"This palace," says the baron in his Memoirs, "which was of great magnificence, surrounded by terraced gardens and superbly furnished, was occupied by Monseigneur Michel Poncet de La Riviere.

He was a man passionately devoted to pleasures of all kinds, especially to music, women, and good cheer.

There were always to be found in his house good musicians, pretty women, and excellent wines.

These latter suited him so well that he never left the table without being in a pleasant humour, and at such a moment if it came into his head that anyone in his diocese was not as good a Christian as himself, he would sit down and write to M.de Baville, urging that the delinquent ought to be sent into exile.

He often did this honour to my late father." M.d'Aygaliers goes on to say that "on seeing such a great number of Huguenots in the court who were all declaring that they were better servants of the king than the Catholics, he almost fell from his balcony with vexation and surprise.