the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第21节

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pe　of　France；　only　brother　to　King　Louis　XIV。；　afterwards　Duc　d'Orleans；　died　suddenly　at　St。　　Cloud；　in　1701。＇　but　just　recovered　from　the　smallpox；　and　the　Duchesse　d'Orleans；　much　indisposed；　out　of　town。

This　would　have　begun　a　civil　war　next　day　had　not　the　Prince　de　Conde　taken　the　wisest　measures　imaginable；　though　he　had　a　very　bad　opinion　of　the　Cardinal；　both　upon　the　public　account　and　his　own；　and　was　as　little　pleased　with　the　conduct　of　the　Parliament；　with　whom　there　was　no　dealing；　either　as　a　body　or　as　private　persons。　　The　Prince　kept　an　even　pace　between　the　Court　and　country　factions；　and　he　said　these　words　to　me；　which　I　can　never　forget：

〃Mazarin　does　not　know　what　he　is　doing；　and　will　ruin　the　State　if　care　be　not　taken；　the　Parliament　really　goes　on　too　fast；　as　you　said　they　would；　if　they　did　but　manage　according　to　our　scheme；　we　should　be　able　to　settle　our　own　business　and　that　of　the　public；　too；　they　act　with　precipitation；　and　were　I　to　do　so；　it　is　probable　I　should　gain　more　by　it　than　they。　　But　I　am　Louis　de　Bourbon；　and　will　not　endanger　the　State。　　Are　those　devils　in　square　caps　mad　to　force　me　either　to　begin　a　civil　war　tomorrow　or　to　ruin　every　man　of　them；　and　set　over　our　heads　a　Sicilian　vagabond　who　will　destroy　us　all　at　last？〃

In　fine；　the　Prince　proposed　to　set　out　immediately　for　Ruel　to　divert　the　Court　from　their　project　of　attacking　Paris；　and　to　propose　to　the　Queen　that　the　Duc　d'Orleans　and　himself　should　write　to　the　Parliament　to　send　deputies　to　confer　about　means　to　relieve　the　necessities　of　the　State。　　The　Prince　saw　that　I　was　so　overcome　at　this　proposal　that　he　said　to　me　with　tenderness；　〃How　different　you　are　from　the　man　you　are　represented　to　be　at　Court！　　Would　to　God　that　all　those　rogues　in　the　Ministry　were　but　as　well　inclined　as　you！〃

I　told　the　Prince　that；　considering　how　the　minds　of　the　Parliament　were　embittered；　I　doubted　whether　they　would　care　to　confer　with　the　Cardinal；　that　his　Highness　would　gain　a　considerable　point　if　he　could　prevail　with　the　Court　not　to　insist　upon　the　necessity　of　the　Cardinal's　presence；　because　then　all　the　honour　of　the　arrangement；　in　which　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　as　usual；　would　only　be　as　a　cipher；　would　redound　to　him；　and　that　such　exclusion　of　the　Cardinal　would　disgrace　his　Ministry　to　the　last　degree；　and　be　a　very　proper　preface　to　the　blow　which　the　Prince　designed　to　give　him　in　the　Cabinet。

The　Prince　profited　by　the　hint；　so　that　the　Parliament　returned　answer　that　they　would　send　deputies　to　confer　with　the　Princes　only；　which　last　words　the　Prince　artfully　laid　hold　of　and　advised　Mazarin　not　to　expose　himself　by　coming　to　the　conference　against　the　Parliament's　consent；　but　rather；　like　a　wise　man；　to　make　a　virtue　of　the　present　necessity。　　This　was　a　cruel　blow　to　the　Cardinal；　who　ever　since　the　decease　of　the　late　King　had　been　recognised　as　Prime　Minister　of　France；　and　the　consequences　were　equally　disastrous。

The　deputies　being　accordingly　admitted　to　a　conference　with　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　the　Princes　de　Conde　and　Conti　and　M。　de　Longueville；　the　First　President；　Viole；　who　had　moved　in　Parliament　that　the　decree　might　be　renewed　for　excluding　foreigners　from　the　Ministry；　inveighed　against　the　imprisonment　of　M。　de　Chavigni；　who　was　no　member；　yet　the　President　insisted　upon　his　being　set　at　liberty；　because；　according　to　the　laws　of　the　realm；　no　person　ought　to　be　detained　in　custody　above　twenty…four　hours　without　examination。　　This　occasioned　a　considerable　debate；　and　the　Duc　d'Orldans；　provoked　at　this　expression；　said　that　the　President's　aim　was　to　cramp　the　royal　authority。　　Nevertheless　the　latter　vigorously　maintained　his　argument；　and　was　unanimously　seconded　by　all　the　deputies；　for　which　they　were　next　day　applauded　in　Parliament。　　In　short；　the　thing　was　pushed　so　far　that　the　Queen　was　obliged　to　consent　to　a　declaration　that　for　the　future　no　man　whatever　should　be　detained　in　prison　above　three　days　without　being　examined。　　By　this　means　Chavigni　was　set　at　liberty。　　Several　other　conferences　were　held；　in　which　the　Chancellor　treated　the　First　President　of　the　Parliament　with　a　sort　of　contempt　that　was　almost　brutal。　　Nevertheless　the　Parliament　carried　all　before　them。

In　October；　1648；　the　Parliament　adjourned；　and　the　Queen　soon　after　returned　to　Paris　with　the　King。

