the memoirs of louis xiv-01-第17节

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Clermont　was　easily　persuaded　that　this　would　be　for　him　a　royal　road　to
fortune；　and　he　accordingly　entered　willingly　into　the　scheme；　which　had
just　begun　to　move；　when　the　campaign　commenced；　and　everybody　went　away
to　join　the　armies。

The　King；　who　partly　saw　this　intrigue；　soon　made　himself　entirely　master
of　it；　by　intercepting　the　letters　which　passed　between　the　various
parties。　　He　read　there　the　project　of　Clermont　and　La　Choin　to　marry；
and　thus　govern　Monseigneur；　he　saw　how　M。　de　Luxembourg　was　the　soul　of
this　scheme；　and　the　marvels　to　himself　he　expected　from　it。　　The　letters
Clermont　had　received　from　the　Princesse　de　Conti　he　now　sent　to
Mademoiselle　la　Choin；　and　always　spoke　to　her　of　Monseigneur　as　their
〃fat　friend。〃　　With　this　correspondence　in　his　hands；　the　King　one　day
sent　for　the　Princesse　de　Conti；　said　in　a　severe　tone　that　he　knew　of
her　weakness　for　Clermont；　and；　to　prove　to　her　how　badly　she　had　placed
her　affection；　showed　her　her　own　letters　to　Clermont；　and　letters　in
which　he　had　spoken　most　contemptuously　of　her　to　La　Choin。　　Then；　as　a
cruel　punishment；　he　made　her　read　aloud　to　him　the　whole　of　those
letters。　　At　this　she　almost　died；　and　threw　herself；　bathed　in　tears；　at
the　feet　of　the　King；　scarcely　able　to　articulate。　　Then　came　sobs；
entreaty；　despair；　and　rage；　and　cries　for　justice　and　revenge。　　This　was
soon　obtained。　　Mademoiselle　la　Choin　was　driven　away　the　next　day；　and
M。　de　Luxembourg　had　orders　to　strip　Clermont　of　his　office；　and　send　him
to　the　most　distant　part　of　the　kingdom。　　The　terror　of　M。　de　Luxembourg
and　the　Prince　de　Conti　at　this　discovery　may　be　imagined。　　Songs
increased　the　notoriety　of　this　strange　adventure　between　the　Princess
and　her　confidant。

M。　de　Noyon　had　furnished　on　my　return　another　subject　for　the　song…
writers；　and　felt　it　the　more　sensibly　because　everybody　was　diverted　at
his　expense；　M。　de　Noyon　was　extremely　vain；　and　afforded　thereby　much
amusement　to　the　King。　　A　Chair　was　vacant　at　the　Academic　Francaise。
The　King　wished　it　to　be　given　to　M。　de　Noyon；　and　expressed　himself　to
that　effect　to　Dangeau；　who　was　a　member。　　As　may　be　believed；　the
prelate　was　elected　without　difficulty。　　His　Majesty　testified　to　the
Prince　de　Conde；　and　to　the　most　distinguished　persons　of　the　Court；　that
he　should　be　glad　to　see　them　at　the　reception。　　Thus　M。　de　Noyon　was　the
first　member　of　the　Academia　chosen　by　the　King；　and　the　first　at　whose
reception　he　had　taken　the　trouble　to　invite　his　courtiers　to　attend。

