the memoirs of louis xiv-01-第20节

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We　carried　this　contract　to　the　King；　who　smiled　and　bantered　M。　de
Lauzun。　　M。　de　Lauzun　replied；　that　he　was　only　too　happy；　since　it　was
the　first　time　since　his　return　that　he　had　seen　the　King　smile　at　him。
The　marriage　took　place　without　delay：　there　were　only　seven　or　eight
persons　present　at　the　ceremony。　　M。　de　Lauzun　would　undress　himself
alone　with　his　valet　de　chambre；　and　did　not　enter　the　apartment　of　his
wife　until　after　everybody　had　left　it；　and　she　was　in　bed　with　the
curtains　closed；　and　nobody　to　meet　him　on　his　passage。　　His　wife
received　company　in　bed；　as　mine　had　done。　　Nobody　was　able　to　understand
this　marriage；　and　all　foresaw　that　a　rupture　would　speedily　be　brought
about　by　the　well…known　temper　of　M。　de　Lauzun。　　In　effect；　this　is　what
soon　happened。　　The　Marechal　de　Lorges；　remaining　still　in　weak　health；
was　deemed　by　the　King　unable　to　take　the　field　again；　and　his　army　given
over　to　the　command　of　another　General。　　M。　de　Lauzun　thus　saw　all　his
hopes　of　advancement　at　an　end；　and；　discontented　that　the　Marechal　had
done　nothing　for　him；　broke　off　all　connection　with　the　family；　took　away
Madame　de　Lauzun　from　her　mother　（to　the　great　grief　of　the　latter；　who
doted　upon　this　daughter）；　and　established　her　in　a　house　of　his　own
adjoining　the　Assumption；　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…Honore。　　There　she　had　to
endure　her　husband's　continual　caprices；　but　little　removed　in　their
manifestation　from　madness。　　Everybody　cast　blame　upon　him；　and　strongly
pitied　her　and　her　father　and　mother；　but　nobody　was　surprised。

A　few　days　after　the　marriage　of　M。　de　Lauzun；　as　the　King　was　being
wheeled　in　his　easy　chair　in　the　gardens　at　Versailles；　he　asked　me　for
many　minute　particulars　concerning　the　family　of　the　Marechal　de　Lorges。
He　then　set　himself　to　joke　with　me　upon　the　marriage　of　M。　de　Lauzun
and　upon　mine。　　He　said　to　me；　in　spite　of　that　gravity　which　never
quitted　him；　that　he　had　learnt　from　the　Marechal　I　had　well　acquitted
myself；　but　that　he　believed　the　Marechal　had　still　better　news。

The　loss　of　two　illustrious　men　about　this　time；　made　more　noise　than
that　of　two　of　our　grand　ladies。　　The　first　of　these　men　was　La　Fontaine；
so　well　known　by　his　〃Fables〃　and　stories；　and　who；　nevertheless；　was　so
heavy　in　conversation。　　The　other　was　Mignardso　illustrious　by　his
pencil：　he　had　an　only　daughterperfectly　beautiful：　she　is　repeated　in
several　of　those　magnificent　historical　pictures　which　adorn　the　grand
gallery　of　Versailles　and　its　two　salons；　and　which　have　had　no　slight
share　in　irritating　all　Europe　against　the　King；　and　in　leaguing　it　still
more　against　his　person　than　his　realm。

At　the　usual　time　the　armies　were　got　ready　for　active　service；　and
everybody　set　out　to　join　them。　　That　of　the　Rhine；　in　which　I　was；　was
commanded　by　the　Marechal　de　Lorges。　　No　sooner　had　we　crossed　the　river
and　come　upon　the　enemy；　than　the　Marechal　fell　ill。　　Although　we　were　in
want　of　forage　and　were　badly　encamped；　nobody　complainednobody　wished
to　move。　　Never　did　an　army　show　so　much　interest　in　the　life　of　its
chief；　or　so　much　love　for　him。　　M。　de　Lorges　was；　in　truth；　at　the　last
extremity；　and　the　doctors　that　had　been　sent　for　from　Strasbourg　gave
him　up　entirely。　　I　took　upon　myself　to　administer　to　him　some　〃English
Drops。〃　　One　hundred　and　thirty　were　given　him　in　three　doses：　the　effect
was　astonishing；　an　eruption　burst　out　upon　the　Marechal's　body；　and
saved　his　life。　　His　illness　was　not；　however；　at　an　end；　and　the　army；
although　suffering　considerably；　would　not　hear　of　moving　until　he　was
quite　ready　to　move　also。　　There　was　no　extremity　it　would　not　undergo
rather　than　endanger　the　life　of　its　chief。

Prince　Louis　of　Baden　offered　by　trumpets　all　sorts　of　assistance
doctors　and　remedies；　and　gave　his　word　that　if　the　army　removed　from　its
General；　he　and　those　who　remained　with　him　should　be　provided　with
forage　and　provisionsshould　be　unmolested　and　allowed　to　rejoin　the
main　body　in　perfect　safety；　or　go　whithersoever　they　pleased。　　He　was
thanked；　as　he　merited；　for　those　very　kind　offers；　which　we　did　not
wish；　however；　to　profit　by。

Little　by　little　the　health　of　the　General　was　reestablished；　and　the
army　demonstrated　its　joy　by　bonfire's　all　over　the　camp；　and　by　salvos；
which　it　was　impossible　to　prevent。　　Never　was　seen　testimony　of　love　so
universal　or　so　flattering。　　The　King　was　much　concerned　at　the　illness
of　the　Marechal；　all　the　Court　was　infinitely　touched　by　it。　　M。　de
Lorges　was　not　less　loved　by　it　than　by　the　troops。　　When　able　to　support
the　fatigues　of　the　journey；　he　was　removed　in　a　coach　to　Philipsburg；
where　he　was　joined　by　the　Marechal；　who　had　come　there　to　meet　him。　　The
next　day　he　went　to　Landau；　and　I；　who　formed　one　of　his　numerous　and
distinguished　escort；　accompanied　him　there；　and　then　returned　to　the
army；　which　was　placed　under　the　command　of　the　Marechal　de　Joyeuse。

