the memoirs of louis xiv-01-第15节

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second。　　The　following　are　the　names　and　the　order　in　precedence　of　the
dukes　he　wished　to　supersede：

The　Duc　d'Elboeuf；　the　Duc　de　Montbazon；　the　Duc　de　Ventadour；　the　Duc　de
Vendome；　the　Duc　de　la　Tremoille；　the　Duc　de　Sully；　the　Duc　de　Chevreuse；
the　son　（minor）　of　the　Duchesse　de　Lesdiguieres…Gondi；　the　Duc　de
Brissac；　Charles　d'Albert；　called　d'Ailly；　the　Duc　de　Richelieu；　the　Duc
de　Saint…Simon；　the　Duc　de　la　Rochefoucauld；　the　Duc　de　la　Force；　the　Duc
de　Valentinois；　the　Duc　de　Rohan；　the　Duc　de　Bouillon。

To　explain　this　pretension　of　M。　de　Luxembourg；　I　must　give　some　details
respecting　him　and　the　family　whose　name　he　bore。　　He　was　the　only　son　of
M。　de　Bouteville；　and　had　married　a　descendant　of　Francois　de　Luxembourg；
Duke　of　Piney；　created　Peer　of　France　in　1581。　　It　was　a　peerage　which；
in　default　of　male　successors；　went　to　the　female；　but　this　descendant
was　not　heir　to　it。　　She　was　the　child　of　a　second　marriage；　and　by　a
first　marriage　her　mother　had　given　birth　to　a　son　and　a　daughter；　who
were　the　inheritors　of　the　peerage；　both　of　whom　were　still　living。　　The
son　was；　however；　an　idiot；　had　been　declared　incapable　of　attending　to
his　affairs；　and　was　shut　up　in　Saint　Lazare；　at　Paris。　　The　daughter　had
taken　the　veil；　and　was　mistress　of　the　novices　at　the　Abbaye…aux…Bois。
The　peerage　had　thus；　it　might　almost　be　said；　become　extinct；　for　it　was
vested　in　an　idiot；　who　could　not　marry　（to　prevent　him　doing　so；　he　had
been　made　a　deacon；　and　he　was　bound　in　consequence　to　remain　single）；
and　in　a　nun；　who　was　equally　bound　by　her　vows　to　the　same　state　of
celibacy。

When　M。　de　Bouteville；　for　that　was　his　only　title　then；　married；　he　took
the　arms　and　the　name　of　Luxembourg。　　He　did　more。　　By　powerful
influencenotably　that　of　his　patron　the　Prince　de　Condehe　released
the　idiot　deacon　from　his　asylum；　and　the　nun　from　her　convent；　and
induced　them　both　to　surrender　to　him　their　possessions　and　their　titles。
This　done；　he　commenced　proceedings　at　once　in　order　to　obtain　legal
recognition　of　his　right　to　the　dignities　he　had　thus　got　possession　of。
He　claimed　to　be　acknowledged　Duc　de　Piney；　with　all　the　privileges
attached　to　that　title　as　a　creation　of　1581。　　Foremost　among　these
privileges　was　that　of　taking　precedence　of　all　dukes　whose　title　did　not
go　back　so　far　as　that　year。　　Before　any　decision　was　given　either　for　or
against　this　claim；　he　was　made　Duc　de　Piney　by　new　letters　patent；
dating　from　1662；　with　a　clause　which　left　his　pretensions　to　the　title
of　1581　by　no　means　affected　by　this　new　creation。　　M。　de　Luxembourg；
however；　seemed　satisfied　with　what　he　had　obtained；　and　was　apparently
disposed　to　pursue　his　claim　no　further。　　He　was　received　as　Duke　and
Peer　in　the　Parliament；　took　his　seat　in　the　last　rank　after　all　the
other　peers；　and　allowed　his　suit　to　drop。　　Since　then　he　had　tried
successfully　to　gain　it　by　stealth；　but　for　several　years　nothing　more
had　been　heard　of　it。　　Now；　however；　he　recommenced　it；　and　with　every
intention；　as　we　soon　found；　to　stop　at　no　intrigue　or　baseness　in　order
to　carry　his　point。

