Lives of the last four princesses of the royal house of Stuart

274 THE PRINCESS HENRIETTA ANNE. [Ifi69.
She reluctantly consented, and the poor bishop tendered
his resignation to Monsieur, who accepted it with the
ungracious observation, " that he had done well to leave
voluntarily, as he had thus saved himself from a compulsory
dismissal." Soon after Monsieur ordered the bishop to
retire to his diocese, and on his refusal, he threatened to
procure a sentence of exile from the King. " Monsieur will
find that a much easier matter than to obtain a govern-
ment," was the rash retort of the persecuted bishop, now
quite out of all patience with the unkind manner of his
treatment. This ton mot being repeated to the King, so
offended his majesty, who construed it into a breach of
confidence, in regard to the private matter on which he had
been employed to communicate between the royal brothers,
that he was banished from Paris.
Henrietta, who valued his advice, and was accustomed
to consult him on all affairs of difficulty, vainly strove to
obtain his pardon from the offended sovereign. Louis was
inexorable. She then employed Madame de St. Chaumont
to enter into a private correspondence with the exiled
bishop, instructing her to ask how an interview between
him and Madame could be accomplished. He, in
reply, stated the impossibility of quitting his exile unre-
called. Henrietta entreated him not to deny his aid to
her in her difficulties. Thus urged by a Princess to whom
he owed so many obligations, the bishop asked and obtained
permission, from the King to proceed on family business to
Limousin. When there he put off his episcopal dress,
and travelled, with great speed, in the habiliments of a
private gentleman, to Paris, where he was to meet Madame,
for a long consultation ; but the haste with which he
travelled, and the agitation he experienced at breaking his
parole to the King, and the danger he felt he was incur-
ring, threw him into a fever, that retarded him on his