the memoirs of louis xiv-01-第21节

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of　his　army。

Nothing　of　importance　was　done　by　our　other　armies；　but　in　Flanders　an
interesting　adventure　occurred。　　The　Prince　of　Orange；　after　playing　a
fine　game　of　chess　with　our　army；　suddenly　invested　Namur　with　a　large
force；　leaving　the　rest　of　his　troops　under　the　command　of　M。　de
Vaudemont。　　The　Marechal　de　Villeroy；　who　had　the　command　of　our　army　in
Flanders；　at　once　pressed　upon　M。　de　Vaudemont；　who；　being　much　the
weaker　of　the　two；　tried　hard　to　escape。　　Both　felt　that　everything　was
in　their　hands：　Vaudemont；　that　upon　his　safety　depended　the　success　of
the　siege　of　Namur；　and　Villeroy；　that　to　his　victory　was　attached　the
fate　of　the　Low　Countries；　and　very　likely　a　glorious　peace；　with　all　the
personal　results　of　such　an　event。　　He　took　his　measures　so　well　that　on
the　evening　of　the　13th　of　July　it　was　impossible　for　M。　de　Vaudemont　to
escape　falling　into　his　hands　on　the　14th；　and　he　wrote　thus　to　the　King。
At　daybreak　on　the　14th　M。　de　Villeroy　sent　word　to　M。　du　Maine　to
commence　the　action。　　Impatient　that　his　orders　were　not　obeyed；　he　sent
again　five　or　six　times。　　M。　du　Maine　wished　in　the　first　instance　to
reconnoitre；　then　to　confess　himself；　and　delayed　in　effect　so　long　that
M。　de　Vaudemont　was　able　to　commence　his　retreat。　　The　general　officers
cried　out　at　this。　　One　of　them　came　to　M。　du　Maine　and　reminded　him　of
the　repeated　orders　of　the　Marechal　de　Villeroy；　represented　the
importance　of　victory；　and　the　ease　with　which　it　could　be　obtained：　with
tears　in　his　eyes　he　begged　M。　du　Maine　to　commence　the　attack。　　It　was
all　in　vain；　M。　du　Maine　stammered；　and　could　not　be　prevailed　upon　to
charge；　and　so　allowed　M。　de　Vaudemont's　army　to　escape；　when　by　a　single
movement　it　might　have　been　entirely　defeated。

All　our　army　was　in　despair；　and　officers　and　soldiers　made　no　scruple　of
expressing　their　anger　and　contempt。　　M。　de　Villeroy；　more　outraged　than
anybody　else；　was　yet　too　good　a　courtier　to　excuse　himself　at　the
expense　of　M。　du　Maine。　　He　simply　wrote　to　the　King；　that　he　had　been
deceived　in　those　hopes　of　success　which　appeared　certain　the　day　before；
entered　into　no　further　details；　and　resigned　himself　to　all　that　might
happen。　　The　King；　who　had　counted　the　hours　until　news　of　a　great　and
decisive　victory　should　reach　him；　was　very　much　surprised　when　this
letter　came：　he　saw　at　once　that　something　strange　had　happened　of　which
no　intelligence　had　been　sent：　he　searched　the　gazettes　of　Holland；　in
one　he　read　of　a　great　action　said　to　have　been　fought；　and　in　which　M。
du　Maine　had　been　grievously　wounded；　in　the　next　the　news　of　the　action
was　contradicted；　and　M。　du　Maine　was　declared　to　have　received　no　wounds
at　all。　　In　order　to　learn　what　had　really　taken　place；　the　King　sent　for
Lavienne；　a　man　he　was　in　the　habit　of　consulting　when　he　wanted　to　learn
things　no　one　else　dared　to　tell　him。

This　Lavienne　had　been　a　bath…keeper　much　in　vogue　in　Paris；　and　had
become　bath…keeper　to　the　King　at　the　time　of　his　amours。　　He　had　pleased
by　his　drugs；　which　had　frequently　put　the　King　in　a　state　to　enjoy
himself　more；　and　this　road　had　led　Lavienne　to　become　one　of　the　four
chief　valets　de　chambre。　　He　was　a　very　honest　man；　but　coarse；　rough；
and　free…spoken；　it　was　this　last　quality　which　made　him　useful　in　the
manner　I　have　before　mentioned。　　From　Lavienne　the　King；　but　not　without
difficulty；　learned　the　truth：　it　threw　him　into　despair。　　The　other
illegitimate　children　were　favourites　with　him；　but　it　was　upon　M。　du
Maine　that　all　his　hopes　were　placed。　　They　now　fell　to　the　ground；　and
the　grief　of　the　King　was　insupportable：　he　felt　deeply　for　that　dear　son
whose　troops　had　become　the　laughing　stock　of　the　army；　he　felt　the
railleries　that；　as　the　gazettes　showed　him；　foreigners　were　heaping　upon
his　forces；　and　his　vexation　was　inconceivable。

