the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第16节

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　of　the　State；　as　they　endeavoured　to　persuade　her；　she　had　nothing　to　say　to　it；　as　everybody　is　at　liberty　to　represent　his　case　to　the　King；　but　never　to　intermeddle　with　the　government　of　the　State。

The　Parliament　did　not　relish　this　ensnaring　discourse；　and　because　they　were　exasperated　by　the　Court's　apprehending　some　of　the　members　of　the　Grand　Council；　they　thought　of　nothing　but　justifying　and　supporting　their　decree　of　union　by　finding　out　precedents；　which　they　accordingly　met　with　in　the　registers；　and　were　going　to　consider　how　to　put　it　in　execution　when　one　of　the　Secretaries　of　State　came　to　the　bar　of　the　house；　and　put　into　the　hands　of　the　King's　Council　a　decree　of　the　Supreme　Council　which；　in　very　truculent　terms；　annulled　that　of　the　union。　　Upon　this　the　Parliament　desired　a　meeting　with　the　deputies　of　the　other　three　bodies；　at　which　the　Court　was　enraged；　and　had　recourse　to　the　mean　expedient　of　getting　the　very　original　decree　of　union　out　of　the　hands　of　the　chief　registrar；　for　that　end　they　sent　the　Secretary　of　State　and　a　lieutenant　of　the　Guards；　who　put　him　into　a　coach　to　drive　him　to　the　office；　but　the　people　perceiving　it；　were　up　in　arms　immediately；　and　both　the　secretary　and　lieutenant　were　glad　to　get　off。

After　this　there　was　a　great　division　in　the　Council；　and　some　said　the　Queen　was　disposed　to　arrest　the　Parliament；　but　none　but　herself　was　of　that　opinion；　which；　indeed；　was　not　likely　to　be　acted　upon；　considering　how　the　people　then　stood　affected。　　Therefore　a　more　moderate　course　was　taken。　　The　Chancellor　reprimanded　the　Parliament　in　the　presence　of　the　King　and　Court；　and　ordered　a　second　decree　of　Council　to　be　read　and　registered　instead　of　the　union　decree；　forbidding　them　to　assemble　under　pain　of　being　treated　as　rebels。　　They　met；　nevertheless；　in　defiance　of　the　said　decree；　and　had　several　days'　consultation；　upon　which　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　who　was　very　sensible　they　would　never　comply；　proposed　an　accommodation。　　Accordingly　Cardinal　Mazarin　and　the　Chancellor　made　some　proposals；　which　were　rejected　with　indignation。　　The　Parliament　affected　to　be　altogether　concerned　for　the　good　of　the　public；　and　issued　a　decree　obliging　themselves　to　continue　their　session　and　to　make　humble　remonstrances　to　the　King　for　annulling　the　decrees　of　the　Council。

The　King's　Council　having　obtained　audience　of　the　Queen　for　the　Parliament；　the　First　President　strenuously　urged　the　great　necessity　of　inviolably　preferring　that　golden　mean　between　the　King　and　the　subject；　proved　that　the　Parliament　had　been　for　many　ages　in　possession　of　full　authority　to　unite　and　assemble；　complained　against　the　annulling　of　their　decree　of　union；　and　concluded　with　a　very　earnest　motion　for　suppressing　decrees　of　the　Supreme　Council　made　in　opposition　to　theirs。　The　Court；　being　moved　more　by　the　disposition　of　the　people　than　by　the　remonstrances　of　the　Parliament；　complied　immediately；　and　ordered　the　King's　Council　to　acquaint　the　Parliament　that　the　King　would　permit　the　act　of　union　to　be　executed；　and　that　they　might　assemble　and　act　in　concert　with　the　other　bodies　for　the　good　of　the　State。

You　may　judge　how　the　Cabinet　was　mortified；　but　the　vulgar　were　much　mistaken　in　thinking　that　the　weakness　of　Mazarin　upon　this　occasion　gave　the　least　blow　to　the　royal　authority。　　In　that　conjuncture　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　act　otherwise；　for　if　he　had　continued　inflexible　on　this　occasion　he　would　certainly　have　been　reckoned　a　madman　and　surrounded　with　barricades。　　He　only　yielded　to　the　torrent；　and　yet　most　people　accused　him　of　weakness。　　It　is　certain　this　affair　brought　him　into　great　contempt；　and　though　he　endeavoured　to　appease　the　people　by　the　banishment　of　Emeri；　yet　the　Parliament；　perceiving　what　ascendancy　they　had　over　the　Court；　left　no　stone　unturned　to　demolish　the　power　of　this　overgrown　favourite。

The　Cardinal；　made　desperate　by　the　failure　of　his　stratagems　to　create　jealousy　among　the　four　bodies；　and　alarmed　at　a　proposition　which　they　were　going　to　make　for　cancelling　all　the　loans　made　to　the　King　upon　excessive　interest；the　Cardinal；　I　say；　being　quite　mad　with　rage　and　grief　at　these　disappointments；　and　set　on　by　courtiers　who　had　most　of　their　stocks　in　these　loans；　made　the　King　go　on　horseback　to　the　Parliament　House　in　great　pomp；　and　carry　a　wheedling　declaration　with　him；　which　contained　some　articles　very　advantageous　to　the　public；　and　a　great　many　others　very　ambiguous。　　But　the　people　were　so　jealous　of　the　Court　that　he　went　without　the　usual　acclamations。　　The　declaration　was　soon　after　censured　by　the　Parliament　and　the　other　bodies；　though　the　Duc　d'Orleans　exhorted　and　prayed　that　they　would　not　meddle　with　it；　and　threatened　them　if　they　did。

