the memoirs of louis xiv-01-第8节

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camp；　eager　to　be　the　bearer　of　good　tidings。　　He　reached　the　camp　first；
and　was　received　with　delight。　　While　his　Majesty　was　still　in　great　joy
at　his　happy　victory；　the　other　courier　arrived　with　the　real　details。
The　Court　appeared　prostrated。　　The　King　was　much　afflicted。
Nevertheless　he　found　means　to　appear　to　retain　his　self…possession；　and
I　saw；　for　the　first　time；　that　Courts　are　not　long　in　affliction　or
occupied　with　sadness。　　I　must　mention　that　the　（exiled）　King　of　England
looked　on　at　this　naval　battle　from　the　shore；　and　was　accused　of
allowing　expressions　of　partiality　to　escape　him　in　favour　of　his
countrymen；　although　none　had　kept　their　promises　to　him。

Two　days　after　the　defeated　garrison　had　marched　out；　the　King　went　to
Dinant；　to　join　the　ladies；　with　whom　he　returned　to　Versailles。　　I　had
hoped　that　Monseigneur　would　finish　the　campaign；　and　that　I　should　be
with　him；　and　it　was　not　without　regret　that　I　returned　towards　Paris。
On　the　way　a　little　circumstance　happened。　　One　of　our　halting…places　was
Marienburgh；　where　we　camped　for　the　night。　　I　had　become　united　in
friendship　with　Comte　de　Coetquen；　who　was　in　the　same　company　with
myself。　　He　was　well　instructed　and　full　of　wit；　was　exceedingly　rich；
and　even　more　idle　than　rich。　　That　evening　he　had　invited　several　of　us
to　supper　in　his　tent。　　I　went　there　early；　and　found　him　stretched　out
upon　his　bed；　from　which　I　dislodged　him　playfully　and　laid　myself　down
in　his　place；　several　of　our　officers　standing　by。　　Coetquen；　sporting
with　me　in　return；　took　his　gun；　which　he　thought　to　be　unloaded；　and
pointed　it　at　me。　　But　to　our　great　surprise　the　weapon　went　off。
Fortunately　for　me；　I　was　at　that　moment　lying　flat　upon　the　bed。　　Three
balls　passed　just　above　my　head；　and　then　just　above　the　heads　of　our　two
tutors；　who　were　walking　outside　the　tent。　　Coetquen　fainted　at　thought
of　the　mischief　he　might　have　done；　and　we　had　all　the　pains　in　the　world
to　bring　him　to　himself　again。　Indeed；　he　did　not　thoroughly　recover　for
several　days。　　I　relate　this　as　a　lesson　which　ought　to　teach　us　never
to　play　with　fire…arms。

The　poor　lad；to　finish　at　once　all　that　concerns　him；did　not　long
survive　this　incident。　　He　entered　the　King's　regiment；　and　when　just
upon　the　point　of　joining　it　in　the　following　spring；　came　to　me　and　said
he　had　had　his　fortune　told　by　a　woman　named　Du　Perehoir；　who　practised
her　trade　secretly　at　Paris；　and　that　she　had　predicted　he　would　be　soon
drowned。　　I　rated　him　soundly　for　indulging　a　curiosity　so　dangerous　and
so　foolish。　　A　few　days　after　he　set　out　for　Amiens。　　He　found　another
fortune…teller　there；　a　man；　who　made　the　same　prediction。　　In　marching
afterwards　with　the　regiment　of　the　King　to　join　the　army；　he　wished　to
water　his　horse　in　the　Escaut；　and　was　drowned　there；　in　the　presence　of
the　whole　regiment；　without　it　being　possible　to　give　him　any　aid。　I　felt
extreme　regret　for　his　loss；　which　for　his　friends　and　his　family　was
irreparable。

But　I　must　go　back　a　little；　and　speak　of　two　marriages　that　took　place
at　the　commencement　of　this　year　the　first　（most　extraordinary）　on　the
18th　February　the　other　a　month　after。




