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one of my worst crimes in the Cardinal's opinion is that I foretold all these things； and that I have passed for the author of events of which I was only the prophet。 Your Majesty would fain extricate yourself with honour； and you are in the right； but permit me to tell you； as my opinion； that it can never be effected so long as your Majesty entertains any thoughts of reestablishing Mazarin。 I should fail in the respect I owe to your Majesty if I pretended to thwart your Majesty's opinion with regard to the Cardinal in any other way than with my most humble remonstrances； but I humbly conceive I do but discharge my bounden duty while I respectfully represent to your Majesty wherein I may be serviceable or useless to you at this critical juncture。 Your Majesty has the Prince to cope with； who； indeed； is for the restoration of the Cardinal； but upon condition that you give him such powers beforehand as will enable him to ruin him at pleasure。 To resist the Prince you want the Duc d'Orleans； who is absolutely against the Cardinal's reestablishment； and who； provided he be excluded； will do what your Majesty pleases to command him。 You will neither satisfy the Prince nor the Duke。 I am extremely desirous to serve your Majesty against the one and with the other； but I can do neither the one nor the other without making use of proper means for obtaining those two different ends。〃
〃Come over to me；〃 said she； 〃and I shall not care a straw for all the Duke can do。〃
I answered； 〃Should I do so； and should it appear never so little that I was on terms of reconciliation with the Cardinal； I could serve your Majesty with neither the Duke nor the people； for both would hate me mortally； and I should be as useless to your Majesty as the Bishop of Dole。〃
At this the Queen was very angry； and said； 〃Heaven bless my son the King； for he is deserted by all the world！ I do all I can for you； I offer you a place in my Council； I offer you the cardinalship； pray what will you do for me？〃
I said that I did not come to receive favours； but to try to merit them。
At this the Queen's countenance began to brighten； and she said； very softly； 〃What is it； then； that you will do？〃
〃Madame；〃 said I； 〃I will oblige the Prince； before a week is at an end； to leave Paris； and I will detach the Duke from his interest to…morrow。〃
The Queen； overjoyed； held out her hand and said； 〃Give me yours； and I promise you that you shall be cardinal the next day； and the second man in my friendship。〃 She desired also that Mazarin and I might be good friends； but I answered that the least touch upon that string would put me out of tune and render me incapable of doing her any service； therefore I conjured her to let me still enjoy the character of being his enemy。
〃Was anything；〃 said the Queen； 〃ever so strange and unaccountable？ Can you not possibly serve me without being the enemy of him in whom I most confide？〃
I told her it must needs be so。 〃Madame；〃 I said； 〃I humbly beseech your Majesty to let me tell you that； as long as the place of Prime Minister is not filled up； the Prince will increase in power on pretence that it is kept vacant to receive the Cardinal by a speedy restoration。〃
〃You see；〃 said her Majesty； 〃how the Prince treats me； he has insulted me ever since I disowned my two traitors；Servien and Lionne。〃 I took the opportunity while she was flushed with anger to make my court to her by saying that before two days were at an end the Prince should affront her no longer。 But the tenderness she had for her beloved Cardinal made her unwilling to consent that I should continue to exclaim against his Eminence in Parliament； where one was obliged to handle him very roughly almost every quarter of an hour。 She bade me remember that it was the Cardinal who had solicited my nomination。 I answered that I was highly obliged to his Eminence upon that score； and that I was ready to give him proofs of my acknowledgment in anything wherein my honour was not concerned； but that I should be a double…dealer if I promised to contribute to his reestablishment。 Then she said； 〃Go！ you are a very devil。 See Madame Palatine； and let me hear from you the night before you go to the Parliament。〃
I do not think I was in the wrong to refuse her offer。 We must never jest with proffered service； for if it be real； we can never embrace it too much； but if false； we can never keep at too great a distance。 I lamented to the public the sad condition of our affairs； which had obliged me to leave my dear retirement； where； after so much disturbance and confusion； I hoped to enjoy comfortable rest； that we were falling into a worse condition than we were in before； because the State suffered more by the daily negotiations carried on with Mazarin than it had done by his administrations； and that the Queen was still buoyed up with hopes of his reestablishment。
The Prince de Conde having inflamed the Parliament； to make himself more formidable to the Queen and Court； some new scenes were opened every day。 At one time they sent to the provinces to inform against the Cardinal； at another time they made search after his effects at Paris。
I went one day with four hundred men in my company to the Parliament House； where the Prince de Conde inveighed against the exportation of money out of the kingdom by the Cardinal's banker。 But afterwards I absented myself for awhile from Parliament； which made me suspected of being less an enemy to the Cardinal； and I was pelted with a dozen or fifteen libels in the space of a fortnight； by a fellow whose nose had been slit for writing a lampoon against a lady of quality。 I composed a short but general answer to all； entitled 〃An Apology for the Ancient and True Fronde。〃 There was a strong paper war between the old and new Fronde for three or four months； but afterwards they united in the attack on Mazarin。 There were about sixty volumes of tracts written during the civil war； but I am sure that there are not a hundred sheets worth reading。
I was sent for again to another private conference with the Queen； who； dreading an arrangement with the Prince de Conde； was for his being arrested； and advised me to consider how it might be done。 It seems that M。 Hoquincourt had offered to kill him in the street； as the shortest way to be rid of him； for she desired me to confer about it with Hoquincourt； 〃who will；〃 said she； 〃show you a much surer way。〃 The Queen； nevertheless； would not own she had ever such a thought； though she was heard to say； 〃The Coadjutor is not a man of so much courage as I took him for。〃
The next day I was informed that the Queen could endure the Prince no longer； and that she had advices that he had formed a design to seize the King； that he had despatched orders to Flanders to treat with the Spaniards； and that either he or she must be ruined； that she was not for shedding blood； and that what Hoquincourt proposed was far from it； because he promised to secure the Prince without striking a blow if I would answer for the people。
The Parliament continued to prosecute Mazarin； who was convicted of embezzling some nine millions of the public money。 The Prince assembled the Chamb