The　Abbe　de　Caumartin　was　at　that　time　Director　of　the　Academie。　　He　knew
the　vanity　of　M。　de　Noyon；　and　determined　to　divert　the　public　at　his
expense。　　He　had　many　friends　in　power；　and　judged　that　his　pleasantry
would　be　overlooked；　and　even　approved。　　He　composed；　therefore；　a
confused　and　bombastic　discourse　in　the　style　of　M。　de　Noyon；　full　of
pompous　phrases；　turning　the　prelate　into　ridicule；　while　they　seemed　to
praise　him。　　After　finishing　this　work；　he　was　afraid　lest　it　should　be
thought　out　of　all　measure；　and；　to　reassure　himself；　carried　it　to　M。　de
Noyon　himself；　as　a　scholar　might　to　his　master；　in　order　to　see　whether
it　fully　met　with　his　approval。　　M。　de　Noyon；　so　far　from　suspecting
anything；　was　charmed　by　the　discourse；　and　simply　made　a　few　corrections
in　the　style。　　The　Abbe　de　Caumartin　rejoiced　at　the　success　of　the　snare
he　had　laid；　and　felt　quite　bold　enough　to　deliver　his　harangue。

The　day　came。　　The　Academie　was　crowded。　　The　King　and　the　Court　were
there；　all　expecting　to　be　diverted。　　M。　de　Noyon；　saluting　everybody
with　a　satisfaction　he　did　riot　dissimulate；　made　his　speech　with　his
usual　confidence；　and　in　his　usual　style。　　The　Abbe　replied　with　a　modest
air；　and　with　a　gravity　and　slowness　that　gave　great　effect　to　his
ridiculous　discourse。　　The　surprise　and　pleasure　were　general；　and　each
person　strove　to　intoxicate　M。　de　Noyon　more　and　more；　making　him　believe
that　the　speech　of　the　Abbe　was　relished　solely　because　it　had　so
worthily　praised　him。　　The　prelate　was　delighted　with　the　Abbe　and　the
public；　and　conceived　not　the　slightest　mistrust。

The　noise　which　this　occurrence　made　may　be　imagined；　and　the　praises　M。
de　Noyon　gave　himself　in　relating　everywhere　what　he　had　said；　and　what
had　been　replied　to　him。　　M。　de　Paris；　to　whose　house　he　went；　thus
triumphing；　did　not　like　him；　and　endeavoured　to　open　his　eyes　to　the
humiliation　he　had　received。　　For　some　time　M。　de　Noyon　would　not　be
convinced　of　the　truth；　it　was　not　until　he　had　consulted　with　Pere　la
Chaise　that　he　believed　it。　　The　excess　of　rage　and　vexation　succeeded
then　to　the　excess　of　rapture　he　had　felt。　　In　this　state　he　returned　to
his　house；　and　went　the　next　day　to　Versailles。　　There　he　made　the　most
bitter　complaints　to　the　King；　of　the　Abbe　de　Caumartin；　by　whose　means
he　had　become　the　sport　and　laughing…stock　of　all　the　world。

The　King；　who　had　learned　what　had　passed；　was　himself　displeased。　　He
ordered　Pontchartrain　（who　was　related　to　Caumartin）　to　rebuke　the　Abbe；
and　to　send　him　a　lettre　de　cachet；　in　order　that　he　might　go　and　ripen
his　brain　in　his　Abbey　of　Busay；　in　Brittany；　and　better　learn　there　how
to　speak　and　write。　　Pontchartrain　executed　the　first　part　of　his
commission；　but　not　the　second。　　He　pointed　out　to　the　King　that　the
speech　of　the　Abbe　de　Caumartin　had　been　revised　and　corrected　by　M。　de
Noyon；　and　that；　therefore；　this　latter　had　only　himself　to　blame　in　the
matter。　　He　declared；　too；　that　the　Abbe　was　very　sorry　for　what　he　had
done；　and　was　most　willing　to　beg　pardon　of　M。　de　Noyon。　　The　lettre　de
cachet　thus　fell　to　the　ground；　but　not　the　anger　of　the　prelate。　　He　was
so　outraged　that　he　would　not　see　the　Abbe；　retired　into　his　diocese　to
hide　his　shame；　and　remained　there　a　long　time。

