the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第20节

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ddenly　exclaimed；　〃will　you　not　get　that　rogue　Beautru　soundly　thrashed；　who　has　paid　so　little　respect　to　your　character？　　The　poor　Cardinal　was　very　near　having　it　done　the　other　night。〃　　I　received　all　this　with　more　respect　than　credulity。　　She　commanded　me　to　go　to　the　poor　Cardinal；　to　comfort　him；　and　to　advise　him　as　to　the　best　means　of　quieting　the　populace。

I　went　without　any　scruple。　　He　embraced　me　with　a　tenderness　I　am　not　able　to　express；　said　there　was　not　an　honest　man　in　France　but　myself；　and　that　all　the　rest　were　infamous　flatterers；　who　had　misled　the　Queen　in　spite　of　all　his　and　my　good　counsels。　　He　protested　that　he　would　do　nothing　for　the　future　without　my　advice；　showed　me　the　foreign　despatches；　and；　in　short；　was　so　affable；　that　honest　Broussel；　who　was　likewise　present　upon　his　invitation；　for　all　his　harmless　simplicity；　laughed　heartily　as　we　were　going　out；　and　said　that　it　was　all　mere　buffoonery。

There　being　a　report　that　the　King　was　to　be　removed　by　the　Court　from　Paris；　the　Queen　assured　the　'prevot　des　marchands'　that　it　was　false；　and　yet　the　very　next　day　carried　him　to　Ruel。　　From　there　I　doubted　not　that　she　designed　to　surprise　the　city；　which　seemed　really　astonished　at　the　King's　departure；　and　I　found　the　hottest　members　of　the　Parliament　in　great　consternation；　and　the　more　so　because　news　arrived　at　the　same　time　that　General　Erlac＇He　was　Governor　of　Brisac；　and　commanded　the　forces　of　the　Duke　of　Weimar　after　the　Duke's　death＇had　passed　the　Somme　with　4；000　Germans。　　Now；　as　in　general　disturbances　one　piece　of　bad　news　seldom　comes　singly；　five　or　six　stories　of　this　kind　were　published　at　the　same　time；　which　made　me　think　I　should　find　it　as　difficult　a　task　to　raise　the　spirits　of　the　people　as　I　had　before　to　restrain　them。　　I　was　never　so　nonplussed　in　all　my　life。　　I　saw　the　full　extent　of　the　danger；　and　everything　looked　terrible。　　Yet　the　greatest　perils　have　their　charms　if　never　so　little　glory　is　discovered　in　the　prospect　of　ill…success；　while　the　least　dangers　have　nothing　but　horror　when　defeat　is　attended　with　loss　of　reputation。

I　used　all　the　arguments　I　could　to　dissuade　the　Parliament　from　making　the　Court　desperate；　at　least　till　they　had　thought　of　some　expedients　to　defend　themselves　from　its　insults；　to　which　they　would　inevitably　have　been　exposed　if　the　Court　had　taken　time　by　the　forelock；　in　which；　perhaps；　they　were　prevented　by　the　unexpected　return　of　the　Prince　de　Conti。　　I　hereupon　formed　a　resolution　which　gave　me　a　great　deal　of　uneasiness；　but　which　was　firm；　because　it　was　the　only　resolution　I　had　to　take。　　Extremities　are　always　disagreeable；　but　are　the　wisest　means　when　absolutely　necessary；　the　best　of　it　is　that　they　admit　of　no　middle　course；　and　if　peradventure　they　are　good；　they　are　always　decisive。

Fortune　favoured　my　design。　　The　Queen　ordered　Chavigni　to　be　sent　prisoner　to　Havre…de…Grace。　　I　embraced　this　opportunity　to　stir　up　the　natural　fears　of　his　dear　friend　Viole；　by　telling　him　that　he　was　a　ruined　man　for　doing　what　he　had　done　at　the　instigation　of　Chavigni；　that　it　was　plain　the　King　left　Paris　with　a　view　to　attack　it；　and　that　he　saw　as　well　as　I　how　much　the　people　were　dejected；　that　if　their　spirits　should　be　quite　sunk　they　could　never　be　raised；　that　they　must　be　supported；　that　I　would　influence　the　people；　and　that　he　should　do　what　he　could　with　the　Parliament；　who；　in　my　opinion；　ought　not　to　be　supine；　but　to　be　awakened　at　a　juncture　when　the　King's　departure　had　perfectly　drowned　their　senses；　adding　that　a　word　in　season　would　infallibly　produce　this　good　effect。

Accordingly　Viole　struck　one　of　the　boldest　strokes　that　has　perhaps　been　heard　of。　　He　told　the　Parliament　that　it　was　reported　Paris　was　to　be　besieged；　that　troops　were　marching　for　that　end；　and　the　most　faithful　servants　of　his　late　Majesty；　who；　it　was　suspected；　would　oppose　designs　so　pernicious；　would　be　put　in　chains；　that　it　was　necessary　for　them　to　address　the　Queen　to　bring　the　King　back　to　Paris；　and　forasmuch　as　the　author　of　all　these　mischiefs　was　well　known；　he　moved　further　that　the　Duc　d'Orleans　and　the　officers　of　the　Crown　should　be　desired　to　come　to　Parliament　to　deliberate　upon　the　decree　issued　in　1617；　on　account　of　Marechal　d'Ancre；　forbidding　foreigners　to　intermeddle　in　the　Government。　We　thought　ourselves　that　we　had　touched　too　high　a　key；　but　a　lower　note　would　not　have　awakened　or　kept　awake　men　whom　fear　had　perfectly　stupefied。　　I　have　observed　that　this　passion　of　fear　has　seldom　that　influence　upon　individuals　that　it　generally　has　upon　the　mass。