The　Parliament　also　passed　a　decree　declaring　that　no　money　should　be　raised　without　verified　declarations；　which　so　provoked　the　Court　that　they　resolved　to　proceed　to　extremities；　and　to　make　use　of　the　signal　victory　which　was　obtained　at　Lens　on　the　24th　of　August；　1648；　to　dazzle　the　eyes　of　the　people　and　gain　their　consent　to　oppressing　the　Parliament。

All　the　humours　of　the　State　were　so　disturbed　by　the　great　troubles　at　Paris；　the　fountainhead；　that　I　foresaw　a　fever　would　be　the　certain　consequence；　because　the　physician　had　not　the　skill　to　prevent　it。　　As　I　owed　the　coadjutorship　of　the　archbishopric　to　the　Queen；　I　thought　it　my　duty　in　every　circumstance　to　sacrifice　my　resentment；　and　even　the　probability　of　glory；　to　gratitude；　and　notwithstanding　all　the　solicitations　of　Montresor　and　Laigues；　I　made　a　firm　resolution　to　stick　close　to　my　own　business　and　not　to　engage　in　anything　that　was　either　said　or　done　against　the　Court　at　that　time。　　Montresor　had　been　brought　up　from　his　youth　in　the　faction　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　and；　having　more　wit　than　courage；　was　so　much　the　more　dangerous　an　adviser　in　great　affairs；　men　of　this　cast　only　suggest　measures　and　leave　them　to　be　executed　by　others。　　Laigues；　on　the　other　hand；　who　was　entirely　governed　by　Montresor；　had　not　much　brains；　but　was　all　bravery　and　feared　nothing；　men　of　this　character　dare　do　anything　they　are　set　upon　by　those　who　confide　in　them。

Finding　that　my　innocence　and　integrity　gained　me　no　friends　at　Court；　and　that　I　had　nothing　to　expect　from　the　Minister；　who　mortally　hated　me；　I　resolved　to　be　upon　my　guard；　by　acting　in　respect　to　the　Court　with　as　much　freedom　as　zeal　and　sincerity；　and　in　respect　to　the　city；　by　carefully　preserving　my　friends；　and　doing　everything　necessary　to　get；　or；　rather；　to　keep；　the　love　of　the　people。　　To　maintain　my　interest　in　the　city；　I　laid　out　36；000　crowns　in　alms　and　other　bounties；　from　the　26th　of　March　to　the　25th　of　August；　1648；　and　to　please　the　Court　I　told　the　Queen　and　Cardinal　how　the　Parisians　then　stood　affected；　which　they　never　knew　before；　through　flattery　and　prejudice。　　I　also　complained　to　the　Queen　of　the　Cardinal's　cunning　and　dissimulation；　and　made　use　of　the　same　intimations　which　I　had　given　to　the　Court　to　show　the　Parliament　that　I　had　done　all　in　my　power　to　clearly　inform　the　Ministry　of　everything　and　to　disperse　the　clouds　always　cast　over　their　understandings　by　the　interest　of　inferior　officers　and　the　flattery　of　courtiers。　　This　made　the　Cardinal　break　with　me　and　thwart　me　openly　at　every　opportunity；　insomuch　that　when　I　was　telling　the　Queen　in　his　presence　that　the　people　in　general　were　so　soured　that　nothing　but　lenitives　could　abate　their　rancour；　he　answered　me　with　the　Italian　fable　of　the　wolf　who　swore　to　a　flock　of　sheep　that　he　would　protect　them　against　all　his　comrades　provided　one　of　them　would　come　every　morning　and　lick　a　wound　he　had　received　from　a　dog。　　He　entertained　me　with　the　like　witticisms　three　or　four　months　together；　of　which　this　was　one　of　the　most　favourable；　whereupon　I　made　these　reflections　that　it　was　more　unbecoming　a　Minister　of　State　to　say　silly　things　than　to　do　them；　and　that　any　advice　given　him　was　criminal。

The　Cardinal　pretended　that　the　success　of　the　King's　arms　at　Lens　had　so　mortified　the　Court　that　the　Parliament　and　the　other　bodies；　who　expected　they　would　take　a　sharp　revenge　on　them　for　their　late　conduct；　would　have　the　great　satisfaction　of　being　disappointed。　　I　own　I　was　fool　enough　to　believe　him；　and　was　perfectly　transported　at　the　thought；　but　with　what　sincerity　the　Cardinal　spoke　will　appear　by　and　by。

On　the　26th　of　August；　1648；　the　worthy　Broussel；　councillor　of　the　Grand　Chamber；　and　Rene　Potier；　Sieur　de　Blancmenil；　President　of　the　Inquests；　were　both　arrested　by　the　Queen's　officers。　　It　is　impossible　to　express　the　sudden　consternation　of　all　men；　women；　and　children　in　Paris　at　this　proceeding。　　The　people　stared　at　one　another　for　awhile　without　saying　a　word。　　But　this　profound　silence　was　suddenly　attended　with　a　confused　noise　of　running；　crying；　and　shutting　up　of　shops；　upon　which　I　thought　it　my　duty　to　go　and　wait　upon　the　Queen；　though　I　was　sorely　vexed　to　see　how　my　credulity　had　been　abused　but　the　night　before　at　Court；　when　I　was　desired　to　tell　all　my　friends　in　Parliament　that　the　victory　of　Lens　had　only　disposed　the　Court　more　and　more　to　l