the memoirs of louis xiv-01-第12节

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satisfactory　conclusion。　　The　King　allowed　him　to　speak　to　the　end；　and
then　assumed　a　severe　air。　　〃It　is　true；〃　said　he；　〃that　I　am　enamoured
of　her；　that　I　feel　it；　that　I　seek　her；　that　I　speak　of　her　willingly；
and　think　of　her　still　more　willingly；　it　is　true　also　that　I　act　thus　in
spite　of　myself；　because　I　am　mortal　and　have　this　weakness；　but　the　more
facility　I　have　as　King　to　gratify　myself；　the　more　I　ought　to　be　on　my
guard　against　sin　and　scandal。　　I　pardon　you　this　time；　but　never　address
to　me　a　similar　discourse　again　if　you　wish　that　I　should　continue　to
love　you。〃　　This　was　a　thunderbolt　for　my　father；　the　scales　fell　from
his　eyes；　the　idea　of　the　King's　timidity　in　love　disappeared　before　the
display　of　a　virtue　so　pure　and　so　triumphant。

My　father's　career　was　for　a　long　time　very　successful；　but　unfortunately
he　had　an　enemy　who　brought　it　to　an　end。　　This　enemy　was　M。　de　Chavigny：
he　was　secretary　of　state；　and　had　also　the　war　department。　　Either　from
stupidity　or　malice　he　had　left　all　the　towns　in　Picardy　badly　supported；
a　circumstance　the　Spaniards　knew　well　how　to　profit　by　when　they　took
Corbie　in　1636。　　My　father　had　an　uncle　who　commanded　in　one　of　these
towns；　La　Capelle；　and　who　had　several　times　asked　for　ammunition　and
stores　without　success。　　My　father　spoke　upon　this　subject　to　Chavigny；
to　the　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；　and　to　the　King；　but　with　no　good　effect。
La　Capelle；　left　without　resources；　fell　like　the　places　around。　　As　I
have　said　before；　Louis　XIII。　did　not　long　allow　the　Spaniards　to　enjoy
the　advantages　they　had　gained。　　All　the　towns　in　Picardy　were　soon
retaken；　and　the　King；　urged　on　by　Chavigny；　determined　to　punish　the
governors　of　these　places　for　surrendering　them　so　easily。　　My　father's
uncle　was　included　with　the　others。　　This　injustice　was　not　to　be　borne。
My　father　represented　the　real　state　of　the　case　and　used　every　effort；
to　save　his　uncle；　but　it　was　in　vain。　　Stung　to　the　quick　he　demanded
permission　to　retire；　and　was　allowed　to　do　so。　　Accordingly；　at　the
commencement　of　1637；　he　left　for　Blaye；　and　remained　there　until　the
death　of　Cardinal　Richelieu。　　During　this　retirement　the　King　frequently
wrote　to　him；　in　a　language　they　had　composed　so　as　to　speak　before
people　without　being　understood；　and　I　possess　still　many　of　these
letters；　with　much　regret　that　I　am　ignorant　of　their　contents。

Chavigny　served　my　father　another　ill　turn。　　At　the　Cardinal's　death　my
father　had　returned　to　the　Court　and　was　in　greater　favour　than　ever。
Just　before　Louis　XIII。　died　he　gave　my　father　the　place　of　first　master
of　the　horse；　but　left　his　name　blank　in　the　paper　fixing　the
appointment。　　The　paper　was　given　into　the　hands　of　Chavigny。　　At　the
King's　death　he　had　the　villainy；　in　concert　with　the　Queen…regent；　to
fill　in　the　name　of　Comte　d'Harcourt；　instead　of　that　the　King　had
instructed　him　of。　　The　indignation　of　my　father　was　great；　but；　as　he
could　obtain　no　redress；　he　retired　once　again　to　his　Government　of
Blaye。　　Notwithstanding　the　manner　in　which　he　had　been　treated　by　the
Queen…regent；　he　stoutly　defended　her　cause　when　the　civil　war　broke　out；
led　by　M。　le　Prince。　　He　garrisoned　Blaye　at　his　own　expense；　incurring
thereby　debts　which　hung　upon　him　all　his　life；　and　which　I　feel　the
effects　of　still；　and　repulsed　all　attempts　of　friends　to　corrupt　his
loyalty。　　The　Queen　and　Mazarin　could　not　close　their　eyes　to　his
devotion；　and　offered　him；　while　the　war　was　still　going　on；　a　marechal's
baton；　or　the　title　of　foreign　prince。　　But　he　refused　both；　and　the
offer　was　not　renewed　when　the　war　ended。　　These　disturbances　over；　and
Louis　XIV。　being　married；　my　father　came　again　to　Paris；　where　he　had
many　friends。　　He　had　married　in　1644；　and　had　had；　as　I　have　said；　one
only　daughter。　　His　wife　dying　in　1670；　and　leaving　him　without　male
children；　he　determined；　however　much　he　might　be　afflicted　at　the　loss
he　had　sustained；　to　marry　again；　although　old。　　He　carried　out　his
resolution　in　October　of　the　same　year；　and　was　very　pleased　with　the
choice　he　had　made。　　He　liked　his　new　wife　so　much；　in　fact；　that　when
Madame　de　Montespan　obtained　for　her　a　place　at　the　Court；　he　declined　it
at　once。　　At　his　ageit　was　thus　he　wrote　to　Madame　de　Montespan；　he　had
taken　a　wife　not　for　the　Court；　but　for　himself。　　My　mother；　who　was
absent　when　the　letter　announcing　the　appointment　was　sent；　felt　much
regret；　but　never　showed　it。

