Memoirs of Philippe de Mornay

that she wanted there to be no talk of it? That what had passed at Fontainebleau the 1600 theological debate at the Palace of Fontainebleau should draw no consequence for Religion the Protestant faith? Now God will grant me the grace that it shall not be so; for the truth is his cause; which I have been very instantly summoned from all sides to make understood, to lift the public scandal and my private reproach: and I have done it by my private letters, if they have been seen, in the softest and most respectful terms that I could. You say; you should not speak of the Roy King; How could I have done so? How could I have even buried my name to keep his silent. But how to give an account of an action without speaking of the persons? Of an action entirely of a King, without speaking of the King? At least, you tell me, without offending him. And what is there in conscience that should offend him; if it is not that either my grief, or my honor offends him? Since the letter that goes everywhere says, that he did marvels there; that the Discourses which are sold at the Palais the Palace of Justice publish the zeal, the authority, the prudence, the dexterity, the order that he brought to it, to make it all succeed to the confusion of our Religion; and without contradiction, and with so much applause. Certainly on the contrary, I had to believe that S. M. His Majesty desired, that the Catholics inside and outside the Kingdom, should have this opinion; therefore, that my interest concurred with the good of his affairs; because published by my mouth, it would always be less suspected of feigning. Those therefore of the Religion, informed by me and others present, have estimated it necessary to beat back these vapors, to reduce the discourse to writing in the terms you could see. Too late perhaps for my reputation; and I know it only too well, but, as I hope, always enough in time, against the public scandal, because time does not prescribe against the truth. This is, Monsieur, what you will have for this subject, which I do not doubt that some may exaggerate. But if it please S. M. to enter even slightly into the consideration of my condition, I am mistaken if he does not judge, that the bitterness of my heart will not have risen even to my tongue, much less flowed into my pen; consequently he will compose his mind in this matter, with all equity; unless he had wanted to manage so much just wrath against his enemies,