the memoirs of louis xiv-01-第16节

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to　this　he　quarrelled　openly　with　M。　de　Richelieu；　and　made　a　bitter
attack　upon　him　in　one　of　his　pleas。　　But　M。　de　Richelieu；　meeting　him
soon　after　in　the　Salle　des　Gardes　at　Versailles；　told　him　to　his　face
that　he　should　soon　have　a　reply；　and　said　that　he　feared　him　neither　on
horseback　nor　on　footneither　him　nor　his　crewneither　in　town　nor　at
the　Court；　nor　even　in　the　army；　nor　in　any　place　in　the　world；　and
without　allowing　time　for　a　reply　he　turned　on　his　heel。　　In　the　end；　M。
de　Luxembourg　found　himself　so　closely　pressed　that　he　was　glad　to
apologise　to　M。　de　Richelieu。

After　a　time　our　cause；　sent　back　again　to　the　Parliament；　was　argued
there　with　the　same　vigour；　the　same　partiality；　and　the　same　injustice
as　before：　seeing　this；　we　felt　that　the　only　course　left　open　to　us　was
to　get　the　case　sent　before　the　Assembly　of　all　the　Chambers；　where　the
judges；　from　their　number；　could　not　be　corrupted　by　M。　de　Luxembourg；
and　where　the　authority　of　Harlay　was　feeble；　while　over　the　Grand
Chambre；　in　which　the　case　was　at　present；　it　was　absolute。　　The
difficulty　was　to　obtain　an　assembly　of　all　the　Chambers；　for　the　power
of　summoning　them　was　vested　solely　in　Harlay。　　However；　we　determined　to
try　and　gain　his　consent。　　M。　de　Chaulnes　undertook　to　go　upon　this
delicate　errand；　and　acquitted　himself　well　of　his　mission。　　He　pointed
out　to　Harlay　that　everybody　was　convinced　of　his　leaning　towards　M。　de
Luxembourg；　and　that　the　only　way　to　efface　the　conviction　that　had　gone
abroad　was　to　comply　with　our　request；　in　fine；　he　used　so　many
arguments；　and　with　such　address；　that　Harlay；　confused　and　thrown　off
his　guard；　and　repenting　of　the　manner　in　which　he　had　acted　towards　us
as　being　likely　to　injure　his　interests；　gave　a　positive　assurance　to　M。
de　Chaulnes　that　what　we　asked　should　be　granted。

We　had　scarcely　finished　congratulating　ourselves　upon　this　unhoped…for
success；　when　we　found　that　we　had　to　do　with　a　man　whose　word　was　a　very
sorry　support　to　rest　upon。　　M。　de　Luxembourg；　affrighted　at　the　promise
Harlay　had　given；　made　him　resolve　to　break　it。　　Suspecting　this；　M。　de
Chaulnes　paid　another　visit　to　the　Chief　President；　who　admitted；　with
much　confusion；　that　he　had　changed　his　views；　and　that　it　was　impossible
to　carry　out　what　he　had　agreed　to。　　After　this　we　felt　that　to　treat　any
longer　with　a　man　so　perfidious　would　be　time　lost；　and　we　determined；
therefore；　to　put　it　out　of　his　power　to　judge　the　case　at　all。

According　to　the　received　maxim；　whoever　is　at　law　with　the　son　cannot　be
judged　by　the　father。　　Harlay　had　a　son　who　was　Advocate…General。　　We
resolved　that　one　among　us　should　bring　an　action　against　him。

