the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第19节

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　in　the　leader　of　a　party　may　be　vices　in　an　archbishop。　　I　had　this　view　a　thousand　times；　and　it　always　gave　place　to　the　duty　I　thought　I　owed　to　her　Majesty；　but　the　remembrance　of　what　had　passed　at　the　Queen's　table；　and　the　resolution　there　taken　to　ruin　me　with　the　public；　having　banished　all　scruples；　I　joyfully　determined　to　abandon　my　destiny　to　all　the　impulses　of　glory。　　I　said　to　my　friends　that　the　whole　Court　was　witness　of　the　harsh　treatment　I　had　met　with　for　above　a　year　in　the　King's　palace；　and　I　added：　〃The　public　is　engaged　to　defend　my　honour；　but　the　public　being　now　about　to　be　sacrificed；　I　am　obliged　to　defend　it　against　oppression。　　Our　circumstances　are　not　so　bad　as　you　imagine；　gentlemen；　and　before　twelve　o'clock　to…morrow　I　shall　be　master　of　Paris。〃

My　two　friends　thought　I　was　mad；　and　began　to　counsel　moderation；　whereas　before　they　always　incited　me　to　action；　but　I　did　not　give　them　hearing。　　I　immediately　sent　for　Miron；　Accountant…General；　one　of　the　city　colonels；　a　man　of　probity　and　courage；　and　having　great　interest　with　the　people。　　I　consulted　with　him；　and　he　executed　his　commission　with　so　much　discretion　and　bravery　that　above　four　hundred　considerable　citizens　were　posted　up　and　down　in　platoons　with　no　more　noise　and　stir　than　if　so　many　Carthusian　novices　had　been　assembled　for　contemplation。　After　having　given　orders　for　securing　certain　gates　and　bars　of　the　city；　I　went　to　sleep；　and　was　told　next　morning　that　no　soldiers　had　appeared　all　night；　except　a　few　troopers；　who　just　took　a　view　of　the　platoons　of　the　citizens　and　then　galloped　off。　　Hence　it　was　inferred　that　our　precautions　had　prevented　the　execution　of　the　design　formed　against　particular　persons；　but　it　was　believed　there　was　some　mischief　hatching　at　the　Chancellor's　against　the　public；　because　sergeants　were　running　backwards　and　forwards；　and　Ondedei　went　thither　four　times　in　two　hours。

Being　informed　soon　after　that　the　Chancellor　was　going　to　the　Palace　with　all　the　pomp　of　magistracy；　and　that　two　companies　of　Swiss　Guards　approached　the　suburbs；　I　gave　my　orders　in　two　words；　which　were　executed　in　two　minutes。　　Miron　ordered　the　citizens　to　take　arms；　and　Argenteuil；　disguised　as　a　mason；　with　a　rule　in　his　hand；　charged　the　Swiss　in　flank；　killed　twenty　or　thirty；　dispersed　the　rest；　and　took　one　of　their　colours。　　The　Chancellor；　hemmed　in　on　every　side；　narrowly　escaped　with　his　life　to　the　Hotel　d'O；　which　the　people　broke　open；　rushed　in　with　fury；　and；　as　God　would　have　it；　fell　immediately　to　plundering；　so　that　they　forgot　to　force　open　a　little　chamber　where　both　the　Chancellor　and　his　brother；　the　Bishop　of　Meaux；　to　whom　he　was　confessing；　lay　concealed。　　The　news　of　this　occurrence　ran　like　wild…　fire　through　the　whole　city。　　Men　and　women　were　immediately　up　in　arms；　and　mothers　even　put　daggers　into　the　hands　of　their　children。　　In　less　than　two　hours　there　were　erected　above　two　hundred　barricades；　adorned　with　all　the　standards　and　colours　that　the　League　had　left　entire。　　All　the　cry　was；　〃God　bless　the　King！〃　　sometimes；　〃God　bless　the　Coadjutor！〃　and　the　echo　was；　〃No　Mazarin！〃

The　Queen　sent　her　commands　to　me　to　use　my　interest　to　appease　the　tumult。　　I　answered　the　messenger；　very　coolly；　that　I　had　forfeited　my　credit　with　the　people　on　account　of　yesterday's　transactions；　and　that　I　did　not　dare　to　go　abroad。　　The　messenger　had　heard　the　cry　of　〃God　bless　the　Coadjutor！〃　　and　would　fain　have　persuaded　me　that　I　was　the　favourite　of　the　people；　but　I　strove　as　much　to　convince　him　of　the　contrary。

The　Court　minions　of　the　two　last　centuries　knew　not　what　they　did　when　they　reduced　that　effectual　regard　which　kings　ought　to　have　for　their　subjects　into　mere　style　and　form；　for　there　are；　as　you　see；　certain　conjunctures　in　which；　by　a　necessary　consequence；　subjects　make　a　mere　form　also　of　the　real　obedience　which　they　owe　to　their　sovereigns。

