The Prince's INTENDANT was taken, and there was an attempt to arrest
the whole Bouillon family, but the Duke and his brother, M. de
Turenne, were warned in time and escaped. As to the Duchess and her
children, their adventures were so curious that I must pause to tell
their story. A guard was sent to her house under arms to keep her
there. There were four little boys, and their attendants, on seeing
the guards, let them straight out through the midst of them, as if
they were visitors, the servants saying: 'You must go away.
Messieurs les petits Princes cannot play to-day. They are made
prisoners.' They were taken to the house of Marshal de Guesbriant,
where they were dressed as girls, and thus carried off to
Bellechasse, whence they were sent to Blois.
There the little Chevalier of seven years old (Emmanuel Theodore was
his name, and he is now a Cardinal) fell ill, and could not go on
with his brothers when they were sent southwards, but was left with a
lady named Flechine. By and by, when the Court came to Guienne,
Madame de Flechine was afraid of being compromised if she was found
to have a son of the Duke of Bouillon in the house. She recollected
that there was in a very thick wood in the park a very thick bush,
forming a bower or vault, concealed by thorns and briers. There she
placed the little boy with his servant Defargues, giving them some
bread, wine, water, a pie, a cushion, and an umbrella in case of
rain, and she went out herself very night to meet Defargues and bring
him fresh provisions.
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