After　trying　in　vain　to　induce　the　Duc　de　Rohan；　who　was　the　only　one　of
our　number　who　could　readily　have　done　it；　to　commence　a　suit　against
Harlay's　sort；　we　began　to　despair　of　arriving　at　our　aim。　　Fortunately
for　us；　the　vexation　of　Harlay　became　so　great　at　this　time；　in
consequence　of　the　disdain　with　which　we　treated　him；　and　which　we　openly
published；　that　he　extricated　us　himself　from　our　difficulty。　　We　had
only　to　supplicate　the　Duc　de　Gesvres　in　the　cause　（he　said　to　some　of
our　people）；　and　we　should　obtain　what　we　wanted；　for　the　Duc　de　Gesvres
vas　his　relative。　　We　took　him　at　his　word。　　The；　Duc　de　Gesvres　received
in　two　days　a　summons　on　our　part。　　Harlay；　annoyed　with　himself　for　the
advice　he　had　given；　relented　of　it：　but　it　was　too　late；　he　was　declared
unable　to　judge　the　cause；　and　the　case　itself　was　postponed　until　the
next　year。

Meanwhile；　let　me　mention　a　circumstance　which　should　have　found　a　place
before；　and　then　state　what　occurred　in　the　interval　which　followed　until
the　trial　recommenced。

It　was　while　our　proceedings　were　making　some　little　stir　that　fresh
favours　were　heaped　upon　the　King's　illegitimate　sons；　at　the　instance　of
the　King　himself；　and　with　the　connivance　of　Harlay；　who；　for　the　part　he
took　in　the　affair；　was　promised　the　chancellorship　when　it　should　become
vacant。　　The　rank　of　these　illegitimate　sons　was　placed　just　below　that
of　the　princes；　of　the　blood；　and　just　above　that　of　the　peers　even　of
the　oldest　creation。　　This　gave　us　all　exceeding　annoyance：　it　was　the
greatest　injury　the　peerage　could　have　received；　and　became　its　leprosy
and　sore。　　All　the　peers　who　could；　kept　themselves　aloof　from　the
parliament；　when　M。　du　Maine；　M。　de　Vendome；　and　the　Comte　de　Toulouse；
for　whom　this　arrangement　was　specially　made；　were　received　there。

There　were　several　marriages　at　the　Court　this　winter　and　many　very　fine
balls；　at　which　latter　I　danced。　　By　the　spring；　preparations　were　ready
for　fresh　campaigns。　　My　regiment　（I　had　bought　one　at　the　close　of　the
last　season）　was　ordered　to　join　the　army　of　M。　de　Luxembourg；　but；　as　I
had　no　desire　to　be　under　him；　I　wrote　to　the　King；　begging　to　be
exchanged。　　In　a　short　time；　to　the　great　vexation；　as　I　know；　of　M。　de
Luxembourg；　my　request　was　granted。　　The　Chevalier　de　Sully　went　to
Flanders　in　my　place；　and　I　to　Germany　in　his。　　I　went　first　to　Soissons
to　see　my　regiment；　and　in　consequence　of　the　recommendation　of　the　King；
was　more　severe　with　it　than　I　should　otherwise　have　been。　　I　set　out
afterwards　for　Strasbourg；　where　I　was　surprised　with　the　magnificence　of
the　town；　and　with　the　number；　beauty；　and　grandeur　of　its
fortifications。　　As　from　my　youth　I　knew　and　spoke　German　perfectly；　I
sought　out　one　of　my　early　German　acquaintances；　who　gave　me　much
pleasure。　　I　stopped　six　days　at　Strasbourg　and　then　went　by　the　Rhine　to
Philipsburg。　　On　the　next　day　after　arriving　there；　I　joined　the　cavalry；
which　was　encamped　at　Obersheim。

After　several　movementsin　which　we　passed　and　repassed　the　Rhinebut
which　led　to　no　effective　result；　we　encamped　for　forty　days　at　Gaw…
Boecklheim；　one　of　the　best　and　most　beautiful　positions　in　the　world；
and　where　we　had　charming　weather；　although　a　little　disposed　to　cold。
It　was　in　the　leisure　of　that　long　camp　that　I　commenced　these　memoirs；
incited　by　the　pleasure　I　took　in　reading　those　of　Marshal　Bassompierre；
which　invited　me　thus　to　write　what　I　should　see　in　my　own　time。