We　found　it　at　about　three　leagues　from　Ketsch；　its　right　at　Roth；　and
its　left　at　Waldsdorff。　　We　learned　that　the　Marechal　de　Joyeuse　had　lost
a　good　occasion　of　fighting　the　enemy；　but　as　I　was　not　in　camp　at　the
time；　I　will　say　no　more　of　the　matter。　　Our　position　was　not　good：
Schwartz　was　on　our　left；　and　the　Prince　of　Baden　on　our　right；　hemming
us　in；　as　it　were；　between　them。　　We　had　no　forage；　whilst　they　had
abundance　of　everything；　and　were　able　to　procure　all　they　wanted。　　There
was　a　contest　who　should　decamp　the　last。　　All　our　communications　were
cut　off　with　Philipsburg；　so　that　we　could　not　repass　the　Rhine　under　the
protection　of　that　place。　　To　get　out　of　our　position；　it　was　necessary
to　defile　before　our　enemies　into　the　plain　of　Hockenun；　and　this　was　a
delicate　operation。　　The　most　annoying　circumstance　was；　that　M。　de
Joyeuse　would　communicate　with　nobody；　and　was　so　ill…tempered　that　none
dared　to　speak　to　him。　　At　last　he　determined　upon　his　plans；　and　I　was
of　the　detachment　by　which　they　were　to　be　carried　out。　　We　were　sent　to
Manheim　to　see　if　out　of　the　ruins　of　that　place　（burned　in　1688　by　M。　de
Louvois）　sufficient；　materials　could　be　found　to　construct　bridges；　by
which　we　might　cross　the　Rhine　there。　　We　found　that　the　bridges　could　be
made；　and　returned　to　announce　this　to　M。　de　Joyeuse。　　Accordingly；　on
the　20th　of　July；　the　army　put　itself　in　movement。　　The　march　was　made　in
the　utmost　confusion。　　Everything　was　in　disorder；　the　infantry　and
cavalry　were　huddled　together　pell…mell；　no　commands　could　be　acted　upon；
and　indeed　the　whole　army　was　so　disorganised　that　it　could　have　been
easily　beaten　by　a　handful　of　men。　　In　effect；　the　enemy　at　last　tried　to
take　advantage　of　our　confusion；　by　sending　a　few　troops　to　harass　us。
But　it　was　too　late；　we　had　sufficiently　rallied　to　be　able　to　turn　upon
them；　and　they　narrowly　escaped　falling　into　our　hands。　　We　encamped　that
night　in　the　plain　on　the　banks　of　the　Neckerour　rear　at　Manheim；　and
our　left　at　Seckenheim；　while　waiting　for　the　remainder　of　the　army；
still　very　distant。　　Indeed；　so　great　had　been　the　confusion；　that　the
first　troops　arrived　at　one　o'clock　at　night；　and　the　last　late　in　the
morning　of　the　next　day。

I　thought　that　our　headquarters　were　to　be　in　this　village　of　Seckenheim；
and；　in　company　with　several　officers　took　possession　of　a　large　house
and　prepared　to　pass　the　night　there。　　While　we　were　resting　from　the
fatigues　of　the　day　we　heard　a　great　noise；　and　soon　after　a　frightful
uproar。　　It　was　caused　by　a　body　of　our　men；　who；　searching　for　water；
had　discovered　this　village；　and　after　having　quenched　their　thirst　had；
under　the　cover　of　thick　darkness；　set　themselves　to　pillage；　to　violate；
to　massacre；　and　to　commit　all　the　horrors　inspired　by　the　most　unbridled
licence：　La　Bretesche；　a　lieutenant…general；　declared　to　me　that　he　had
never　seen　anything　like　it；　although　he　had　several　times　been　at
pillages　and　sackings。　　He　was　very　grateful　that　he　had　not　yielded　to
my　advice；　and　taken　off　his　wooden　leg　to　be　more　at　ease；　for　in　a
short　time　we　ourselves　were　invaded；　and　had　some　trouble　to　defend
ourselves。　　As　we　bore　the　livery　of　M。　de　Lorges；　we　were　respected；
but　those　who　bore　that　of　M。　de　Joyeuse　were　in　some　cases　severely
maltreated。　　We　passed　the　rest　of　the　night　as　well　as　we　could　in　this
unhappy　place；　which　was　not　abandoned　by　our　soldiers　until　long　after
there　was　nothing　more　to　find。　　At　daylight　we　went　to　the　camp。

We　found　the　army　beginning　to　move：　it　had　passed　the　night　as　well　as
it　could　without　order；　the　troops　constantly　arriving；　and　the　last
comers　simply　joining　themselves　on　to　the　rest。　　Our　camp　was　soon；
however；　properly　formed；　and　on　the　24th　July；　the　bridges　being　ready；
all　the　army　crossed　the　Rhine；　without　any　attempt　being　made　by　the
enemy　to　follow　us。　　On　the　day　after；　the　Marechal　de　Joyeuse　permitted
me　to　go　to　Landau；　where　I　remained　with　the　Marechal　and　the　Marechale
de　Lorges　until　the　General　was　again　able　to　place　himself　at　the　head
of　his　army。

Nothing　of　importance　was　done　by　our　other　armies；　but　in　Flanders　an
interesting　adventure　occurred。　　The　Prince　of　Orange；　a