132 HISTORY OF FRANCE. [chap. Ferdinand II., the cardinal prevented the war from dying out by promising aid to the Protestants. Presently he found a pretext for declaring war. In 1635 the Spaniards entered Trier, and made the Archbishop, who was an ally of France, prisoner. The Prince of Condd marched into the Low Countries, but was driven baclc by the im- perial forces, which ravaged Picardy and threatened Paris. This roused the spirit of the French, and the invaders were forced to retreat before the winter. Still the war was at first a great strain on France. Three armies had to be kept on foot at the same time, in the Low Countries, the Alps, and the Pyrenees, all without any marked suc- cess. Gradually however the Duke of Lorraine was so reduced that in 1642 he came to make his peace at Paris ; the king's sister Christine, who was regent of Savoy for her son CJuirles Emmanuel II., likewise made peace. Germany was e.xhausted by one of the most savage wars that ever was waged, and again peace was talked of, but Richelieu had not gained all he wished, and persevered. .A. revolt in Catalonia enabled him to attack Spain itself, and he ordered Perpignan to be besieged in the same year. The king set off to be present, and Richelieu followed slowly, almost in a dying state, though as fiercely watchful as ever. 4. The Conspiracy of Cinq Mars, 1642. — The present favourite of the king was the Marquis of Cinq Mars, a youth who seemed merely vain and frivolous, but whose mind was full of the example of Luynes. Knowing how weary the king was of Richelieu, he meant to make a bold stroke to break his fetters. He had drawn into the scheme his friend De Thou, a man hitherto of high character. Again the king was concerned in a plot against his own prime minister, and favoured plans which were supported not only by the disgraced Dukes of Orleans and Bouillon, but by the Spaniards themselves. It is not known how Richelieu discovered the plot ; but he acted at once. Cinq Mars was arrested, so were Bouillon and De Thou, and Gaston was threatened till, as usual, he betrayed 2veiything. Cinq Mars and De Thou were tried by the Parliament of Lyons and beheaded together, exciting Miuch pity, M-hile Richelieu was proportionably hated. 5. Death of Richelieu, 1642. — So ill was the cardinal that he could only travel in a huge litter, borne by eighteen of his guards, bareheaded. Breaches had to be made in cne walls to admit it into the towns as he returned from
