the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第14节

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ws　lost　their　force；　the　power　of　the　Roman　Emperors　vanished；　and　the　very　men　that　were　their　favourites；　having　got　possession　of　their　seals　and　their　arms；　converted　their　masters'　substance　into　their　own；　and；　as　it　were；　sucked　them　dry　under　the　shelter　of　those　repealed　laws。　　The　Roman　Empire；　formerly　sold　by　auction　to　the　highest　bidder；　and　the　Turkish　emperors；　whose　necks　are　exposed　every　day　to　the　bowstring；　show　us　in　very　bloody　characters　the　blindness　of　those　men　that　make　authority　to　consist　only　in　force。

But　why　need　we　go　abroad　for　examples　when　we　have　so　many　at　home？　Pepin；　in　dethroning　the　Merovingian　family；　and　Capet；　in　dispossessing　the　Carlovingians；　made　use　of　nothing　else　but　the　same　power　which　the　ministers；　their　predecessors；　had　acquired　under　the　authority　of　their　masters；　and　it　is　observable　that　the　mayors　of　the　Palace　and　the　counts　of　Paris　placed　themselves　on　the　thrones　of　kings　exactly　by　the　same　methods　that　gained　them　their　masters'　favours；that　is；　by　weakening　and　changing　the　laws　of　the　land；　which　at　first　always　pleases　weak　princes；　who　fancy　it　aggrandises　their　power；　but　in　its　consequence　it　gives　a　power　to　the　great　men　and　motives　to　the　common　people　to　rebel　against　their　authority。　　Cardinal　de　Richelieu　was　cunning　enough　to　have　all　these　views；　but　he　sacrificed　everything　to　his　interest。　　He　would　govern　according　to　his　own　fancy；　which　scorned　to　be　tied　to　rules；　even　in　cases　where　it　would　have　cost　him　nothing　to　observe　them。　　And　he　acted　his　part　so　well　that；　if　his　successor　had　been　a　man　of　his　abilities；　I　doubt　not　that　the　title　of　Prime　Minister；　which　he　was　the　first　to　assume；　would　have　been　as　odious　in　France　in　a　little　time　as　were　those　of　the　Maire　du　Palais　and　the　Comte　de　Paris。　　But　by　the　providence　of　God；　Cardinal　Mazarin；　who　succeeded　him；　was　not　capable　of　giving　the　State　any　jealousy　of　his　usurpation。　　As　these　two　ministers　contributed　chiefly；　though　in　a　different　way；　to　the　civil　war；　I　judge　it　highly　necessary　to　give　you　the　particular　character　of　each；　and　to　draw　a　parallel　between　them。　Cardinal　de　Richelieu　was　well　descended；　his　merit　sparkled　even　in　his　youth。　　He　was　taken　notice　of　at　the　Sorbonne；　and　it　was　very　soon　observed　that　he　had　a　strong　genius　and　a　lively　fancy。　　He　was　commonly　happy　in　the　choice　of　his　parties。　　He　was　a　man　of　his　word；　unless　great　interests　swayed　him　to　the　contrary；　and　in　such　a　case　he　was　very　artful　to　preserve　all　the　appearances　of　probity。　　He　was　not　liberal；　yet　he　gave　more　than　he　promised；　and　knew　admirably　well　how　to　season　all　his　favours。　　He　was　more　ambitious　than　was　consistent　with　the　rules　of　morality；　although　it　must　be　owned　that；　whenever　he　dispensed　with　them　in　favour　of　his　extravagant　ambition；　his　great　merit　made　it　almost　excusable。　　He　neither　feared　dangers　nor　yet　despised　them；　and　prevented　more　by　his　sagacity　than　he　surmounted　by　his　resolution。　　He　was　a　hearty　friend；　and　even　wished　to　be　beloved　by　the　people；　but　though　he　had　civility；　a　good　aspect；　and　all　the　other　qualifications　to　gain　that　love；　yet　he　still　wanted　somethingI　know　not　what　to　call　itwhich　is　absolutely　necessary　in　this　case。　　By　his　power　and　royal　state　he　debased　and　swallowed　up　the　personal　majesty　of　the　King。　　He　distinguished　more　judiciously　than　any　man　in　the　world　between　bad　and　worse；　good　and　better；　which　is　a　great　qualification　in　a　minister。　　He　was　too　apt　to　be　impatient　at　mere　trifles　when　they　had　relation　to　things　of　moment；　but　those　blemishes；　owing　to　his　lofty　spirit；　were　always　accompanied　with　the　necessary　talent　of　knowledge　to　make　amends　for　those　imperfections。　　He　had　religion　enough　for　this　world。　　His　own　good　sense；　or　else　his　inclination；　always　led　him　to　the　practice　of　virtue　if　his　self…interest　did　not　bias　him　to　evil；　which；　whenever　he　committed　it；　he　did　so　knowingly。　　He　extended　his　concern　for　the　State　no　further　than　his　own　life；　though　no　minister　ever　did　more　than　he　to　make　the　world　believe　he　had　the　same　regard　for　the　future。　　In　a　word；　all　his　vices　were　such　that　they　received　a　lustre　from　his　great　fortune；　because　they　were　such　as　could　have　no　other　instruments　to　work　with　but　great　virtues。　　You　will　easily　conceive　that　a　man　who　possessed　such　excellent　qualities；　and　appeared　to　have　as　many　more；which　he　had　not；found　it　no　hard　task　to　preserve　that　respect　among　mankind　which　freed　him　from　contempt；　though　not　from　hatred。

