had no fixed purpose in his mind."

Archduke Albert, through his ambassador in Paris, Peter Pecquius,
suggested the possibility of a reconciliation between Henry and his
kinsman, and offered himself as intermediary. He enquired whether the
King would find it agreeable that he should ask for pardon in name of the
Prince. Henry replied that he was willing that the Archduke should
accord to Conde secure residence for the time within his dominions on
three inexorable conditions:--firstly, that the Prince should ask for
pardon without any stipulations, the King refusing to listen to any
treaty or to assign him towns or places of security as had been vaguely
suggested, and holding it utterly unreasonable that a man sueing for
pardon should, instead of deserved punishment, talk of terms and
acquisitions; secondly, that, if Conde should reject the proposition,
Albert should immediately turn him out of his country, showing himself
justly irritated at finding his advice disregarded; thirdly, that,
sending away the Prince, the Archduke should forthwith restore the
Princess to her father the Constable and her aunt Angouleme, who had
already made their petitions to Albert and Isabella for that end, to
which the King now added his own most particular prayers.

If the Archduke should refuse consent to these three conditions, Henry
begged that he would abstain from any farther attempt to effect a
reconciliation and not suffer Conde to remain any longer within his
territories.

Pecquius replied that he thought his master might agree to the two first
propositions while demurring to the third, as it would probably not seem
honourable to him to separate man and wife, and as it was doubtful
whether the Princess would return of her own accord.