This　Prince；　so　equal　in　his　manners；　so　thoroughly　master　of　his
lightest　movements；　even　upon　the　gravest　occasions；　succumbed　under　this
event。　　On　rising　from　the　table　at　Marly　he　saw　a　servant　who；　while
taking　away　the　dessert；　helped　himself　to　a　biscuit；　which　he　put　in　his
pocket。　　On　the　instant；　the　King　forgets　his　dignity；　and　cane　in　hand
runs　to　this　valet　（who　little　suspected　what　was　in　store　for　him）；
strikes　him；　abuses　him；　and　breaks　the　cane　upon　his　body！　　The　truth
is；　'twas　only　a　reed；　and　snapped　easily。　　However；　the　stump　in　his
hand；　he　walked　away　like　a　man　quite　beside　himself；　continuing　to　abuse
this　valet；　and　entered　Madame　de　Maintenon's　room；　where　he　remained
nearly　an　hour。　　Upon　coming　out　he　met　Father　la　Chaise。　　〃My　father；〃
said　the　King　to　him；　in　a　very　loud　voice；　〃I　have　beaten　a　knave　and
broken　my　cane　over　his　shoulders；　but　I　do　not　think　I　have　offended
God。〃　　Everybody　around　trembled　at　this　public　confession；　and　the　poor
priest　muttered　a　semblance　of　approval　between　his　teeth；　to　avoid
irritating　the　King　more。　　The　noise　that　the　affair　made　and　the　terror
it　inspired　may　be　imagined；　for　nobody　could　divine　for　some　time　the
cause；　and　everybody　easily　understood　that　that　which　had　appeared　could
not　be　the　real　one。　　To　finish　with　this　matter；　once　for　all；　let　us
add　here　the　saying　of　M。　d'Elboeuf。　　Courtier　though　he　was；　the　upward
flight　of　the　illegitimate　children　weighed　upon　his　heart。　　As　the
campaign　was　at　its　close　and　the　Princes　were　about　to　depart；　he　begged
M。　du　Maine　before　everybody　to　say　where　he　expected　to　serve　during　the
next　campaign；　because　wherever　it　might　be　he　should　like　to　be　there
also。

After　being　pressed　to　say　why；　he　replied　that　〃with　him　one's　life　was
safe。〃　　This　pointed　remark　made　much　noise。　　M。　du　Maine　lowered　his
eyes；　and　did　not　reply　one　word。　　As　for　the　Marechal　de　Villeroy　he
grew　more　and　more　in　favour　with　the　King　and　with　Madame　de　Maintenon。
The　bitter　fruit　of　M。　du　Maine's　act　was　the　taking　of　Namur；　which
capitulated　on　August　4th　（1695）。　　The　Marechal　de　Villeroy　in　turn
bombarded　Brussels；　which　was　sorely　maltreated。　　The　Marechal　de
Boufflers；　who　had　defended　Namur；　was　made　Duke；　and　those　who　had
served　under　him　were　variously　rewarded。　　This　gave　occasion　for　the
Prince　of　Orange　to　say；　that　the　King　recompensed　more　liberally　the
loss　of　a　place　than　he　could　the　conquest　of　one。　　The　army　retired　into
winter…quarters　at　the　end　of　October；　and　the　Generals　went　to　Paris。

As　for　me；　I　remained　six　weeks　at　Landau　with　M。　and　Madame　de　Lorges。
At　the　end　of　that　time；　the　Marechal；　having　regained　his　health；
returned　to　the　army；　where　he　was　welcomed　with　the　utmost　joy：　he　soon
after　had　an　attack　of　apoplexy；　and；　by　not　attending　to　his　malady　in
time；　became　seriously　ill　again。　　When　a　little　recovered；　he　and　Madame
de　Lorges　set　out　for　Vichy；　and　I　went　to　Paris。




CHAPTER　VIII

Before　speaking　of　what　happened　at　Court　after　my　return；　it　will　be
necessary　to　record　what　had　occurred　there　during　the　campaign。

M。　de　Brias；　Archbishop　of　Cambrai；　had　died；　and　the　King　had　given　that
valuable　preferment　to　the　Abbe　de　Fenelon；　preceptor　of　the　children　of
France。　　Fenelon　was　a　man　of　quality；　without　fortune；　whom　the
consciousness　of　witof　the　insinuating　and　captivating　kindunited
with　much　ability；　gracefulness　of　intellect；　and　learning；　inspired　with
ambition。　　He　had　been　long　going　about　from　door　to　door；　knocking　for
admission；　but　without　success。　　Piqued　against　the　Jesuits；　to　whom　he
had　addressed　himself　at　first；　as　holding　all　favours　in　their　hands；
and　discouraged　because　unable　to　succeed　in　that　quarter；　he　turned　next
to　the　Jansenists；　to　console　himself　by　the　reputation　he　hoped　he
should　derive　from　them；　for　the　loss　of　those　gifts　of　fortune　which
hitherto　had　despised　him。

He　remained　a　considerable　time　undergoing　the　process　of　initiation；　and
succeeded　at　last　in　being　of　the　private　parties　that　some　of　the
important　Jansenists　then　held　once　or　twice　a　week　at　the　house　of　the
Duchesse　de　Brancas。　　I　know　not　if　he　appeared　too　clever　for　them；　or
if　he　hoped　elsewhere　for　better　things　than　he　could　get　among　people
who　had　only　sores　to　share；　but　little　by　little　his　intimacy　with　them
cooled；　and　by　dint　of　turning　around　Saint　Sulpice；　he　succeeded　in
forming　another　connection　there；　upon　which　he　built　greater
expectations。　　This　society　of　priests　was　beginning　to　distinguish
itself；　and　from　a　seminary　of　a　Paris　parish　to　extend　abroad。
Ignorance；　the　minuteness　of　their　practices；　the　absence　of　all　patrons
and　of　members　at　all　distinguished　in　any　way；　inspired　them　with　a
blind　obedience　to　Rome　and　to　all　its　maxims；　with　a　great　aversion　for
everything　that　passed　for　Jansenism；　and　made　them　so　dependent　upon　the
bishops　that　they　began　to　be　considered　an　acquisition　in　many　dioceses。
They　appeared　a　middle　party；　very　useful　to　the　prelates；　who　equally
feared　the　Court；　on　account　of　suspicions　of　doctrine；　and　the　Jesuits
for　as　soon　as　the　latter　had　insinuated　themselves　into　the　good　graces
of　the　prelates；　they　imposed　their　yoke　upon　them；　or　ruined　them
hopelessly；　thus　the　Sulpicians　g