the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第13节

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All　the　Court　was　in　consternation　for　fear　of　a　rupture；　especially　when　the　Prince　de　Conde　had　been　informed　by　the　Queen　of　what　his　son　had　said；　and　when　he　came　to　my　house　and　found　there　sixty　or　eighty　gentlemen；　this　made　him　believe　that　a　league　was　already　made　with　the　Duke；　but　there　was　nothing　in　it。　　He　swore；　he　threatened；　he　begged；　he　flattered；　and　in　his　transports　he　let　fall　some　expressions　which　showed　that　the　Duke　was　much　more　concerned　for　my　interest　than　he　ever　yet　owned　to　me。　　I　submitted　that　very　instant；　and　told　the　Prince　that　I　would　do　anything　rather　than　the　royal　family　should　be　divided　on　my　account。　　The　Prince；　who　hitherto　found　me　immovable；　was　so　touched　at　my　sudden　surrender　in　complaisance　to　his　son；　at　the　very　time；　too；　when　he　himself　had　just　assured　me　I　was　to　expect　a　powerful　protection　from　him；　that　he　suddenly　changed　his　temper；　so　that；　instead　of　thinking　as　he　did　at　first；　that　there　was　no　satisfaction　great　enough　for　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　he　now　determined　plainly　in　favour　of　the　expedient　I　had　so　often　proposed；that　I　should　go　and　declare　to　him；　in　the　presence　of　the　whole　Court；　that　I　never　designed　to　be　wanting　in　the　respect　I　owed　him；　and　that　the　orders　of　the　Church　had　obliged　me　to　act　as　I　did　at　Notre…Dame。　　The　Cardinal　and　the　Abby　de　la　Riviere　were　enraged　to　the　last　degree；　but　the　Prince　put　them　into　such　fear　of　the　Duke　that　they　were　fain　to　submit。　　The　Prince　took　me　to　the　Duc　d'Orleans's　house；　where　I　gave　them　satisfaction　before　the　whole　Court；　precisely　in　the　words　above　mentioned。　　His　Highness　was　quite　satisfied　with　my　reasons；　carried　me　to　see　his　medals；　and　thus　ended　the　controversy。

As　this　affair　and　the　marriage　of　the　Queen　of　Poland　had　embroiled　me　with　the　Court；　you　may　easily　conceive　what　turn　the　courtiers　gave　to　it。　　But　here　I　found　by　experience　that　all　the　powers　upon　earth　cannot　hurt　the　reputation　of　a　man　who　preserves　it　established　and　unspotted　in　the　society　whereof　he　is　a　member。　　All　the　learned　clergy　took　my　part；　and　I　soon　perceived　that　many　of　those　who　had　before　blamed　my　conduct　now　retracted。　　I　made　this　observation　upon　a　thousand　other　occasions。　　I　even　obliged　the　Court；　some　time　after；　to　commend　my；　proceedings；　and　took　an　opportunity　to　convince　the　Queen　that　it　was　my　dignity；　and　not　any　want　of　respect　and　gratitude；　that　made　me　resist　the　Court　in　the　two　former　cases。　　The　Cardinal　was　very　well　pleased　with　me；　and　said　in　public　that　he　found　me　as　much　concerned　for　the　King's　service　as　I　was　before　for　the　honour　of　my　character。

It　falling　to　my　turn　to　make　the　speech　at　the　breaking　up　of　the　assembly　of　the　clergy　at　Paris；　I　had　the　good　luck　to　please　both　the　clergy　and　the　Court。　　Cardinal　Mazarin　took　me　to　supper　with　him　alone；　seemed　to　be　clear　of　all　prejudices　against　me；　and　I　verily　believe　was　fully　persuaded　that　he　had　been　imposed　upon。　　But　I　was　too　much　beloved　in　Paris　to　continue　long　in　favour　at　Court。　　This　was　a　crime　that　rendered　me　disagreeable　in　the　eyes　of　a　refined　Italian　statesman；　and　which　was　the　more　dangerous　from　the　fact　that　I　lost　no　opportunity　of　aggravating　it　by　a　natural　and　unaffected　expense；　to　which　my　air　of　negligence　gave　a　lustre；　and　by　my　great　alms　and　bounty；　which；　though　very　often　secret；　had　the　louder　echo；　whereas；　in　truth；　I　had　acted　thus　at　first　only　in　compliance　with　inclination　and　out　of　a　sense　of　duty。　　But　the　necessity　I　was　under　of　supporting　myself　against　the　Court　obliged　me　to　be　yet　more　liberal。　　I　do　but　just　mention　it　here　to　show　you　that　the　Court　was　jealous　of　me；　when　I　never　thought　myself　capable　of　giving　them　the　least　occasion；　which　made　me　reflect　that　a　man　is　oftener　deceived　by　distrusting　than　by　being　overcredulous。

Cardinal　Mazarin；　who　was　born　and　bred　in　the　Pope's　dominions；　where　papal　authority　has　no　limits；　took　the　impetus　given　to　the　regal　power　by　his　tutor；　the　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；　to　be　natural　to　the　body　politic；　which　mistake　of　his　occasioned　the　civil　war；　though　we　must　look　much　higher　for　its　prime　cause。

