The year 1605 commenced, as had been the case each year since the peace, with a succession of court-festivals; tilts and tournaments, balls and masquerades, occupied the attention of the privileged; presents of value were exchanged by the sovereigns and princes; and during all this incessant dissipation, the Parliament was diligently employed upon the trial of the conspirators.

On Saturday, the 29th of January, the Count d'Auvergne was placed on the sellette, where L'Etoile asserts that he communicated much more than was required of him ; while the Queen, anxious to secure the condemnation of Madame de Verneuil, and at the same time to intimidate the favourites by whom she might be succeeded, appeared in person as one of the accusing witnesses; nor did Henry, who had already decided upon the pardon of the marquise, attempt to dissuade her from this extraordinary measure ; and it is even probable that as the design of the King was merely to humble the pride of the haughty marquise, in order to render her more submissive to his authority, he was by no means disinclined to suffer Marie to give free vent to her indignation and contempt.

The Parliament had nominated as its commissaries, Achille de Harlay, the first president, and MM. Etienne Dufour and Philibert Turin, counsellors, to whose interrogatories, however, the Count d'Auvergne at first refused to reply, alleging as his reason the pardon which had been accorded to him by Henry during the past year.