Nearly　everybody　was　in　his　favour。　　The　Court；　though　not　the　King；　was
almost　entirely　for　him；　and　the　town；　dazzled　by　the　splendour　of　his
exploits；　was　devoted　to　him。　　The　young　men　regarded　him　as　the
protector　of　their　debauches；　for；　notwithstanding　his　age；　his　conduct
was　as　free　as　theirs。　　He　had　captivated　the　troops　and　the　general
officers。

In　the　Parliament　he　had　a　staunch　supporter　in　Harlay；　the　Chief
President；　who　led　that　great　body　at　his　will；　and　whose　devotion　he　had
acquired　to　such　a　degree；　that　he　believed　that　to　undertake　and　succeed
were　only　the　same　things；　and　that　this　grand　affair　would　scarcely　cost
him　a　winter　to　carry。

Let　me　say　something　more　of　this　Harlay。

Descended　from　two　celebrated　magistrates；　Achille　d'Harlay　and
Christopher　De　Thou；　Harlay　imitated　their　gravity；　but　carried　it　to　a
cynical　extent；　affected　their　disinterestedness　and　modesty；　but
dishonoured　the　first　by　his　conduct；　and　the　second　by　a　refined　pride
which　he　endeavoured　without　success　to　conceal。　　He　piqued　himself；
above　all　things；　upon　his　probity　and　justice；　but　the　mask　soon　fell。
Between　Peter　and　Paul　he　maintained　the　strictest　fairness；　but　as　soon
as　he　perceived　interest　or　favour　to　be　acquired；　he　sold　himself。　　This
trial　will　show　him　stripped　of　all　disguise。　　He　was　learned　in　the　law；
in　letters　he　was　second　to　no　one；　he　was　well　acquainted　with　history；
and　knew　how；　above　all；　to　govern　his　company　with　an　authority　which
suffered　no　reply；　and　which　no　other　chief　president　had　ever　attained。

A　pharisaical　austerity　rendered　him　redoubtable　by　the　license　he
assumed　in　his　public　reprimands；　whether　to　plaintiffs；　or　defendants；
advocates　or　magistrates；　so　that　there　was　not　a　single　person　who　did
not　tremble　to　have　to　do　with　him。　　Besides　this；　sustained　in　all　by
the　Court　（of　which　he　was　the　slave；　and　the　very　humble　servant　of
those　who　were　really　in　favour）；　a　subtle　courtier；　a　singularly　crafty
politician；　he　used　all　those　talents　solely　to　further　his　ambition；　his
desire　of　domination　and　his　thirst　of　the　reputation　of　a　great　man。
He　was　without　real　honour；　secretly　of　corrupt　manners；　with　only
outside　probity；　without　humanity　even；　in　one　word；　a　perfect　hypocrite；
without　faith；　without　law；　without　a　God；　and　without　a　soul；　a　cruel
husband；　a　barbarous　father；　a　tyrannical　brother；　a　friend　of　himself
alone；　wicked　by　naturetaking　pleasure　in　insulting；　outraging；　and
overwhelming　others；　and　never　in　his　life　having　lost　an　occasion　to　do
so。　　His　wit　was　great；　but　was　always　subservient　to　his　wickedness。
He　was　small；　vigorous；　and　thin；　with　a　lozenge…shaped　face；　a　long
aquiline　nosefine；　speaking；　keen　eyes；　that　usually　looked　furtively
at　you；　but　which；　if　fixed　on　a　client　or　a　magistrate；　were　fit　to　make
him　sink　into　the　earth。　　He　wore　narrow　robes；　an　almost　ecclesiastical
collar　and　wristband　to　match；　a　brown　wig　mimed　with　white；　thickly
furnished　but　short；　and　with　a　great　cap　over　it。　　He　affected　a　bending
attitude；　and　walked　so；　with　a　false　air；　more　humble　than　modest；　and
always　shaved　along　the　walls；　to　make　people　make　way　for　him　with
greater　noise；　and　at　Versailles　worked　his　way　on　by　a　series　of
respectful　and；　as　it　were；　shame…faced　bows　to　the　right　and　left。　　He
held　to　the　King　and　to　Madame　de　Maintenon　by　knowing　their　weak　side；
and　it　was　he　who；　being　consulted　upon　the　unheard…of　legitimation　of
children　without　naming　the　mother；　had　sanctioned　that　illegality　in
favour　of　the　King。