Cardinal　Mazarin's　character　was　the　reverse　of　the　former；　his　birth　was　mean；　and　his　youth　scandalous。　　He　was　thrashed　by　one　Moretto；　a　goldsmith　of　Rome；　as　he　was　going　out　of　the　amphitheatre；　for　having　played　the　sharper。　　He　was　a　captain　in　a　foot　regiment；　and　Bagni；　his　general；　told　me　that　while　he　was　under　his　command；　which　was　but　three　months；　he　was　only　looked　upon　as　a　cheat。　　By　the　interest　of　Cardinal　Antonio　Barberini；　he　was　sent　as　Nuncio　Extraordinary　to　France；　which　office　was　not　obtained　in　those　days　by　fair　means。　　He　so　tickled　Chavigni　by　his　loose　Italian　stories　that　he　was　shortly　after　introduced　to　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；　who　made　him　Cardinal　with　the　same　view　which；　it　is　thought；　determined　the　Emperor　Augustus　to　leave　the　succession　of　the　Empire　to　Tiberius。　　He　was　still　Richelieu's　obsequious；　humble　servant；　notwithstanding　the　purple。　　The　Queen　making　choice　of　him；　for　want　of　another；　his　pedigree　was　immediately　derived　from　a　princely　family。　　The　rays　of　fortune　having　dazzled　him　and　everybody　about　him；　he　rose；　and　they　glorified　him　for　a　second　Richelieu；　whom　he　had　the　impudence　to　ape；　though　he　had　nothing　of　him；　for　what　his　predecessor　counted　honourable　he　esteemed　scandalous。　He　made　a　mere　jest　of　religion。　　He　promised　everything　without　scruple；　at　the　same　time　he　intended　to　perform　nothing。　　He　was　neither　good…　natured　nor　cruel；　for　he　never　remembered　either　good　offices　or　bad　ones。　　He　loved　himself　too　well；　which　is　natural　to　a　sordid　soul；　and　feared　himself　too　little；　the　true　characteristic　of　those　that　have　no　regard　for　their　reputation。　　He　foresaw　an　evil　well　enough；　because　he　was　usually　timid；　but　never　applied　a　suitable　remedy；　because　he　had　more　fear　than　wisdom。　　He　had　wit；　indeed；　together　with　a　most　insinuating　address　and　a　gay；　courtly　behaviour；　but　a　villainous　heart　appeared　constantly　through　all；　to　such　a　degree　as　betrayed　him　to　be　a　fool　in　adversity　and　a　knave　in　prosperity。　　In　short；　he　was　the　first　minister　that　could　be　called　a　complete　trickster；　for　which　reason　his　administration；　though　successful　and　absolute；　never　sat　well　upon　him；　for　contemptthe　most　dangerous　disease　of　any　Statecrept　insensibly　into　the　Ministry　and　easily　diffused　its　poison　from　the　head　to　the　members。

You　will　not　wonder；　therefore；　that　there　were　so　many　unlucky　cross　rubs　in　an　administration　which　so　soon　followed　that　of　Cardinal　de　Richelieu　and　was　so　different　from　it。　　It　is　certain　that　the　imprisonment　of　M。　de　Beaufort　impressed　the　people　with　a　respect　for　Mazarin；　which　the　lustre　of　his　purple　would　never　have　procured　from　private　men。　　Ondedei　（since　Bishop　of　Frejus）　told　me　that　the　Cardinal　jested　with　him　upon　the　levity　of　the　French　nation　on　this　point；　and　that　at　the　end　of　four　months　the　Cardinal　had　set　himself　up　in　his　own　opinion　for　a　Richelieu；　and　even　thought　he　had　greater　abilities。　　It　would　take　up　volumes　to　record　all　his　faults；　the　least　of　which　were　very　important　in　one　respect　which　deserves　a　particular　remark。　　As　he　trod　in　the　steps　of　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；　who　had　completely　abolished　all　the　ancient　maxims　of　government；　he　went　in　a　path　surrounded　with　precipices；　which　Richelieu　was　aware　of　and　took　care　to　avoid。　　But　Cardinal　Mazarin　made　no　use　of　those　props　by　which　Richelieu　kept　his　footing。　　For　instance；　though　Cardinal　de　Richelieu　affected　to　humble　whole　bodies　and　societies；　yet　he　studied　to　oblige　individuals；　which　is　sufficient　to　give　you　an　idea　of　all　the　rest。　　He　had　indeed　some　unaccountable　illusions；　which　he　pushed　to　the　utmost　extremity。　　The　most　dangerous　kind　of　illusion　in　State　affairs　is　a　sort　of　lethargy　that　never　happens　without　showing　pronounced　symptoms。　　The　abolishing　of　ancient　laws；　the　destruction　of　that　golden　medium　which　was　established　between　the　Prince　and　the　people；　and　the　setting　up　a　power　purely　and　absolutely　despotic；　were　the　original　causes　of　those　political　convulsions　which　shook　France　in　the　days　of　our　forefathers。

Cardinal　de　Richelieu　managed　the　kingdom　as　mountebanks　do　their　patients；　with　violent　remedies　which　put　strength　into　it；　but　it　was　only　a　convulsive　strength；　which　exhausted　its　vital　organs。　　Cardinal　Mazarin；　like　a　very　unskilful　physician；　did　not　observe　that　the　vital　organs　were　decayed；　nor　had　he　the　skill　to　support　them　by　the　chemical　preparations　of　his　predecessor；　his　only　remedy　was　to　let　blood；　which　he　drew　so　plentifully　that　the　patient　fell　into　a　lethargy；　and　our　medicaster　was　yet　so　stupid　as　to　mistake　this　lethargy　for　a　real　state　of　healt