The　Parliament　hearing　the　cries　of　the　people　for　Broussel；　after　having　ordered　a　decree　against　Cominges；　lieutenant　of　the　Queen's　Guards；　who　had　arrested　him；　made　it　death　for　all　who　took　the　like　commissions　for　the　future；　and　decreed　that　an　information　should　be　drawn　up　against　those　who　had　given　that　advice；　as　disturbers　of　the　public　peace。　　Then　the　Parliament　went　in　a　body；　in　their　robes；　to　the　Queen；　with　the　First　President　at　their　head；　and　amid　the　acclamations　of　the　people；　who　opened　all　their　barricades　to　let　them　pass。　　The　First　President　represented　to　the　Queen；　with　becoming　freedom；　that　the　royal　word　had　been　prostituted　a　thousand　times　over　by　scandalous　and　even　childish　evasions；　defeating　resolutions　most　useful　and　necessary　for　the　State。　He　strongly　exaggerated　the　mighty　danger　of　the　State　from　the　city　being　all　in　arms；　but　the　Queen；　who　feared　nothing　because　she　knew　little；　flew　into　a　passion　and　raved　like　a　fury；　saying；　〃I　know　too　well　that　there　is　an　uproar　in　the　city；　but　you　Parliamentarians；　together　with　your　wives　and　children；　shall　be　answerable　for　it　all；〃　and　with　that　she　retired　into　another　chamber　and　shut　the　door　after　her　with　violence。　　The　members；　who　numbered　about　one　hundred　and　sixty；　were　going　down…stairs；　but　the　First　President　persuaded　them　to　go　up　and　try　the　Queen　once　more；　and　meeting　with　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　he；　with　a　great　deal　of　persuasion；　introduced　twenty　of　them　into　the　presence…chamber；　where　the　First　President　made　another　effort　with　the　Queen；　by　setting　forth　the　terrors　of　the　enraged　metropolis　up　in　arms；　but　she　would　hear　nothing；　and　went　into　the　little　gallery。

Upon　this　the　Cardinal　advanced　and　proposed　to　surrender　the　prisoner；　provided　the　Parliament　would　promise　to　hold　no　more　assemblies。　　They　were　going　to　consider　this　proposal　upon　the　spot；　but；　thinking　that　the　people　would　be　inclined　to　believe　that　the　Parliament　had　been　forced　if　they　gave　their　votes　at　the　Palais　Royal；　they　resolved　to　adjourn　to　their　own　House。

The　Parliament；　returning　and　saying　nothing　about　the　liberation　of　Broussel；　were　received　by　the　people　with　angry　murmurs　instead　of　with　loud　acclamations。　　They　appeased　those　at　the　first　two　barricades　by　telling　them　that　the　Queen　had　promised　them　satisfaction；　but　those　at　the　third　barricade　would　not　be　paid　in　that　coin；　for　a　journeyman　cook；　advancing　with　two　hundred　men；　pressed　his　halberd　against　the　First　President；　saying；　〃Go　back；　traitor；　and　if　thou　hast　a　mind　to　save　thy　life；　bring　us　Broussel；　or　else　Mazarin　and　the　Chancellor　as　hostages。〃

Upon　this　five　presidents　'au　mortier'　and　about　twenty　councillors　fell　back　into　the　crowd　to　make　their　escape；　the　First　President　only；　the　most　undaunted　man　of　the　age；　continued　firm　and　intrepid。　　He　rallied　the　members　as　well　as　he　could；　maintaining　still　the　authority　of　a　magistrate；　both　in　his　words　and　behaviour；　and　went　leisurely　back　to　the　King's　palace；　through　volleys　of　abuse；　menaces；　curses；　and　blasphemies。　　He　had　a　kind　of　eloquence　peculiar　to　himself；　knew　nothing　of　interjections；　was　not　very　exact　in　his　speech；　but　the　force　of　it　made　amends　for　that；　and　being　naturally　bold；　never　spoke　so　well　as　when　he　was　in　danger；　insomuch　that　when　he　returned　to　the　Palace　he　even　outdid　himself；　for　it　is　certain　that　he　moved　the　hearts　of　all　present　except　the　Queen；　who　continued　inflexible。　　The　Duc　d'Orleans　was　going　to　throw　himself　at　her　feet；　which　four　or　five　Princesses；　trembling　with　fear；　actually　did。　　The　Cardinal；　whom　a　young　councillor　jestingly　advised　to　go　out　into　the　streets　and　see　how　the　people　stood　affected；　did　at　last　join　with　the　bulk　of　the　Court；　and　with　much　ado　the　Queen　condescended　to　bid　the　members　go　and　consult　what　was　fitting　to　be　done；　agreed　to　set　the　prisoners　at　liberty；　restored　Broussel　to　the　people；　who　carried　him　upon　their　heads　with　loud　acclamations；　broke　down　their　barricades；　opened　their　shops；　and　in　two　hours　Paris　was　more　quiet　than　ever　I　saw　it　upon　a　Good　Friday。

As　to　the　primum　mobile　of　this　revolution；　it　was　owing　to　no　other　cause　than　a　deviation　from　the　laws；　which　so　alters　the　opinions　of　the　people　that　many　times　a　faction　is　formed　before　the　change　is　so　much　as　perceived。

This　little　reflection；　with　what　has　been　said；　may　serve　to　confute　those　who　pretend　that　a　faction　without　a　head　is　never　to　be　feared。　It　grows　up　sometimes　in　a　night。　　The　commotion　I　have　been　speaking　of；　which　was　so　violent　and　lasting；　did　not　appear　to　have　any　leader　for　a　whole　year；　but　at　last　there　rose　up　in　one　moment　a　much　greater　number　than　was　necessary　for　the　party。

The　morning　after　the　barricades　were　removed；　the　Queen　sent　for　me；　treated　me　with　all　the　marks　of　kindness　and　confidence；　said　that　if　she　had　hearkened　to　me　she　would　not　have　experienced　the　late　disquietness；　that　the　Cardinal　was　not　to　blame　for　it；　but　that　Chavigni　had　been　the　sole　cause　of　her　misfortunes；　to　whose　pernicious　counsels　she　had　paid　more　deference　than　to　the　Cardinal。　　〃But；　good　God！〃　she　suddenly　exclaimed；　〃will　you　not　get　that　rogue　Beautru　soundly　thrashed；　who　has　paid　so　little　resp