It　is　above　1；200　years　that　France　has　been　governed　by　kings；　but　they　were　not　as　absolute　at　first　as　they　are　now。　　Indeed；　their　authority　was　never　limited　by　written　laws　as　are　the　Kings　of　England　and　Castile；　but　only　moderated　by　received　customs；　deposited；　as　I　may　say；　at　first　in　the　hands　of　the　States　of　the　kingdom；　and　afterwards　in　those　of　the　Parliament。　　The　registering　of　treaties　with　other　Crowns　and　the　ratifications　of　edicts　for　raising　money　are　almost　obliterated　images　of　that　wise　medium　between　the　exorbitant　power　of　the　Kings　and　the　licentiousness　of　the　people　instituted　by　our　ancestors。　　Wise　and　good　Princes　found　that　this　medium　was　such　a　seasoning　to　their　power　as　made　it　delightful　to　their　people。　　On　the　other　hand；　weak　and　vicious　Kings　always　hated　it　as　an　obstacle　to　all　their　extravagances。　The　history　of　the　Sire　de　Joinville　makes　it　evident　that　Saint　Louis　was　an　admirer　of　this　scheme　of　government；　and　the　writings　of　Oresme；　Bishop　of　Lisieux；　and　of　the　famous　Juvenal　des　Ursins；　convince　us　that　Charles　V。；　who　merited　the　surname　of　Wise；　never　thought　his　power　to　be　superior　to　the　laws　and　to　his　duty。　　Louis　XI。；　more　cunning　than　truly　wise；　broke　his　faith　upon　this　head　as　well　as　all　others。　　Louis　XII。　　would　have　restored　this　balance　of　power　to　its　ancient　lustre　if　the　ambition　of　Cardinal　Amboise；＇George　d'Amboise；　the　first　of　the　name；　in　1498　Minister　to　Louis　XII。；　deceased　1510。＇　who　governed　him　absolutely；　had　not　opposed　it。

The　insatiable　avarice　of　Constable　Montmorency＇Anne　de　Montmorency；　Constable　of　France　in　1538；　died　1567。＇　tended　rather　to　enlarge　than　restrain　the　authority　of　Francois　I。　　The　extended　views　and　vast　designs　of　M。　de　Guise　would　not　permit　them　to　think　of　placing　bounds　to　the　prerogative　under　Francois　II。　　In　the　reigns　of　Charles　IX。　　and　Henri　III。　　the　Court　was　so　fatigued　with　civil　broils　that　they　took　everything　for　rebellion　which　was　not　submission。　　Henri　IV。；　who　was　not　afraid　of　the　laws；　because　he　trusted　in　himself；　showed　he　had　a　high　esteem　for　them。　　The　Duc　de　Rohan　used　to　say　that　Louis　XIII。　was　jealous　of　his　own　authority　because　he　was　ignorant　of　its　full　extent；　for　the　Marechal　d'Ancrel　and　M。　de　Luynes　were　mere　dunces；　incapable　of　informing　him。　　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；　who　succeeded　them；　collected　all　the　wicked　designs　and　blunders　of　the　two　last　centuries　to　serve　his　grand　purpose。　　He　laid　them　down　as　proper　maxims　for　establishing　the　King's　authority；　and；　fortune　seconding　his　designs　by　the　disarming　of　the　Protestants　in　France；　by　the　victories　of　the　Swedes；　by　the　weakness　of　the　Empire　and　of　Spain；　he　established　the　most　scandalous　and　dangerous　tyranny　that　perhaps　ever　enslaved　a　State　in　the　best　constituted　monarchy　under　the　sun。

Custom；　which　has　in　some　countries　inured　men　even　to　broil　as　it　were　in　the　heat　of　the　sun；　has　made　things　familiar　to　us　which　our　forefathers　dreaded　more　than　fire　itself。　　We　no　longer　feel　the　slavery　which　they　abhorred　more　for　the　interest　of　their　King　than　for　their　own。　　Cardinal　de　Richelieu　counted　those　things　crimes　which　before　him　were　looked　upon　as　virtues。　　The　Mirons；　Harlays；　Marillacs；　Pibracs；　and　the　Fayes；　those　martyrs　of　the　State　who　dispelled　more　factions　by　their　wholesome　maxims　than　were　raised　in　France　by　Spanish　or　British　gold；　were　defenders　of　the　doctrine　for　which　the　Cardinal　de　Richelieu　confined　President　Barillon　in　the　prison　of　Amboise。　　And　the　Cardinal　began　to　punish　magistrates　for　advancing　those　truths　which　they　were　obliged　by　their　oaths　to　defend　at　the　hazard　of　their　lives。

Our　wise　Kings；　who　understood　their　true　interest；　made　the　Parliament　the　depositary　of　their　ordinances；　to　the　end　that　they　might　exempt　themselves　from　part　of　the　odium　that　sometimes　attends　the　execution　of　the　most　just　and　necessary　decrees。　　They　thought　it　no　disparagement　to　their　royalty　to　be　bound　by　them；like　unto　God；　who　himself　obeys　the　laws　he　has　preordained。　＇'A　good　government：　where　the　people　obey　their　king　and　the　king　obeys　the　law'Solon。　　D。W。＇　Ministers　of　State；　who　are　generally　so　blinded　by　the　splendour　of　their　fortune　as　never　to　be　content　with　what　the　laws　allow；　make　it　their　business　to　overturn　them；　and　Cardinal　de　Richelieu　laboured　at　it　more　constantly　than　any　other；　and　with　equal　application　and　imprudence。

God　only　is　self…existent　and　independent；　the　most　rightful　monarchs　and　established　monarchies　in　the　world　cannot　possibly　be　supported　but　by　the　conjunction　of　arms　and　laws；a　union　so　necessary　that　the　one　cannot　subsist　without　the　other。　　Laws　without　the　protection　of　arms　sink　into　contempt；　and　arms　which　are　not　tempered　by　laws　quickly　turn　a　State　into　anarchy。　　The　Roman　commonwealth　being　set　aside　by　Julius　Caesar；　the　supreme　power　which　was　devolved　upon　his　successors　by　force　of　arms　subsisted　no　longer　than　they　were　able　to　maintain　the　authority　of　the　laws；　for　as　soon　as　the　laws　lo