain — He returns to Brussels, but declines to see his wife — His return to France — He contemplates the dissolution of his marriage, but ultimately consents to a formal reconciliation with the princess — His turbulent conduct during the regency of Marie de' Medici — His arrest and imprisonment — The princess magnanimously shares her husband's captivity — Dangerous illness of the prince — Birth of Anne Genevieve de Bourbon — Release of the Condes 163-178

Chapter XIII

Birth of Louis de Bourbon, Due d'Enghien (the Great Conde) — His early years at the Chateau of Montrond — His education — His personal appearance and character — Wealth of the Condes — Life at Chantilly — Isabelle de Boutteville and Marthe du Vigean — Tender attachment of the Due d'Enghien and Mile, du Vigean — Subserviency of the Prince de Conde towards Richelieu — He solicits for Enghien the hand of the Cardinal's niece, Claire- Clemence de Maille-Breze — The young prince protests against the sacrifice demanded of him, but eventually consents — He is presented to Mile, de Maille-Breze — First campaign of the Great Conde — He denies the rumour that he has "no taste for \\\% fiancee" — Fete at the Palais-Cardinal: a ludicrous incident — Marriage of the Due d'Enghien .... 179-195

Chapter XIV

Serious illness of the Due d'Enghien — Tyranny exercised over him by Richelieu — An amusing anecdote — Death of the Cardinal — His will — Lawsuit between the Prince de Conde and the Duchesse d'Aiguillon — Enghien contemplates the dissolution of his marriage, neglects his wife, and devotes himself to Marthe du Vigean — He receives the command of the Army of Flanders, gains the brilliant victory of Rocroi, and takes Thionville — The Duchesse d'Enghien gives birth to a son — Indifference of the duke — He returns to Paris and endeavours to procure the dissolution of his marriage — But this project is frustrated by the interference of the Prince de Conde — Enghien is wounded at the battle of Nordlingen, and has a dangerous attack of fever — To the astonishment of his friends, he suddenly breaks off his tender relations with Mile, du Vigean — Despair of the lady, who, in spite of the opposition of her family, enters the Carmelites of the Faubourg Saint-Jacques 196-206

Chapter XV

Notwithstanding his rupture with Mile, du Vigean, the Due d'Enghien continues to treat his wife with coldness — The heart of the prince is fiercely disputed by the ladies of the Court — Dissipated life of Enghien : paternal xiv THE LOVE-AFFAIRS OF THE CONDES remonstrances — Liaison between the duke and Ninon de I'EncIos — Death of Henri II de Bourbon, Prince de Conde — Failure of the new Prince de Conde before Lerida — His brilliant victory at Lens — Beginning of the Fronde — Conde remains faithful to the Court, and takes command of the royal troops — The Duchesse de Chatillon becomes his mistress — Peace of Rueil — The arrogance and ambition of Conde causes the Court and the Frondeurs to join forces against him — The arrest of the Princes — The Princesse de Conde at Bordeaux — Death of the dowager -princess — Equivocal conduct of Madame de Chatillon — Episode of an unaddressed letter — Exile of Mazarin and release of the Princes— Continued indifference of Conde towards his wife, notwithstanding her courageous efforts on his behalf — Negotiations between him and the Regent — His rupture with the Frondeurs, who draw towards the Court — Conde retires to Saint-Maur— Alliance between the Court and the Frondeurs — Proceedings against Conde — The prince retires to Montrond and " draws the sword " . 207-224

Chapter XVI

Conde proceeds to Bordeaux, where he is rejoined by his relatives — He opens the campaign with success, but is soon obliged to remain on the defensive —Return of Mazarin — Conde on the Loire — Battle of Bleneau — He leaves his army and proceeds to Paris — His futile negotiations — Battle of the Faubourg Saint-Antoine — Massacre of the Hotel de Ville — The Fronde grows daily more discredited — Conde quits Paris and joins the Spaniards on the Flemish frontier — The Fronde at Bordeaux — Sanguinary affrays between the Ormee and the Ckapeau Rouge — Courage and presence of mind displayed by the Princesse de Conde and Madame de Longueville in separating the combatants — Surrender of Bordeaux — The princess sails for Flanders to rejoin her husband — Her reception at Valenciennes — She is cruelly neglected by Conde — She removes from Valenciennes to Malines — Her miserable existence — Conde applies to the Spanish Court for financial assistance — Brilliant military qualities displayed by him in the service of his country's enemies — The princess gives birth to a daughter — Peace of the Pyrenees— Return of Conde and his wife to France .... 225-234

Chapter XVII

Arrival of Conde at the Court — His reception — He returns to Paris — His ingratitude towards his wife — Dignified behaviour of Madame la Princesse — Affectionate relations between Conde and his son — Indifference of the young prince towards his mother — Marriage of the Due d'Enghien and Anne of Bavaria — The affair of Poland — Condi's conquest of Franche- Comte — The mind of the Princesse de Conde becomes affected — The footman Duval — Mysterious affair at the Hotel de Conde : the princess is wounded in a brawl between Duval and the Comte de Bussy-Rabutin — Singular attitude of Mo-nsie2ir le Prince — -Trial of Duval — Calumnies against the Princesse de Conde : letter of Madame de Sevigne — The princess is exiled to the Chateau of Chateauroux, in Berry—Her departure : a touching scene — Her captivity — Her hallucinations — Visit of Pere Tixier . 235-250

