the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第23节

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ses　in　the　world；　but　little　or　no　forethought。　　He　did　not　seek　to　aggravate　matters　in　order　to　render　himself　necessary　at　Court；　or　with　a　view　to　do　what　he　afterwards　did　for　the　Cardinal；　nor　was　he　biassed　by　the　mean　interests　of　pension；　government；　and　establishment。　　He　had　most　certainly　great　hopes　of　being　arbiter　of　the　Cabinet。　　The　glory　of　being　restorer　of　the　public　peace　was　his　first　end　in　view；　and　being　the　conservator　of　the　royal　authority　the　second。　Those　who　labour　under　such　an　imperfection；　though　they　see　clearly　the　advantages　and　disadvantages　of　both　parties；　know　not　which　to　choose；　because　they　do　not　weigh　them　in　the　same　balance；　so　that　the　same　thing　appears　lightest　today　which　they　will　think　heaviest　to…morrow。　This　was　the　case　of　the　Prince；　who；　it　must　be　owned；　if　he　had　carried　on　his　good　design　with　prudence；　certainly　would　have　reestablished　the　Government　upon　a　lasting　foundation。

He　told　me　more　than　once；　in　an　angry　mood；　that　if　the　Parliament　went　on　at　the　old　rate　he　would　teach　them　that　it　would　be　no　great　task　to　reduce　them　to　reason。　　I　perceived　by　his　talk　that　the　Court　had　resumed　the　design　of　besieging　Paris；　and　to　be　the　more　satisfied　of　it　I　told　him　that　the　Cardinal　might　easily　be　disappointed　in　his　measures；　and　that　he　would　find　Paris　to　be　a　very　tough　morsel。

〃It　shall　not　be　taken；〃　he　said；　〃like　Dunkirk；　by　mines　and　storming；　but　suppose　its　bread　from　Gonesse　should　be　cut　off　for　eight　days　only？〃

I　took　this　statement　then　for　granted；　and　replied　that　the　stopping　of　that　passage　would　be　attended　with　difficulties。

〃What　difficulties？〃　asked　the　Prince；　very　briskly。　　〃The　citizens？　Will　they　come　out　to　give　battle？〃

〃If　it　were　only　citizens；　monseigneur；〃　I　said；　〃the　battle　would　not　be　very　sharp。〃

〃Who　will　be　with　them？〃　he　replied；　〃will　you　be　there　yourself？〃

〃That　would　be　a　very　bad　omen；〃　I　said；　〃it　would　look　too　much　like　the　proceedings　of　the　League。〃

After　a　little　pause；　he　said；　〃But　now；　to　be　serious；　would　you　be　so　foolish　as　to　embark　with　those　men？〃

〃You　know；　monseigneur；〃　I　said；　〃that　I　am　engaged　already；　and　that；　moreover；　as　Coadjutor　of　Paris；　I　am　concerned　both　by　honour　and　interest　in　its　preservation。　　I　shall　be　your　Highness's　humble　servant　as　long　as　I　live；　except　in　this　one　point。〃

I　saw　he　was　touched　to　the　quick；　but　he　kept　his　temper；　and　said　these　very　words：　〃When　you　engage　in　a　bad　cause　I　will　pity　you；　but　shall　have　no　reason　to　complain　of　you。　　Nor　do　you　complain　of　me；　but　do　me　that　justice　you　owe　me；　namely；　to　own　that　all　I　promised　to　Longueil　and　Broussel　is　since　annulled　by　the　conduct　of　the　Parliament。〃

He　afterwards　showed　me　many　personal　favours；　and　offered　to　make　my　peace　with　the　Court。　　I　assured　him　of　my　obedience　and　zeal　for　his　service　in　everything　that　did　not　interfere　with　the　engagements　I　had　entered　into；　which；　as　he　himself　owned；　I　could　not　possibly　avoid。

