the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第15节

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lethargy；　and　our　medicaster　was　yet　so　stupid　as　to　mistake　this　lethargy　for　a　real　state　of　health。　　The　provinces；　abandoned　to　the　rapine　of　the　superintendents；　were　stifled；　as　it　were；　under　the　pressure　of　their　heavy　misfortunes；　and　the　efforts　they　made　to　shake　them　off　in　the　time　of　Richelieu　added　only　to　their　weight　and　bitterness。　　The　Parliaments；　which　had　so　lately　groaned　under　tyranny；　were　in　a　manner　insensible　to　present　miseries　by　a　too　fresh　and　lively　remembrance　of　their　past　troubles。　　The　grandees；　who　had　for　the　most　part　been　banished　from　the　kingdom；　were　glad　to　have　returned；　and　therefore　took　their　fill　of　ease　and　pleasure。　　If　our　quack　had　but　humoured　this　universal　indolence　with　soporifics；　the　general　drowsiness　might　have　continued　much　longer；　but　thinking　it　to　be　nothing　but　natural　sleep；　he　applied　no　remedy　at　all。　　The　disease　gained　strength；　grew　worse　and　worse；　the　patient　awakened；　Paris　became　sensible　of　her　condition；　she　groaned；　but　nobody　minded　it；　so　that　she　fell　into　a　frenzy；　whereupon　the　patient　became　raving　mad。

But　now　to　come　to　particulars。　　Emeri；　Superintendent　of　the　Finances；　and　in　my　opinion　the　most　corrupt　man　of　the　age；　multiplied　edicts　as　fast　as　he　could　find　names　to　call　them　by。　　I　cannot　give　you　a　better　idea　of　the　man　than　by　repeating　what　I　heard　him　say　in　full　Council；　that　faith　was　for　tradesmen　only；　and　that　the　Masters　of　Requests　who　urged　faith　to　be　observed　in　the　King's　affairs　deserved　to　be　punished。　This　man；　who　had　in　his　youth　been　condemned　to　be　hanged　at　Lyons；　absolutely　governed　Mazarin　in　all　the　domestic　affairs　of　the　kingdom。　I　mention　this；　among　many　other　instances　which　I　could　produce　of　the　same　nature；　to　let　you　see　that　a　nation　does　not　feel　the　extremity　of　misery　till　its　governors　have　lost　all　shame；　because　that　is　the　instant　when　the　subjects　throw　off　all　respect　and　awake　convulsively　out　of　their　lethargy。

The　Swiss　seemed；　as　it　were；　crushed　under　the　weight　of　their　chains；　when　three　of　their　powerful　cantons　revolted　and　formed　themselves　into　a　league。　　The　Dutch　thought　of　nothing　but　an　entire　subjection　to　the　tyrant　Duke　of　Alva；　when　the　Prince　of　Orange；　by　the　peculiar　destiny　of　great　geniuses；　who　see　further　into　the　future　than　all　the　world　besides；　conceived　a　plan　and　restored　their　liberty。　　The　reason　of　all　this　is　plain：　that　which　causes　a　supineness　in　suffering　States　is　the　duration　of　the　evil；　which　inclines　the　sufferers　to　believe　it　will　never　have　an　end；　as　soon　as　they　have　hopes　of　getting　out　of　it；　which　never　fails　when　the　evil　has　arrived　at　a　certain　pitch；　they　are　so　surprised；　so　glad；　and　so　transported；　that　they　run　all　of　a　sudden　into　the　other　extreme；　and　are　so　far　from　thinking　revolutions　impossible　that　they　suppose　them　easy；　and　such　a　disposition　alone　is　sometimes　able　to　bring　them　about；　witness　the　late　revolution　in　France。　　Who　could　have　imagined；　three　months　before　the　critical　period　of　our　disorders；　that　such　a　revolution　could　have　happened　in　a　kingdom　where　all　the　branches　of　the　royal　family　were　strictly　united；　where　the　Court　was　a　slave　to　the　Prime　Minister；　where　the　capital　city　and　all　the　provinces　were　in　subjection　to　him；　where　the　armies　were　victorious；　and　where　the　corporations　and　societies　seemed　to　have　no　power？　whoever；　I　say；　had　said　this　would　have　been　thought　a　madman；　not　only　in　the　judgment　of　the　vulgar；　but　in　the　opinion　of　a　D'Estrees　or　a　Senneterre。

In　August；　1647；　there　was　a　mighty　clamour　against　the　tariff　edict　imposing　a　general　tax　upon　all　provisions　that　came　into　Paris；　which　the　people　were　resolved　to　bear　no　longer。　　But　the　gentlemen　of　the　Council　being　determined　to　support　it；　the　Queen　consulted　the　members　deputed　from　Parliament；　when　Cardinal　Mazarin；　a　mere　ignoramus　in　these　affairs；　said　he　wondered　that　so　considerable　a　body　as　they　were　should　mind　such　trifles；an　expression　truly　worthy　of　Mazarin。　　However；　the　Council　at　length　imagining　the　Parliament　would　do　it；　thought　fit　to　suppress　the　tariff　themselves　by　a　declaration；　in　order　to　save　the　King's　credit。　　Nevertheless；　a　few　days　after；　they　presented　five　edicts　even　more　oppressive　than　the　tariff；　not　with　any　hopes　of　having　them　received；　but　to　force　the　Parliament　to　restore　the　tariff。　　Rather　than　admit　the　new　ones；　the　Parliament　consented　to　restore　the　old　one；　but　with　so　many　qualifications　that　the　Court；　despairing　to　find　their　account　in　it；　published　a　decree　of　the　Supreme　Council　annulling　that　of　the　Parliament　with　all　its　modifications。　　But　the　Chamber　of　Vacations　answered　it　by　another；　enjoining　the　decree　of　Parliament　to　be　put　in　execution。　　The　Council；　seeing　they　could　get　no　money　by　this　method；　acquainted　the　Parliament　that；　since　they　would　receive　no　new　edicts；　they　could　do　no　less　than　encourage　the　execution　of　such　edicts　as　they　had　formerly　ratified；　and　thereupon　they　trumped　up　a　declaration　which　had　been　registered　two　years　before　for　the　establishment　of　the　Chamber　of　Domain；　which　was　a　terrible　charge　upon　the　people；　had　very　pernicious　consequences；　and　which　the　Parliament　had　passed；　either　through　a　surprise　or　want　of　better　judgment。　　The　people　mutinied；　went　in　crowds　to　the　Palace；　and　used　very　abusive　language　to　the　President　de　Thore；　Emeri's　son。　　The　Parliament　was　obliged　to　pass　a　decree　against　the　mutineers。