CONTENTS XV

Chapter XVIII

Termination of Conde's military career — His retirement at Chantilly — His improvements of the chateau and estate — His son, the Duo d'Enghien {Monsieur le Due) — Portrait of this prince by Saint-Simon — His tyrannical treatment of his wife — His singular habits — Malicious practical joke which he perpetrates on the Due de Luxembourg — His amours with the Duchesse de Nevers, the Marquise de Richelieu, and the Comtesse de Marans — His natural daughter by Madame de Marans legitimated and married to the Marquis de Lassay — His lack of military capacity-'-His children — The education of his only son, the Due de Bourbon, superintended by Conde — Marriage of the young prince to Mile, de Nantes, elder daughter of Louis XIV. and Madame de Montespan — The wedding-night — Conversion of Conde — His last illness — His death — His funeral oration by Bossuet — The Princesse de Conde remains in captivity — Her death . . 25 1-268

Chapter XIX

Henri-Jules de Bourbon, fifth Prince de Conde — His affection for Chantilly — Improvements which he executes there — The " Galerie des Batailles " — His business capacity — His relations with his son, the Due de Bourbon {Monsieur le Due) — Character of this prince — His ungovernable temper and vindictiveness — His intrigue with Madame de Mussy — She betrays him for the Comte d' Albert — A violent scene — Madame de Mussy follows her new lover to Spain — Her sad fate — Other amours of Monsieur le Due — Character of Madame la Duehesse — Her intrigue with the Prince de Conti — Her grief at his premature death — Last years of the Prince de Conde — His eccentricity becomes hardly distinguishable from madness — Anecdotes concerning him — His death — His last instructions to his son — The Due de Bourbon retains his title, instead of assuming that of Prince de Conde — His sudden death, eleven months after that of his father 269-280

Chapter XX

Louis Henri de Bourbon-Conde — He assumes the title of Due de Bourbon, instead of that of Prince de Conde, and is known as Monsieur le Due — His personal appearance — He loses an eye by a shooting accident— His military career — He becomes President of the Council of Regency on the death of Louis XIV. — His protection of John Law — His wealth — His character — His marriage with Marie Anne de Bourbon-Conti — Singular intrigue which precedes it — His indifference to his wife — His amours — The financier Berthelot de Pleneuf— Gallantries of Madame de Pleneuf — Saint-Simon's portrait of her — Her daughter, Agnes de Pleneuf — Singular beauty and intelligence of this young girl — Violent jealousy which her mother conceives for her — Marriage of Agnes to the Marquis de Prie, who is soon xvi ' THE LOVE-AFFAIRS OF THE CONDES afterwards appointed Ambassador at Turin — Her life at Turin — Disgrace and bankruptcy of Berthelot de Pleneuf — Financial straits of the de Pries — Madame de Prie comes to Paris to intercede with the Government on her husband's behalf — Calumnies concerning her spread by her mother and her partisans — Her relations with the Regent 281-295

Chapter XXI

Origin of the liaison between Monsieur le Due and Madame de Prie considered — Extraordinary ascendency which the latter acquires over her lover — For a while, the favourite leads a life of pleasure, but is soon obliged to give her attention to politics — Exasperation of Madame de Pleneufs coterie against her — Insecurity of Monsieur le Due^s position — The Orleans faction— Intrigues of the War Minister Le Blanc and the Belle- Isles — ^Hatred of Madame de Prie for Le Blanc — She resolves to crush the common enemies of herself and Motisieur le Due — Her skilful conduct — Murder of Sandrier de Mitry, chief cashier of La Jonchere, treasurer of the Emergency War Fund — Sinister suspicions concerning La Jonchere and Le Blanc — Madame de Prie determines to get to the bottom of the mystery — Her alliance with the Paris brothers against the War Minister — Dubois persuades the Regent to withdraw his protection from Le Blanc — Arrest of La Jonchere and examination of his accounts — Disgrace and exile of Le Blanc— The death of Dubois puts a stop to the proceedings — Death of Philippe d'Orleans — Monsieur le Due becomes Prime Minister

296-313

CHAPTER XXIl

Beginning of the Ministry of Monsieur le Due — His early popularity — Difficulties of the situation— Philippe d'Orleans replaced by three new powers : Louis XV., Fleury, and Philip V. of Spain — Futile negotiations between Monsieur le Due and the Orleans faction — Madame de Prie advises the prince to take the offensive — Resumption of the proceedings against La Jonchere and his accomplices — Indignation and alarm of the Orleanists — Attempted assassination of La Guilloniere, in mistake for Paris-Duverney — -Conspiracy against the lives of Monsieur le Due and his mistress — Madame de Prie insists on prompt and energetic action, and Le Blanc and the Belle-Isles are thrown into the Bastille — Arrest of Lempereur and other persons — The Government is determined on the total ruin of Le Blanc — Murder of Gazan de la Combe — La Blanc claims the privilege of being tried by the assembled chambers of the Parlement — Efforts of Monsieur le Due and Madame de Prie to counteract the influence of Fleury over Louis XV. — Recall of Villeroy — Visit of the King to Chantilly — Trial of Le Blanc — Extraordinary proceedings — Acquittal of the accused 314-331

CONTENTS xvii