After　we　parted　I　paid　a　visit　to　Madame　de　Longueville；　who　seemed　enraged　both　against　the　Court　and　the　Prince　de　Conde。　　I　was　pleased　to　think；　moreover；　that　she　could　do　what　she　would　with　the　Prince　de　Conti；　who　was　little　better　than　a　child；　but　then　I　considered　that　this　child　was　a　Prince　of　the　blood；　and　it　was　only　a　name　we　wanted　to　give　life　to　that　which；　without　one；　was　a　mere　embryo。　　I　could　answer　for　M。　de　Longueville；　who　loved　to　be　the　first　man　in　any　public　revolution；　and　I　was　as　well　assured　of　Marechal　de　La　Mothe；＇Philippe　de　La　Mothe…Houdancourt；　deceased　1657。＇　who　was　madly　opposed　to　the　Court；　and　had　been　inviolably　attached　to　M。　de　Longueville　for　twenty　years　together。　　I　saw　that　the　Duc　de　Bouillon；　through　the　injustice　done　him　by　the　Court　and　the　unfortunate　state　of　his　domestic　affairs；　was　very　much　annoyed　and　almost　desperate。　　I　had　an　eye　upon　all　these　gentlemen　at　a　distance；　but　thought　neither　of　them　fit　to　open　the　drama。　　M。　de　Longueville　was　only　fit　for　the　second　act；　the　Marechal　de　La　Mothe　was　a　good　soldier；　but　had　no　headpiece；　and　was　therefore　not　qualified　for　the　first　act。　　M。　de　Bouillon　was　my　man；　had　not　his　honesty　been　more　problematic　than　his　talents。　　You　will　not　wonder　that　I　was　so　wavering　in　my　choice；　and　that　I　fixed　at　last　upon　the　Prince　de　Conti；　of　the　blood　of　France。

As　soon　as　I　gave　Madame　de　Longueville　a　hint　of　what　part　she　was　to　act　in　the　intended　revolution；　she　was　perfectly　transported；　and　I　took　care　to　make　M。　de　Longueville　as　great　a　malcontent　as　herself。　　She　had　wit　and　beauty；　though　smallpox　had　taken　away　the　bloom　of　her　pretty　face；　in　which　there　sat　charms　so　powerful　that　they　rendered　her　one　of　the　most　amiable　persons　in　France。　　I　could　have　placed　her　in　my　heart　between　Mesdames　de　Gudmenee　and　Pommereux；　and　it　was　not　the　despair　of　succeeding　that　palled　my　passion；　but　the　consideration　that　the　benefice　was　not　yet　vacant；　though　not　well　served；M。　de　La　Rochefoucault　was　in　possession；　yet　absent　in　Poitou。　　I　sent　her　three　or　four　billets…doux　every　day；　and　received　as　many。　　I　went　very　often　to　her　levee　to　be　more　at　liberty　to　talk　of　affairs；　got　extraordinary　advantages　by　it；　and　I　knew　that　it　was　the　only　way　to　be　sure　of　the　Prince　de　Conti。

Having　settled　a　regular　correspondence　with　Madame　de　Longueville；　she　made　me　better　acquainted　with　M。　de　La　Rochefoucault；　who　made　the　Prince　de　Conti　believe　that　he　spoke　a　good　word　for　him　to　the　lady；　his　sister；　with　whom　he　was　in；　love。　　And　the　two　so　blinded　the　Prince　that　he　did　not　suspect　anything　till　four　years　after。

When　I　saw　that　the　Court　would　act　upon　their　own　initiative；　I　resolved　to　declare　war　against　them　and　attack　Mazarin　in　person；　because　otherwise　we　could　not　escape　being　first　attacked　by　him。