The　Cardinal；　who　aimed　at　nothing　more　than　to　ruin　my　credit　with　the　people；　sent　me　4；000　crowns　as　a　present　from　the　Queen；　for　the　services　which　she　said　I　intended　her　on　the　day　of　the　barricade；　and　who；　think　you；　should　be　the　messenger　to　bring　it　but　my　friend　the　Marechal　de　La　Meilleraye；　the　man　who　before　warned　me　of　the　sinister　intentions　of　the　Court；　and　who　now　was　so　credulous　as　to　believe　that　I　was　their　favourite；　because　the　Cardinal　was　pleased　to　say　how　much　he　was　concerned　for　the　injustice　he　had　done　me；　which　I　only　mention　to　remark　that　those　people　over　whom　the　Court　has　once　got　an　ascendency　cannot　help　believing　whatever　they　would　have　them　believe；　and　the　ministers　only　are　to　blame　if　they　do　not　deceive　them。　　But　I　would　not　be　persuaded　by　the　Marshal　as　he　had　been　by　the　Cardinal；　and　therefore　I　refused　the　said　sum　very　civilly；　and；　I　am　sure；　with　as　much　sincerity　as　the　Court　offered　it。

But　the　Cardinal　laid　another　trap　for　me　that　I　was　not　aware　of；by　tempting　me　with　the　proffer　of　the　Government　of　Paris；　and　when　I　had　shown　a　willingness　to　accept　it；　he　found　means　to　break　off　the　treaty　I　was　making　for　that　purpose　with　the　Prince　de　Guemende；　who　had　the　reversion　of　it；　and　then　represented　me　to　the　people　as　one　who　only　sought　my　own　interest。　　Instead　of　profiting　by　this　blunder；　which　I　might　have　done　to　my　own　advantage；　I　added　another　to　it；　and　said　all　that　rage　could　prompt　me　against　the　Cardinal　to　one　who　told　it　to　him　again。

To　return　now　to　public　affairs。　　About　the　feast　of　Saint　Martin　the　people　were　so　excited　that　they　seemed　as　if　they　had　been　all　intoxicated　with　gathering　in　the　vintage；　and　you　are　now　going　to　be　entertained　with　scenes　in　comparison　to　which　the　past　are　but　trifles。

There　is　no　affair　but　has　its　critical　minute；　which　a　bold　statesmanship　knows　how　to　lay　hold　of；　and　which；　if　missed；　especially　in　the　revolution　of　kingdoms；　you　run　the　great　risk　of　losing　altogether。

Every　one　now　found　their　advantage　in　the　declaration；that　is；　if　they　understood　their　own　interest。　　The　Parliament　had　the　honour　of　reestablishing　public　order。　　The　Princes；　too；　had　their　share　in　this　honour；　and　the　first…fruits　of　it；　which　were　respect　and　security。　The　people　had　a　considerable　comfort　in　it；　by　being　eased　of　a　load　of　above　sixty　millions；　and　if　the　Cardinal　had　had　but　the　sense　to　make　a　virtue　of　necessity；　which　is　one　of　the　most　necessary　qualifications　of　a　minister　of　State；　he　might；　by　an　advantage　always　inseparable　from　favourites；　have　appropriated　to　himself　the　greatest　part　of　the　merit；　even　of　those　things　he　had　most　opposed。

But　these　advantages　were　all　lost　through　the　most　trivial　considerations。　　The　people；　upon　the　discontinuation　of　the　Parliamentary　assemblies；　resumed　their　savage　temper；　and　were　scared　by　the　approach　of　a　few　troops　at　which　it　was　ridiculous　to　take　the　least　umbrage。　　The　Parliament　was　too　apt　to　give　ear　to　every　groundless　tale　of　the　non…execution　of　their　declarations。　　The　Duc　d'Orleans　saw　all　the　good　he　was　capable　of　doing　and　part　of　the　evil　he　had　power　to　prevent；　but　neither　was　strong　enough　to　influence　his　fearful　temper；　he　was　unconscious　of　the　coming　and　fatal　blow。　　The　Prince　de　Conde；　who　saw　the　evil　to　its　full　extent；　was　too　courageous　by　nature　to　fear　the　consequences；　he　was　inclined　to　do　good；　but　would　do　it　only　in　his　own　way。　　His　age；　his　humour；　and　his　victories　hindered　him　from　associating　patience　with　activity；　nor　was　he　acquainted；　unfortunately；　with　this　maxim　so　necessary　for　princes；〃always　to　sacrifice　the　little　affairs　to　the　greater；〃　and　the　Cardinal；　being　ignorant　of　our　ways；　daily　confounded　the　most　weighty　with　the　most　trifling。

The　Parliament；　who　met　on　the　2d　of　January；　1649；　resolved　to　enforce　the　execution　of　the　declaration；　which；　they　pretended；　had　been　infringed　in　all　its　articles；　and　the　Queen　was　resolved　to　retire　from　Paris　with　the　King　and　the　whole　Court。　　The　Queen　was　guided　by　the　Cardinal；　and　the　Duc　d'Orleans　by　La　Riviere；　the　most　sordid　and　self…　interested　man　of　the　age　in　which　he　lived。　　As　for　the　Prince　de　Conde；　he　began　to　be　disgusted　with　the　unseasonable　proceedings　of　the　Parliament　almost　as　soon　as　he　had　concerted　measures　with　Broussel　and　Longueil；　which　distaste；　joined　to　the　kindly　attentions　of　the　Queen；　the　apparent　submission　of　the　Cardinal；　and　an　hereditary　inclination　received　from　his　parents　to　keep　well　with　the　Court；　cramped　the　resolutions　of　his　great　soul。　　I　bewailed　this　change　in　his　behaviour　both　for　my　own　and　the　public　account；　but　much　more　for　his　sake。　　I　loved　him　as　much　as　I　honoured　him；　and　clearly　saw　the　precipice。

I　had　divers　conferences　with　him；　in　which　I　fo