[1] The Marchioness de Monceaux, who, D'Aubigne says, acted this
part in the hope of becoming queen herself if Henry should be
declared king.
While these things were under consideration a great number of the larger
towns, and Paris in particular, which were in the party of the League,
being no longer able to endure the inconveniences and privations which
the confusion of the times had occasioned--all commerce, internal as
well as external, being at a stand, on account of the prohibitions
against trading with the places in the King's interest--disturbances
broke out among the people, who at last compelled their leaders to send
a deputation to the King to request liberty to trade: M. de Belin was
accordingly appointed for this purpose, and came to the King when he was
either at Mantes or Vernon; but, notwithstanding all his arguments, the
whole council opposed his request. There was not a Protestant there who
appeared willing that he should grant it; and, what is still more
surprising, it met with equal opposition from the Catholics, without
their being able to assign a lawful, or even a plausible, reason for
such a conduct.
All these persons were perplexed in their debates, and perceived plainly
that their opinion would signify nothing, yet could not prevail upon
themselves to alter it.
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