The king almost entirely lost his courage; but as the queens, the members of the nobility who were present, and the ambassadors, had their eyes fixed upon him, he overcame his emotion by a violent effort, and invited the latter to speak.

Whereupon one of the Spanish deputies made a long oration, in which he boasted the advantages which the Spanish alliance would offer.
The king interrupted him, saying, "Monsieur, I trust that whatever is best for France must be exceedingly advantageous for Spain." This remark, and particularly the peremptory tone in which it was pronounced, made the ambassadors pale, and brought the color into the cheeks of the two queens, who, being Spanish, felt wounded in their pride of relationship and nationality by this reply.
The Dutch ambassador then began to address himself to the king, and complained of the injurious suspicions which the king exhibited against the government of his country.
The king interrupted him, saying, "It is very singular, monsieur, that you should come with any complaint, when it is I rather who have reason to be dissatisfied; and yet, you see, I do not complain." "Complain, sire, and in what respect ?" The king smiled bitterly.

"Will you blame me, monsieur," he said, "if I should happen to entertain suspicions against a government which authorizes and protects international impertinence ?" "Sire!" "I tell you," resumed the king, exciting himself by a recollection of his own personal annoyance, rather than from political grounds, "that Holland is a land of refuge for all who hate me, and especially for all who malign me." "Oh, sire!" "You wish for proofs, perhaps?
Very good; they can be had easily enough.
Whence proceed all those vile and insolent pamphlets which represent me as a monarch without glory and without authority?
your printing-presses groan under their number.

If my secretaries were here, I would mention the titles of the works as well as the names of the printers." "Sire," replied the ambassador, "a pamphlet can hardly be regarded as the work of a whole nation.

Is it just, is it reasonable, that a great and powerful monarch like your majesty should render a whole nation responsible for the crime of a few madmen, who are, perhaps, only scribbling in a garret for a few sous to buy bread for their family ?" "That may be the case, I admit.