the memoirs of louis xiv-01-第14节

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King；　who　was　just　then　in　his　private　closet；　where　nobody　ever　entered
unless　expressly　summoned。　　But　La　Vauguyon　turned　the　key；　and；　in　spite
of　the　usher　on　guard；　forced　his　way　in。　　The　King　in　great　emotion
asked　him　what　was　the　matter。　　La　Vauguyon　on　his　knees　said　he　had　been
insulted　by　M。　de　Courtenay　and　demanded　pardon　for　having　drawn　his
sword　in　the　palace。　　His　Majesty；　promising　to　examine　the　matter；　with
great　trouble　got　rid　of　La　Vauguyon。　　As　nothing　could　be　made　of　it；　M。
de　Courtenay　declaring　he　had　been　insulted　by　La　Vauguyon　and　forced　to
draw　his　sword；　and　the　other　telling　the　same　tale；　both　were　sent　to
the　Bastille。　　After　a　short　imprisonment　they　were　released；　and
appeared　at　the　Court　as　usual。

Another　adventure；　which　succeeded　this；　threw　some　light　upon　the　state
of　affairs。　　Going　to　Versailles；　one　day；　La　Vauguyon　met　a　groom　of　the
Prince　de　Conde　leading　a　saddled　horse；　he　stopped　the　man；　descended
from　his　coach；　asked　whom　the　horse　belonged　to；　said　that　the　Prince
would　not　object　to　his　riding　it；　and　leaping　upon　the　animal's　back；
galloped　off。　　The　groom；　all　amazed；　followed　him。　　La　Vauguyon　rode　on
until　he　reached　the　Bastille；　descended　there；　gave　a　gratuity　to　the
man；　and　dismissed　him：　he　then　went　straight　to　the　governor　of　the
prison；　said　he　had　had　the　misfortune　to　displease　the　King；　and　begged
to　be　confined　there。　　The　governor；　having　no　orders　to　do　so；　refused；
and　sent　off　an　express　for　instructions　how　to　act。　　In　reply　he　was
told　not　to　receive　La　Vauguyon；　whom　at　last；　after　great　difficulty；　he
prevailed　upon　to　go　away。　　This　occurrence　made　great　noise。　　Yet　even
afterwards　the　King　continued　to　receive　La　Vauguyon　at　the　Court；　and　to
affect　to　treat　him　well；　although　everybody　else　avoided　him　and　was
afraid　of　him。　　His　poor　wife　became　so　affected　by　these　public
derangements；　that　she　retired　from　Paris；　and　shortly　afterwards　died。
This　completed　her　husband's　madness；　he　survived　her　only　a　month；　dying
by　his　own　hand；　as　I　have　mentioned。　　During　the　last　two　years　of　his
life　he　carried　pistols　in　his　carriage；　and　frequently　pointed　them　at
his　coachman　and　postilion。　　It　is　certain　that　without　the　assistance　of
M。　de　Beauvais　he　would　often　have　been　brought　to　the　last　extremities。
Beauvais　frequently　spoke　of　him　to　the　King；　and　it　is　inconceivable
that　having　raised　this　man　to　such　a　point；　and　having　always　shown　him
particular　kindness；　his　Majesty　should　perseveringly　have　left　him　to
die　of　hunger　and　become　mad　from　misery。

The　year　finished　without　any　remarkable　occurrence。

My　mother；　who　had　been　much　disquieted　for　me　during　the　campaign；
desired　strongly　that　I　should　not　make　another　without　being　married。
Although　very　young；　I　had　no　repugnance　to　marry；　but　wished　to　do　so
according　to　my　own　inclinations。　　With　a　large　establishment　I　felt　very
lonely　in　a　country　where　credit　and　consideration　do　more　than　all　the
rest。　　Without　uncle；　aunt；　cousins…German；　or　near　relatives；　I　found
myself；　I　say；　extremely　solitary。

Among　my　best　friends；　as　he　had　been　the　friend　of　my　father；　was　the
Duc　de　Beauvilliers。　　He　had　always　shown　me　much　affection；　and　I　felt　a
great　desire　to　unite　myself　to　his　family：　My　mother　approved　of　my
inclination；　and　gave　me　an　exact　account　of　my　estates　and　possessions。
I　carried　it　to　Versailles；　and　sought　a　private　interview　with　M。　de
Beauvilliers。　　At　eight　o'clock　the　same　evening　he　received　me　alone　in
the　cabinet　of　Madame　de　Beauvilliers。　　After　making　my　compliments　to
him；　I　told　him　my　wish；　showed　him　the　state　of　my　affairs；　and　said
that　all　I　demanded　of　him　was　one　of　his　daughters　in　marriage；　and　that
whatever　contract　he　thought　fit　to　draw　up　would　be　signed　by　my　mother
and　myself　without　examination。

The　Duke；　who　had　fixed　his　eyes　upon　me　all　this　time；　replied　like　a
man　penetrated　with　gratitude　by　the　offer　I　had　made。　　He　said；　that　of
his　eight　daughters　the　eldest　was　between　fourteen　and　fifteen　years
old；　the　second　much　deformed；　and　in　no　way　marriageable；　the　third
between　twelve　and　thirteen　years　of　age；　and　the　rest　were　children：　the
eldest　wished　to　enter　a　convent；　and　had　shown　herself　firm　upon　that
point。　　He　seemed　inclined　to　make　a　difficulty　of　his　want　of　fortune；
but；　reminding　him　of　the　proposition　I　had　made；　I　said　that　it　was　not
for　fortune　I　had　come　to　him；　not　even　for　his　daughter；　whom　I　had
never　seen；　that　it　was　he　and　Madame　de　Beauvilliers　who　had　charmed　me；
and　whom　I　wished　to　marry！