The　Court；　overjoyed　to　see　the　Parliament　and　the　people　together　by　the　ears；　supported　the　decree　by　a　regiment　of　French　and　Swiss　Guards。　　The　Parisians　were　alarmed；　and　got　into　the　belfries　of　three　churches　in　the　street　of　Saint　Denis；　where　the　guards　were　posted。　　The　Provost　ran　to　acquaint　the　Court　that　the　city　was　just　taking　arms。　　Upon　which　they　ordered　the　troops　to　retire；　and　pretended　they　were　posted　there　for　no　other　end　than　to　attend　the　King　as　he　went　to　the　Church　of　Notre　Dame；　and　the　better　to　cover　their　design；　the　King　went　next　day　in　great　pomp　to　the　said　church；　and　the　day　after　he　went　to　Parliament；　without　giving　notice　of　his　coming　till　very　late　the　night　before；　and　carried　with　him　five　or　six　edicts　more　destructive　than　the　former。　　The　First　President　spoke　very　boldly　against　bringing　the　King　into　the　House　after　this　manner；　to　surprise　the　members　and　infringe　upon　their　liberty　of　voting。　　Next　day　the　Masters　of　Requests；　to　whom　one　of　these　edicts；　confirmed　in　the　King's　presence；　had　added　twelve　colleagues；　met　and　took　a　firm　resolution　not　to　admit　of　this　new　creation。　　The　Queen　sent　for　them；　told　them　they　were　very　pretty　gentlemen　to　oppose　the　King's　will；　and　forbade　them　to　come　to　Council。　Instead　of　being　frightened；　they　were　the　more　provoked；　and；　going　into　the　Great　Hall；　demanded　that　they　might　have　leave　to　enter　their　protest　against　the　edict　for　creating　new　members；　which　was　granted。

The　Chambers　being　assembled　the　same　day　to　examine　the　edicts　which　the　King　had　caused　to　be　ratified　in　his　presence；　the　Queen　commanded　them　to　attend　her　by　their　deputies　in　the　Palais　Royal；　and　told　them　she　was　surprised　that　they　pretended　to　meddle　with　what　had　been　consecrated　by　the　presence　of　the　King。　　These　were　the　very　words　of　the　Chancellor。　　The　First　President　answered　that　it　was　the　custom　of　Parliament；　and　showed　the　necessity　of　it　for　preserving　the　liberty　of　voting。　　The　Queen　seemed　to　be　satisfied；　but；　finding　some　days　after　that　the　Parliament　was　consulting　as　to　qualifying　those　edicts；　and　so　render　them　of　little　or　no　use；　she　ordered　the　King's　Council　to　forbid　the　Parliament　meddling　with　the　King's　edicts　till　they　had　declared　formally　whether　they　intended　to　limit　the　King's　authority。　　Those　members　that　were　in　the　Court　interest　artfully　took　advantage　of　the　dilemma　the　Parliament　was　in　to　answer　the　question；　and；　in　order　to　mollify　them；　tacked　a　clause　to　the　decrees　which　specified　the　restrictions；　namely；　that　all　should　be　executed　according　to　the　good　pleasure　of　the　King。　　This　clause　pleased　the　Queen　for　a　while；　but　when　she　perceived　that　it　did　not　prevent　the　rejecting　of　almost　any　other　edict　by　the　common　suffrage　of　the　Parliament；　she　flew　into　a　passion；　and　told　them　plainly　that　she　would　have　all　the　edicts；　without　exception；　fully　executed；　without　any　modifications　whatsoever。

Not　long　after　this；　the　Court　of　Aids；　the　Chamber　of　Accounts；　the　Grand　Council；　and　the　Parliament　formed　a　union　which　was　pretended　to　be　for　the　reformation　of　the　State；　but　was　more　probably　calculated　for　the　private　interest　of　the　officers；　whose　salaries　were　lessened　by　one　of　the　said　edicts。　　And　the　Court；　being　alarmed　and　utterly　perplexed　by　the　decree　for　the　said　union；　endeavoured；　as　much　as　in　them　lay；　to　give　it　this　turn；　to　make　the　people　have　a　mean　opinion　of　it。　　The　Queen　acquainted　the　Parliament　by　some　of　the　King's　Council　that；　seeing　this　union　was　entered　into　for　the　particular　interest　of　the　companies；　and　not　for　the　reformation　of　the　State；　as　they　endeavoured　to　persuade　her；　she　had　nothing　to　say　to　it；　as　everybody　is　at