CHAPTER　II。

The　King　was　very　anxious　to　establish　his　illegitimate　children；　whom　he
advanced　day　by　day；　and　had　married　two　of　them；　daughters；　to　Princes
of　the　blood。　　One　of　these；　the　Princesse　de　Conti；　only　daughter　of　the
King　and　Madame　de　la　Valliere；　was　a　widow　without　children；　the　other；
eldest　daughter　of　the　King　and　Madame　de　Montespan；　had　married　Monsieur
le　Duc　（Louis　de　Bourbon；　eldest　son　of　the　Prince　de　Conde）。　　For　some
time　past　Madame　de　Maintenon；　even　more　than　the　King；　had　thought　of
nothing　else　than　how　to　raise　the　remaining　illegitimate　children；　and
wished　to　marry　Mademoiselle　de　Blois　（second　daughter　of　the　King　and　of
Madame　de　Montespan）　to　Monsieur　the　Duc　de　Chartres。　　The　Duc　de
Chartres　was　the　sole　nephew　of　the　King；　and　was　much　above　the　Princes
of　the　blood　by　his　rank　of　Grandson　of　France；　and　by　the　Court　that
Monsieur　his　father　kept　up。

The　marriages　of　the　two　Princes　of　the　blood；　of　which　I　have　just
spoken；　had　scandalised　all　the　world。　　The　King　was　not　ignorant　of
this；　and　he　could　thus　judge　of　the　effect　of　a　marriage　even　more
startling；　such　as　was　this　proposed　one。　　But　for　four　years　he　had
turned　it　over　in　his　mind　and　had　even　taken　the　first　steps　to　bring　it
about。　　It　was　the　more　difficult　because　the　father　of　the　Duc　de
Chartres　was　infinitely　proud　of　his　rank；　and　the　mother　belonged　to　a
nation　which　abhorred　illegitimacy　and；　misalliances；　and　was　indeed　of　a
character　to　forbid　all　hope　of　her　ever　relishing　this　marriage。

In　order　to　vanquish　all　these　obstacles；　the　King　applied　to　M。　le　Grand
（Louis　de　Lorraine）。　　This　person　was　brother　of　the　Chevalier　de
Lorraine；　the　favourite；　by　disgraceful　means；　of　Monsieur；　father　of　the
Duc　de　Chartres。　　The　two　brothers；　unscrupulous　and　corrupt；　entered
willingly　into　the　scheme；　but　demanded　as　a　reward；　paid　in　advance；　to
be　made　〃Chevaliers　of　the　Order。〃　　This　was　done；　although　somewhat
against　the　inclination　of　the　King；　and　success　was　promised。

The　young　Duc　de　Chartres　had　at　that　time　for　teacher　Dubois　（afterwards
the　famous　Cardinal　Dubois）；　whose　history　was　singular。　　He　had　formerly
been　a　valet；　but　displaying　unusual　aptitude　for　learning；　had　been
instructed　by　his　master　in　literature　and　history；　and　in　due　time
passed　into　the　service　of　Saint　Laurent；　who　was　the　Duc　de　Chartres'
first　instructor。　　He　became　so　useful　and　showed　so　much　skill；　that
Saint　Laurent　made　him　become　an　abbe。　　Thus　raised　in　position；　he
passed　much　time　with　the　Duc　de　Chartres；　assisting　him　to　prepare　his
lessons；　to　write　his　exercises；　and　to　look　out　words　in　the　dictionary。
I　have　seen　him　thus　engaged　over　and　over　again；　when　I　used　to　go　and
play　with　the　Duc　de　Chartres。　　As　Saint　Laurent　grew　infirm；　Dubois
little　by　little　supplied　his　place；　supplied　it　well　too；　and　yet
pleased　the　young　Duke。　　When　Saint　Laurent　died　Dubois　aspired　to
succeed　him。　　He　had　paid　his　court　to　the　Chevalier　de　Lorraine；　by
whose　influence　he　was　much　aided　in　obtaining　his　wish。　　When　at　last
appointed　successor　to　Saint　Laurent；　I　never　saw　a　man　so　glad；　nor　with
more　reason。　　The　extreme　obligation　he　was　under　to　the　Chevalier　de
Lorraine；　and　still　more　the　difficulty　of　maintaining　himself　in　his　new
position；　attached　him　more　and　more　to　his　protector。