Such　was　the　man　whose　influence　was　given　entirely　to　our　opponent。

To　assist　M。　de　Luxembourg's　case　as　much　as　possible；　the　celebrated
Racine；　so　known　by　his　plays；　and　by　the　order　he　had　received　at　that
time　to　write　the　history　of　the　King；　was　employed　to　polish　and
ornament　his　pleas。　　Nothing　was　left　undone　by　M。　de　Luxembourg　in　order
to　gain　this　cause。

I　cannot　give　all　the　details　of　the　case；　the　statements　made　on　both
sides；　and　the　defences；　they　would　occupy　entire　volumes。　　We　maintained
that　M。　de　Luxembourg　was　in　no　way　entitled　to　the　precedence　he
claimed；　and　we　had　both　law　and　justice　on　our　side。　　To　give
instructions　to　our　counsel；　and　to　follow　the　progress　of　the　case；
we　met　once　a　week；　seven　or　eight　of　us　at　least；　those　best　disposed
to　give　our　time　to　the　matter。　　Among　the　most　punctual　was　M。　de　la
Rochefoucauld。　　I　had　been　solicited　from　the　commencement　to　take　part
in　the　proceedings；　and　I　complied　most　willingly；　apologising　for　so
doing　to　M。　de　Luxembourg；　who　replied　with　all　the　politeness　and
gallantry　possible；　that　I　could　not　do　less　than　follow　an　example　my
father　had　set　me。

The　trial　having　commenced；　we　soon　saw　how　badly　disposed　the　Chief
President　was　towards　us。　　He　obstructed　us　in　every　way；　and　acted
against　all　rules。　　There　seemed　no　other　means　of　defeating　his　evident
intention　of　judging　against　us　than　by　gaining　time；　first　of　all；　and
to　do　this　we　determined　to　get　the　case　adjourned；　There　were；　however；
only　two　days　at　our　disposal；　and　that　was　not　enough　in　order　to　comply
with　the　forms　required　for　such　a　step。　　We　were　all　in　the　greatest
embarrassment；　when　it　fortunately　came　into　the　head　of　one　of　our
lawyers　to　remind　us　of　a　privilege　we　possessed；　by　which；　without　much
difficulty；　we　could　obtain　what　we　required。　　I　was　the　only　one　who
could；　at　that　moment；　make　use　of　this　privilege。　　I　hastened　home；　at
once；　to　obtain　the　necessary　papers；　deposited　them　with　the　procureur
of　M。　de　Luxembourg；　and　the　adjournment　was　obtained。　　The　rage　of　M。　de
Luxembourg　was　without　bounds。　　When　we　met　he　would　not　salute　me；　and
in　consequence　I　discontinued　to　salute　him；　by　which　he　lost　more　than
I；　in　his　position　and　at　his　age；　and　furnished　in　the　rooms　and　the
galleries　of　Versailles　a　sufficiently　ridiculous　spectacle。　　In　addition
to　this　he　quarrelled　openly　with　M。　de　Richelieu；　and　made　a　bitter
attack　upon　him　in　one　of　his　pleas。　　But