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A captain, named Lanoue, had introduced armed men, who opened the gate to them, through which they entered and made themselves masters of the town " "That is to say, you opened the mouth of a sack, and they ran into it," replied the prince, looking at Birago.
He dismounted, talked with perfect freedom of mind to Birago, the Cardinal de Tournon, the chancellor, and the Duc de Nemours, from whom he asked for particulars of the "tumult." "Monseigneur," replied the duke, "the rebels had confederates in Amboise.
These two Florentines maintained in the interests of the queen-mother another Italian, Birago, a clever Piedmontese, who pretended, with Chiverni, to have abandoned their mistress, and gone over to the Guises, who encouraged their enterprises and employed them to watch Catherine. Chiverni had come from Paris and Ecouen.
By ten o'clock no one remained in the hall but a few intimates, the two Gondis, Tavannes, Solern, Birago, the king, and the queen-mother. The king sat plunged in the blackest melancholy. The silence was oppressive. Catherine seemed embarrassed. She wished to leave the room, and waited for the king to escort her to the door; but he still continued obstinately lost in thought.
As the two Lorrains employed Birago, it is to be supposed that they relied upon their own powers; for they knew of his attachment to the queen-mother. At this singular epoch the double part played by many of the political men of the day was well known to both parties; they were like cards in the hands of gamblers, the cleverest player won the game.
As soon as the duke and cardinal heard of his coming they sent the Marechal de Saint-Andre with an escort of a hundred men to meet him. When the prince and his own escort reached the gates of the chateau the marechal refused entrance to the latter. "You must enter alone, monseigneur," said the Chancellor Olivier, the Cardinal de Tournon, and Birago, who were stationed outside of the portcullis.
The Duc de Guise, who was watching Chaudieu, looked fixedly at his brother and at Birago, who were both taken aback by de Beze's answer. "Good God!" remarked the cardinal, "heretics are not diplomatic!" To avoid embarrassment, the queen, who was announced at this moment, had arranged to remain standing during the audience.
"Moreover," remarked Chiverni, "you are sure of Amyot, who will always fear poison in case of disobedience; so that you and he and Gondi can hold the king in leading-strings." "Amyot has deeply offended me," said Catherine. "He does not know what he owes to you; if he did know, you would be in danger," replied Birago, gravely, emphasizing his words.
But, in face of the assembled States-general, and threatened by a battle with Montmorency, the Balafre declared the circumstances unfavorable; he refused, against his brother's utmost urgency, to arrest the king of Navarre, the queen-mother, l'Hopital, the Cardinal de Tournon, the Gondis, Ruggiero, and Birago, objecting that such violent measures would bring on a general rebellion.
"What is best to be done?" she said to the two Gondis, Ruggiero, Birago, and Chiverni who had lately become governor and chancellor to the Duc d'Anjou. "Before all else," replied Birago, "get rid of Cypierre. He is not a courtier; he will never accommodate himself to your ideas, and will think he does his duty in thwarting you." "Whom can I trust?" cried the queen. "One of us," said Birago.
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