During　this　season　M。　de　Noailles　took　Palamos；　Girone；　and　the　fortress
of　Castel…Follit　in　Catalonia。　　This　last　was　taken　by　the　daring　of　a
soldier；　who　led　on　a　small　number　of　his　comrades；　and　carried　the　place
by　assault。　　Nothing　was　done　in　Italy；　and　in　Flanders　M。　de　Luxembourg
came　to　no　engagement　with　the　Prince　of　Orange。




CHAPTER　VI

After　our　long　rest　at　the　camp　of　Gaw…Boecklheim　we　again　put　ourselves
in　movement；　but　without　doing　much　against　the　enemy；　and　on　the　16th　of
October　I　received　permission　to　return　to　Paris。　　Upon　my　arrival　there
I　learnt　that　many　things　had　occurred　since　I　left。　　During　that　time
some　adventures　had　happened　to　the　Princesses；　as　the　three　illegitimate
daughters　of　the　King　were　called　for　distinction　sake。　　Monsieur　wished
that　the　Duchesse　de　Chartres　should　always　call　the　others　〃sister；〃　but
that　the　others　should　never　address　her　except　as　〃Madame。〃　　The
Princesse　de　Conti　submitted　to　this；　but　the　other　（Madame　la　Duchesse；
being　the　produce　of　the　same　love）　set　herself　to　call　the　Duchesse　de
Chartres　〃mignonne。〃　　But　nothing　was　less　a　mignonne　than　her　face　and
her　figure；　and　Monsieur；　feeling　the　ridicule；　complained　to　the　King。
The　King　prohibited　very　severely　this　familiarity。

While　at　Trianon　these　Princesses　took　it　into　their　heads　to　walk　out
at　night　and　divert　themselves　with　crackers。　　Either　from　malice　or
imprudence　they　let　off　some　one　night　under　the　windows　of　Monsieur；
rousing　him　thereby　out　of　his　sleep。　　He　was　so　displeased；　that　he
complained　to　the　King；　who　made　him　many　excuses　（scolding　the
Princesses）；　but　had　great　trouble　to　appease　him。　　His　anger　lasted　a
long　time；　and　the　Duchesse　de　Chartres　felt　it。　　I　do　not　know　if　the
other　two　were　very　sorry。　　Madame　la　Duchesse　was　accused　of　writing
some　songs　upon　the　Duchesse　de　Chartres。

The　Princesse　de　Conti　had　another　adventure；　which　made　considerable
noise；　and　which　had　great　results。　　She　had　taken　into　her　favour
Clermont；　ensign　of　the　gensdarmes　and　of　the　Guard。　　He　had　pretended　to
be　enamoured　of　her；　and　had　not　been　repelled；　for　she　soon　became　in
love　with　him。　　Clermont　had　attached　himself　to　the　service　of　M。　de
Luxembourg；　and　was　the　merest　creature　in　his　hands。　　At　the　instigation
of　M。　de　Luxembourg；　he　turned　away　his　regards　from　the　Princesse　de
Conti；　and　fixed　them　upon　one　of　her　maids　of　honourMademoiselle
Choin；　a　great；　ugly；　brown；　thick…set　girl；　upon　whom　Monseigneur　had
lately　bestowed　his　affection。　　Monseigneur　made　no　secret　of　this；　nor
did　she。　　Such　being　the　case；　it　occurred　to　M。　de　Luxembourg　（who　knew
he　was　no　favourite　with　the　King；　and　who　built　all　his　hopes　of　the
future　upon　Monseigneur）　that　Clermont；　by　marrying　La　Choin；　might　thus
secure　the　favour　of　Monseigneur；　whose　entire　confidence　she　possessed。
Clermont　was　easily　persuaded　that　this　would　be　for　him　a　royal　road　to
fortune；　and　he　accordingly　entered　willingly　i