Viole's　proposition　at　first　startled；　then　rejoiced；　and　afterwards　animated　those　that　heard　it。　　Blancmenil；　who　before　seemed　to　have　no　life　left　in　him；　had　now　the　courage　to　point　at　the　Cardinal　by　name；　who　hitherto　had　been　described　only　by　the　designation　of　Minister；　and　the　Parliament　cheerfully　agreed　to　remonstrate　with　the　Queen；　according　to　Viole's　proposition；　not　forgetting　to　pray　her　Majesty　to　remove　the　troops　further　from　Paris；　and　not　to　send　for　the　magistrates　to　take　orders　for　the　security　of　the　city。

The　President　Coigneux　whispered　to　me；　saying；　〃I　have　no　hopes　but　in　you；　we　shall　be　undone　if　you　do　not　work　underground。〃　　I　sat　up　accordingly　all　night　to　prepare　instructions　for　Saint…Ibal　to　treat　with　the　Count　Fuensaldagne；　and　oblige　him　to　march　with　the　Spanish　army；　in　case　of　need；　to　our　assistance；　and　was　just　going　to　send　him　away　to　Brussels　when　M。　de　Chatillon；　my　friend　and　kinsman；　who　mortally　hated　the　Cardinal；　came　to　tell　me　that　the　Prince　de　Conde　would　be　the　next　day　at　Ruel；　that　the　Prince　was　enraged　against　the　Cardinal；　and　was　sure　he　would　ruin　the　State　if　he　were　let　alone；　and　that　the　Cardinal　held　a　correspondence　in　cipher　with　a　fellow　in　the　Prince's　army　whom　he　had　corrupted；　to　be　informed　of　everything　done　there　to　his　prejudice。　　By　all　this　I　learnt　that　the　Prince　had　no　great　understanding　with　the　Court；　and　upon　his　arrival　at　Ruel　I　ventured　to　go　thither。

Both　the　Queen　and　the　Cardinal　were　extremely　civil；　and　the　latter　took　particular　notice　of　the　Prince's　behaviour　to　me；　who　embraced　me　'en　passant'　in　the　garden；　and　spoke　very　low　to　me；　saying　that　he　would　be　at　my　house　next　day。　　He　kept　his　word；　and　desired　me　to　give　him　an　account　of　the　state　of　affairs；　and　when　I　had　done　so　we　agreed　that　I　should　continue　to　push　the　Cardinal　by　means　of　the　Parliament；　that　I　should　take　his　Highness　by　night　incognito　to　Longueil　and　Broussel；　to　assure　them　they　should　not　want　assistance；　that　the　Prince　de　Conde　should　give　the　Queen　all　the　marks　of　his　respect　for　and　attachment　to　her；　and　make　all　possible　reparation　for　the　dissatisfaction　he　had　shown　with　regard　to　the　Cardinal；　that　he　might　thereby　insinuate　himself　into　the　Queen's　favour；　and　gradually　dispose　her　to　receive　and　fallow　his　counsels　and　hear　truths　against　which　she　had　always　stopped　her　ears；　and　that　by　thus　letting　the　Cardinal　drop　insensibly；　rather　than　fall　suddenly；　the　Prince　would　find　himself　master　of　the　Cabinet　with　the　Queer's　approbation；　and；　with　the　assistance　of　his　humble　servants　in　Council；　arbiter　of　the　national　welfare。

The　Queen；　who　went　away　from　Paris　to　give　her　troops　an　opportunity　to　starve　and　attack　the　city；　told　the　deputies　sent　by　Parliament　to　entreat　her　to　restore　the　King　to　Paris　that　she　was　extremely　surprised　and　astonished；　that　the　King　used　every　year　at　that　season　to　take　the　air；　and　that　his　health　was　much　more　to　be　regarded　than　the　imaginary　fears　of　the　people。　　The　Prince　de　Conde；　coming　in　at　this　juncture；　told　the　President　and　councillors；　who　invited　him　to　take　his　seat　in　Parliament；　that　he　would　not　come；　but　obey　the　Queen　though　it　should　prove　his　ruin。　　The　Duc　d'Orleans　said　that　he　would　not　be　there　either；　because　the　Parliament　had　made　such　proposals　as　were　too　bold　to　be　endured；　and　the　Prince　de　Conti　spoke　after　the　same　manner。

The　next　day　the　King's　Council　carried　an　order　of　Council　to　Parliament　to　put　a　stop　to　their　debates　against　foreigners　being　in　the　Ministry。　This　so　excited　the　Parliament　that　they　made　a　remonstrance　in　writing；　instructed　the　'prevot　des　marchands'　to　provide　for　the　safety　of　the　city；　ordered　all　other　governors　to　keep　the　passages　free；　and　resolved　next　day　to　continue　the　debate　against　foreign　ministers。　　I　laboured　all　night　to　ward　off　the　fatal　blow；　which　I　was　afraid　would　hurry　the　Prince；　against　his　will；　into　the　arms　of　the　Court。　　But　when　next　day　came；　the　members　inflamed　one　another　before　they　sat；　through　the　cursed　spirit　of　formality；　and　the　very　men　who　two　days　ago　were　all　fear　and　trembling　were　suddenly　transported；　they　knew　not　why；　from　a　well…grounded　fear　to　a　blind　rage；　so　that　without　reflecting　that　the　General　had　arrived　whose　very　name　made　them　tremble；　because　they　suspected　him　to　be　in　the　interest　of　the　Court；　they　issued　the　said　decree；　which　obliged　the　Queen　to　send　the　Duc　d'Anjou；＇Philippe　of　France；　only　brother　to　King　Louis　XIV。；　afterwards　Duc　d'Orleans；　died　suddenly　at　St。　　Cloud