〃But；〃　said　he；　〃if　my　eldest　daughter　wishes　absolutely　to　enter　a
convent？〃

〃Then；〃　replied　I；　〃I　ask　the　third　of　you。〃　　To　this　he　objected；　on　the
ground　that　if　he　gave　the　dowry　of　the　first　to　the　third　daughter；　and
the　first　afterwards　changed　her　mind　and　wished　to　marry；　he　should　be
thrown　into　an　embarrassment。　　I　replied　that　I　would　take　the　third　as
though　the　first　were　to　be　married；　and　that　if　she　were　not；　the
difference　between　what　he　destined　for　her　and　what　he　destined　for　the
third；　should　be　given　to　me。　　The　Duke；　raising　his　eyes　to　heaven；
protested　that　he　had　never　been　combated　in　this　manner；　and　that　he　was
obliged　to　gather　up　all　his　forces　in　order　to　prevent　himself　yielding
to　me　that　very　instant。

On　the　next　day；　at　half…past　three；　I　had　another　interview　with　M。　de
Beauvilliers。　　With　much　tenderness　he　declined　my　proposal；　resting　his
refusal　upon　the　inclination　his　daughter　had　displayed　for　the　convent；
upon　his　little　wealth；　if；　the　marriage　of　the　third　being　made；　she
should　change　her　mindand　upon　other　reasons。　　He　spoke　to　me　with　much
regret　and　friendship；　and　I　to　him　in　the　same　manner；　and　we　separated；
unable　any　longer　to　speak　to　each　other。　　Two　days　after；　however；　I　had
another　interview　with　him　by　his　appointment。　　I　endeavoured　to　overcome
the　objections　that　he　made；　but　all　in　vain。　　He　could　not　give　me　his
third　daughter　with　the　first　unmarried；　and　he　would　not　force　her；　he
said；　to　change　her　wish　of　retiring　from　the　world。　　His　words；　pious
and　elevated；　augmented　my　respect　for　him；　and　my　desire　for　the
marriage。　　In　the　evening；　at　the　breaking　up　of　the　appointment；　I　could
not　prevent　myself　whispering　in　his　ear　that　I　should　never　live　happily
with　anybody　but　his　daughter；　and　without　waiting　for　a　reply　hastened
away。　　I　had　the　next　evening；　at　eight　o'clock；　an　interview　with　Madame
de　Beauvilliers。　　I　argued　with　her　with　such　prodigious　ardor　that　she
was　surprised；　and；　although　she　did　not　give　way；　she　said　she　would　be
inconsolable　for　the　loss　of　me；　repeating　the　same　tender　and　flattering
things　her　husband　had　said　before；　and　with　the　same　effusion　of
feeling。

I　had　yet　another　interview　with　M。　de　Beauvilliers。　　He　showed　even　more
affection　for　me　than　before；　but　I　could　not　succeed　in　putting　aside
his　scruples。　　He　unbosomed　himself　afterwards　to　one　of　our　friends；　and
in　his　bitterness　said　he　could　only　console　himself　by　hoping　that　his
children　and　mine　might　some　day　intermarry；　and　he　prayed　me　to　go　and
pass　some　days　at　Paris；　in　order　to　allow　him　to　seek　a　truce　to　his
grief　in　my　absence。　　We　both　were　in　want　of　it。　　I　have　judged　it
fitting　to　give　these　details；　for　they　afford　a　key　to　my　exceeding
intimacy　with　M。　de　Beauvilliers；　which　otherwise；　considering　the
difference　in　our　ages；　might　appear　incomprehensible。

There　was　nothing　left　for　me　but　to　look　out　for　another　marriage。　　One
soon　presented　itself；　but　as　soon　fell　to　the　ground；　and　I　went　to　La
Trappe　to　console　myself　for　the　impossibility　of　making　an　alliance　with
the　Duc　de　Beauvilliers。

La　Trappe　is　a　place　so　celebrated　and　so　well　known；　and　its　reformer　so
famous；　that　I　shall　say　but　little　about　it。　　I　will；　however；　mention
that　this　abbey　is　five　leagues　from　La　Ferme…au…Vidame；　or　Arnold；　which
is　the　real　distinctive　name　of　this　Ferme　among　so　many　other　Fetes　in
France；　which　have　preserved　the　generic　name　of　what　they　have　been；
that　is　to　say；　forts　or　fortresses　（'freitas'）。　　My　father　had　been　very
intimate　with　M。　de　la　Trappe；　and　had　taken　me　to　him。

Although　I　was　very　young　then；　M。　de　la　Trappe　charmed　me；　and　the
sanctity　of　the　place　enchanted　me。　　Every　year　I　stayed　some　days　there；
sometimes　a　week　at　a　time；　and　was　never　tired　of　admiring　this　great
and　distinguished　man。　　He　loved　me　as　a　son；　and　I　respected　him　as
though　he　were　any　father。　　This　intimacy；　singular　at　my　age；　I　kept
secret　from　everybody；　and　only　went　to　the　convent　clandestinely。




CHAPTER　V

On　my　return　from　La　Trappe；　I　became　engaged　in　an　affair　which　made　a
great　noise；　and　which　had　many　results　for　me。

M。　de　Luxembourg；　proud　of　his　successes；　and　of　the　applause　of　the
world　at　his　victories；　believed　himself　sufficiently　strong　to　claim
precedence　over　seventeen　dukes；　myself　among　the　number；　to　step；　in
fact；　from　the　eighteenth　rank；　that　he　held　amongst　the　peers；　to　the
second。　　The　following　are　the　names　and　the　order　in　precedence　of　the
dukes　he　wished　to　su