Before　I　finish　this　account　of　my　father；　I　will　here　relate　adventures
which　happened　to　him；　and　which　I　ought　to　have　placed　before　his　second
marriage。　　A　disagreement　arose　between　my　father　and　M。　de　Vardes；　and
still　existed　long　after　everybody　thought　they　were　reconciled。　　It　was
ultimately　agreed　that　upon　an　early　day；　at　about　twelve　o'clock；　they
should　meet　at　the　Porte　St。　Honore；　then　a　very　deserted　spot；　and　that
the　coach　of　M。　de　Vardes　should　run　against　my　father's；　and　a　general
quarrel　arise　between　masters　and　servants。　　Under　cover　of　this　quarrel；
a　duel　could　easily　take　place；　and　would　seem　simply　to　arise　out　of　the
broil　there　and　then　occasioned。　　On　the　morning　appointed；　my　father
called　as　usual　upon　several　of　his　friends；　and；　taking　one　of　them　for
second；　went　to　the　Porte　St。　Honore。　　There　everything　fell　out　just　as
had　been　arranged。　　The　coach　of　M。　de　Vardes　struck　against　the　other。
My　father　leaped　out；　M。　de　Vardes　did　the　same；　and　the　duel　took　place。
M。　de　Vardes　fell；　and　was　disarmed。　　My　father　wished　to　make　him　beg
for　his　life；　he　would　not　do　this；　but　confessed　himself　vanquished。
My　father's　coach　being　the　nearest；　M。　de　Vardes　got　into　it。　　He
fainted　on　the　road。　　They　separated　afterwards　like　brave　people；　and
went　their　way。　　Madame　de　Chatillon；　since　of　Mecklenburg；　lodged　in　one
of　the　last　houses　near　the　Porte　St。　Honore；　and　at　the　noise　made　by
the　coaches；　put；　her　head　to　the　window；　and　coolly　looked　at　the　whole
of　the　combat。　　It　soon　made　a　great　noise。　　My　father　was　complimented
everywhere。　　M。　de　Vardes　was　sent　for　ten　or　twelve　days　to　the
Bastille。　　My　father　and　he　afterwards　became　completely　reconciled　to
each　other。

The　other　adventure　was　of　gentler　ending。　　The　Memoirs　of　M。　de　la
Rochefoucauld　appeared。　　They　contained　certain　atrocious　and　false
statements　against　my　father；　who　so　severely　resented　the　calumny；　that
he　seized　a　pen；　and　wrote　upon　the　margin　of　the　book；　〃The　author　has
told　a　lie。〃　　Not　content　with　this；　he　went　to　the　bookseller；　whom　he
discovered　with　some　difficulty；　for　the　book　was　not　sold　publicly　at
first。　　He　asked　to　see　all　the　copies　of　the　work；　prayed；　promised；
threatened；　and　at　last　succeeded　in　obtaining　them。　　Then　he　took　a　pen
and　wrote　in　all　of　them　the　same　marginal　note。　　The　astonishment　of　the
bookseller　may　be　imagined。　　He　was　not　long　in　letting　M。　de　la
Rochefoucauld　know　what　had　happened　to　his　books：　it　may　well　be
believed　that　he　also　was　astonished。　　This　affair　made　great　noise。　　My
father；　having　truth　on　his　side；　wished　to　obtain　public　satisfaction
from　M。　de　la　Rochefoucauld。　　Friends；　however；　interposed；　and　the
matter　was　allowed　to　drop。　　But　M。　de　la　Rochefoucauld　never　pardoned　my
father；　so　true　it　is　that　we　less　easily　forget　the　injuries　we　inflict
than　those　that　we　receive。

My　father　passed　the　rest　of　his　long　life　surrounded　by　friends；　and
held　in　high　esteem　by　the　King　and　his　ministers。　　His　advice　was　often
sought　for　by　them；　and　was　always　acted　upon。　　He　never　consoled　himself
for　the　loss　of　Louis　XIII。；　to　whom　he　owed　his　advancement　and　his
fortune。　　Every　year　he　kept　sacred　the　day　of　his　death；　going　to　Saint…
Denis；　or　holding　solemnities　in　his　own　house　if　at　Blaye。　　Veneration；
gratitude；　tenderness；　ever　adorned　his　lips　every　time　he　spoke　of　that
monarch。




CHAPTER　IV

After　having　paid　the　last　duties　to　my　father　I　betook　myself　to　Mons　to
join　the　Royal　Roussillon　cavalry　regiment；　in　which　I　was　captain。　　The
King；　after　stopping　eight　or　ten　days　with　the　ladies　at　Quesnoy；　sent
them　to　Namur；　and　put　himself　at　the　head　of　the　army　of　M。　de
Boufflers；　and　camped　at　Gembloux；　so　that　his　left　was　only　half　a
league　distant　from　the　right　of　M。　de　Luxembourg。　　The　Prince　of　Orange
was　encamped　at　the　Abbey　of　Pure；　was　unable　to　receive　supplies；　and
could　not　leave　his　position　without　having　the　two　armies　of　the　King　to
grapple　with：　he　entrenched　himself　in　haste；　and　bitterly　repented
having　allowed　himself　to　be　thus　driven　into　a　corner。　　We　knew
afterwards　that　he　wrote　several　times　to　his　intimate　friend　the　Prince
de　Vaudemont；　saying　that　he　was　lost；　and　that　nothing　short　of　a
miracle　could　save　him。

We　were　in　this　position；　with　an　army　in　every　way　infinitely　superior
to　that　of　the　Prince　of　Orange；　and　with　four　whole　months　before　us　to
profit　by　our　strength；　when　the　King　declared　on　the　8th　of　June　that　he
should　return　to　Versailles；　and　sent　off　a　large　detachment　of　the　army
into　Germany。　　The　surprise　of　the　Marechal　de　Luxembourg　was　without
bounds。　　He　represented　the　facility　with　wh