A fine religion that! as I told my mother when M.
d'Aubepine came in foaming at the mouth about it; though Eustace
would have persuaded me that it was not just to measure a whole
Church by one priest. The Prince fortified his house, and lived like
a man in a state of siege for some time, and then went off to
Chantilly, take d'Aubepine with him--and every one said a new Fronde
was beginning, for the Queen-Regent was furious with the Princes, and
determined to have Cardinal Mazarin back, and the Prince was equally
resolved to keep him out, while as to the Parliament, I had no
patience with it; it went on shilly-shallying between the two, and
had no substance to do anything by hang on to some selfish Court
party.
There were a few who understood their real interests, like the old
Premier-President Mathieu Mole, and these hoped that by standing
between the two parties they might get the only right thing done,
namely, to convoke the States-General, which is what really answers
to our own English Parliament. People could do things then in Paris
they never dream of now; and Clement Darpent worked hard, getting up
meetings among the younger counsellors and advocates, and some of the
magistrates, where they made speeches about constitutional liberty,
and talked about Ciecero, who was always Clement's favourite hero.
My brother went to hear him sometimes, and said he had a great gift
of eloquence, but that he was embarked on a very dangerous course.
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