It　was；　then；　Dubois　that　the　Chevalier　de　Lorraine　made　use　of　to　gain
the　consent　of　the　young　Duc　de　Chartres　to　the　marriage　proposed　by　the
King。　　Dubois　had；　in　fact；　gained　the　Duke's　confidence；　which　it　was
easy　to　do　at　that　age；　had　made　him　afraid　of　his　father　and　of　the
King；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　had　filled　him　with　fine　hopes　and
expectations。　　All　that　Dubois　could　do；　however；　when　he　broke　the
matter　of　the　marriage　to　the　young　Duke；　was　to　ward　off　a　direct
refusal；　but　that　was　sufficient　for　the　success　of　the　enterprise。
Monsieur　was　already　gained；　and　as　soon　as　the　King　had　a　reply　from
Dubois　he　hastened　to　broach　the　affair。　　A　day　or　two　before　this；
however；　Madame　（mother　of　the　Duc　de　Chartres）　had　scent　of　what　was
going　on。　　She　spoke　to　her　son　of　the　indignity　of　this　marriage　with
that　force　in　which　she　was　never　wanting；　and　drew　from　him　a　promise
that　he　would　not　consent　to　it。　　Thus；　he　was　feeble　towards　his
teacher；　feeble　towards　his　mother；　and　there　was　aversion　on　the　one
hand　and　fear　on　the　other；　and　great　embarrassment　on　all　sides。

One　day　early　after　dinner　I　saw　M。　de　Chartres；　with　a　very　sad　air；
come　out　of　his　apartment　and　enter　the　closet　of　the　King。　　He　found　his
Majesty　alone　with　Monsieur。　　The　King　spoke　very　obligingly　to　the　Duc
de　Chartres；　said　that　he　wished　to　see　him　married；　that　he　offered　him
his　daughter；　but　that　he　did　not　intend　to　constrain　him　in　the　matter；
but　left　him　quite　at　liberty。　　This　discourse；　however；　pronounced　with
that　terrifying　majesty　so　natural　to　the　King；　and　addressed　to　a　timid
young　prince；　took　away　his　voice；　and　quite　unnerved　him。　　He；　thought
to　escape　from　his　slippery　position　by　throwing　himself　upon　Monsieur
and　Madame；　and　stammeringly　replied　that　the　King　was　master；　but　that　a
son's　will　depended　upon　that　of　his　parents。　　〃What　you　say　is　very
proper；〃　replied　the　King；　〃but　as　soon　as　you　consent　to　my　proposition
your　father　and　mother　will　not　oppose　it。〃　　And　then　turning　to　Monsieur
he　said；　〃Is　this　not　true；　my　brother？　　〃Monsieur　consented；　as　he　had
already　done；　and　the　only　person　remaining　to　consult　was　Madame；　who
was　immediately　sent　for。

As　soon　as　she　came；　the　King；　making　her　acquainted　with　his　project；
said　that　he　reckoned　she　would　not　oppose　what　her　husband　and　her　son
had　already　agreed　to。　　Madame；　who　had　counted　upon　the　refusal　of　her
son；　was　tongue…tied。　　She　threw　two　furious　glances　upon　Monsieur　and
upon　the　Duc　de　Chartres；　and　then　said　that；　as　they　wished　it；　she　had
nothing　to　say；　made　a　slight　reverence；