Upon　his　return　to　Paris；　however；　being　taken　ill；　before　consenting　to
receive　the　sacraments；　he　sent　for　the　Abbe；　embraced　him；　pardoned　him；
and　gave　him　a　diamond　ring；　that　he　drew　from　his　finger；　and　that　he
begged　him　to　keep　in　memory　of　him。　　Nay；　more；　when　he　was　cured；　he
used　all　his　influence　to　reinstate　the　Abbe　in　the　esteem　of　the　King。
But　the　King　could　never　forgive　what　had　taken　place；　and　M。　de　Noyon；
by　this　grand　action；　gained　only　the　favour　of　God　and　the　honour　of　the
world。

I　must　finish　the　account　of　the　war　of　this　year　with　a　strange
incident。　　M。　de　Noailles；　who　had　been　so　successful　in　Catalonia；　was
on　very　bad　terms　with　Barbezieux；　secretary　of　state　for　the　war
department。　　Both　were　in　good　favour　with　the　King；　both　high　in　power；
both　spoiled。　　The　successes　in　Catalonia　had　annoyed　Barbezieux。　　They
smoothed　the　way　for　the　siege　of　Barcelona；　and　that　place　once　taken；
the　very　heart　of　Spain　would　have　been　exposed；　and　M。　de　Noailles　would
have　gained　fresh　honours　and　glory。　　M。　de　Noailles　felt　this　so
completely　that　he　had　pressed　upon　the　King　the　siege　of　Barcelona；　and
when　the　fitting　time　came　for　undertaking　it；　sent　a　messenger　to　him
with　full　information　of　the　forces　and　supplies　he　required。　　Fearing
that　if　he　wrote　out　this　information　it　might　fall　into　the　hands　of
Barbezieux；　and　never　reach　the　King；　he　simply　gave　his　messenger
instructions　by　word　of　mouth；　and　charged　him　to　deliver　them　so。　　But
the　very　means　he　had　taken　to　ensure　success　brought　about　failure。
Barbezieux；　informed　by　his　spies　of　the　departure　of　the　messenger；
waylaid　him；　bribed　him；　and　induced　him　to　act　with　the　blackest
perfidy；　by　telling　the　King　quite　a　different　story　to　that　he　was
charged　with。　　In　this　way；　the　project　for　the　siege　of　Barcelona　was
entirely　broken；　at　the　moment　for　its　execution；　and　with　the　most
reasonable　hopes　of　success；　and　upon　M。　de　Noailles　rested　all　the
blame。　　What　a　thunderbolt　this　was　for　him　may　easily　be　imagined。　　But
the　trick　had　been　so　well　played；　that　he　could　not　clear　himself　with
the　King；　and　all　through　this　winter　he　remained　out　of　favour。

At　last　he　thought　of　a　means　by　which　he　might　regain　his　position。　　He
saw　the　inclination　of　the　King　for　his　illegitimate　children；　and
determined　to　make　a　sacrifice　in　favour　of　one　of　them；　rightly　judging
that　this　would　be　a　sure　means　to　step　back　into　the　confidence　he　had
been　so　craftily　driven　from。　　His　scheme；　which　he　caused　to　be　placed
before　the　King；　was　to　go　into　Catalonia　at　the　commencement　of　the　next
campaign；　to　make　a　semblance　of　falling　ill　immediately　upon　arriving；
to　send　to　Versailles　a　request　that　he　might　be　recalled；　and　at　the
same　time　a　suggestion　that　M。　de　Vendome　（who　would　then　be　near　Nice；
under　Marechal　Catinat）　should　succeed　him。　　In　order　that　no　time　might
be　lost；　nor　the　army　left　without　a　general；　he　proposed　to　carry　with
him　the　letters　patent；　appointing　M。　de　Vendome；　and　to　send　them　to　him
at　the　same　time　that　he　sent　to　be　recalled。

It　is　impossible　to　express　the　relief　and　satisfaction　with　which　this
proposition　was　received。　　The　King　was　delighted　with　it；　as　with
everything　tending　to　advance　his　illegitimate　children　and　to　put　a
slight　upon　the　Princes　of　the　blood。