Remonstrance of the Prince of Condé

And although from the month of April the Majesty of the King has been forced, and his name and authority have begun to be abused, it is nonetheless true that since then the matter has been recognized even more clearly and demonstrated by what is contained in certain letters from the Queen to the lords of Vieilleuille and the Count of Villars, dated the twenty-fourth of May last: where she writes in her own hand that she was surrendering the King her son into the hands of others, understanding by "the others" the enemies of the said Lord Prince. From which it follows that the judgment of rebellion, and all other things done under the name and authority of the King against the said Lord Prince and his associates, must be esteemed as done by their enemies, since the King is in their hands, as is apparent even by the testimony of the Queen. Now, therefore, I leave it to be considered what weight a judgment of condemnation should have when given by the parties and enemies of the condemned.

But let us further see what this great crime is that they call Rebellion, and upon what they have based themselves to lay it upon the said Lord Prince and his associates. It is, they say, because they do not wish to lay down their arms. If it is so, I ask what name one should give to them themselves, who, approaching the Court in arms, even though they had no armed enemies against them, nevertheless would not lay down their arms, despite whatever commands they received from the King, and who now retain them with the same audacity with which they