It　is　certain　that　he　gave　his　enemies　such　an　advantage　over　him　as　no　other　Prime　Minister　ever　did。　　Power　commonly　keeps　above　ridicule；　but　everybody　laughed　at　the　Cardinal　because　of　his　silly　sayings　and　doings；　which　those　in　his　position　are　seldom　guilty　of。　　It　was　said　that　he　had　lately　asked　Bougeval；　deputy　of　the　Grand　Council；　whether　he　did　not　think　himself　obliged　to　have　no　buttons　to　the　collar　of　his　doublet；　if　the　King　should　command　it；a　grave　argument　to　convince　the　deputies　of　an　important　company　of　the　obedience　due　to　kings；　for　which　he　was　severely　lampooned　both　in　prose　and　verse。

The　Court　having　attempted　to　legalise　excessive　usury；I　mean　with　respect　to　the　affair　of　loans；my　dignity　would　not　permit　me　to　tolerate　so　public　and　scandalous　an　evil。　　Therefore　I　held　an　assembly　of　the　clergy；　where；　without　so　much　as　mentioning　the　Cardinal's　name　in　the　conferences；　in　which　I　rather　affected　to　spare　him；　yet　in　a　week's　time　I　made　him　pass　for　one　of　the　most　obstinate　Jews　in　Europe。

At　this　very　time　I　was　sent　for；　by　a　civil　letter　under　the　Queen's　own　hand；　to　repair　to　Saint　Germain；　the　messenger　telling　me　the　King　was　just　gone　thither　and　that　the　army　was　commanded　to　advance。　　I　made　him　believe　I　would　obey　the　summons；　but　I　did　not　intend　to　do　so。

I　was　pestered　for　five　hours　with　a　parcel　of　idle　rumours　of　ruin　and　destruction；　which　rather　diverted　than　alarmed　me；　for　though　the　Prince　de　Conde；　distrusting　his　brother　the　Prince　de　Conti；　had　surprised　him　in　bed　and　carried　him　off　with　him　to　Saint　Germain；　yet　I　did　not　question　but　that；　as　long　as　Madame　de　Longueville　stayed　in　Paris；　we　should　see　him　again；　the　rather　because　his　brother　neither　feared　nor　valued　him　sufficiently　to　put　him　under　arrest；　and　I　was　assured　that　M。　de　Longueville　would　be　in　Paris　that　evening　by　having　received　a　letter　from　himself。

The　King　was　no　sooner　gone　than　the　Parliament　met；　frightened　out　of　their　senses；　and　I　know　not　what　they　could　have　done　if　we　had　not　found　a　way　to　change　their　fears　into　a　resolution　to　make　a　bold　stand。　I　have　observed　a　thousand　times　that　there　are　some　kinds　of　fear　only　to　be　removed　by　higher　degrees　of　terror。　　I　caused　it　to　be　signified　to　the　Parliament　that　there　was　in　the　Hotel　de　Ville　a　letter　from　his　Majesty　to　the　magistrates；　containing　the　reasons　that　had　obliged　him　to　leave　his　good　city　of　Paris；　which　were　in　effect　that　some　of　the　officers　of　the　House　held　a　correspondence　with　the　enemies　of　the　Government；　and　had　conspired　to　seize　his　person。

The　Parliament；　considering　this　letter　and　that　the　President　le　Feron；　'prevot　des　marchands'；　was　a　creature　of　the　Court；　ordered　the　citizens　to　arms；　the　gates　to　be　secured；　and　the　'prevot　des　marchands'　and　the　'lieutenant　de　police'　to　keep　open　the　necessary　passages　for　provisions。

Having　thought　it　good　policy　that　the　first　public　step　of　resistance　should　be　taken　by　the　Parliament　to　justify　the　disobedience　of　private　persons；　I　then　invented　this　stratagem　to　render　me　the　more　excusable　to　the　Queen　for　not　going　to　Saint　Germain。　　Having　taken　leave　of　all　friends　and　rejected　all　their　entreaties　for　my　stay　in　Paris；　I　took　coach　as　if　I　were　driving　to　Court；　but；　by　good　luck；　met　with　an　eminent　timber…merchant