the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第25节

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t　to　the　Parliament　House。　　The　latter　was　never　in　haste；　and　the　Prince　having　gone　tired　to　bed；　it　was　with　much　ado　I　prevailed　on　him　to　rise。　　In　short；　he　was　so　long　in　setting　out　that　the　Parliament　was　up　and　M。　d'Elbeuf　was　marching　to　the　Hotel　de　Ville　to　be　sworn　and　to　take　care　of　the　commissions　that　were　to　be　issued。　　I　thereupon　persuaded　the　Prince　de　Conti　to　go　to　the　Parliament　in　the　afternoon　and　to　offer　them　his　service；　while　I　stayed　without　in　the　hall　to　observe　the　disposition　of　the　people。

He　went　thither　accordingly　in　my　coach　and　with　my　grand　livery；　by　which　he　made　it　appear　that　he　reposed　his　confidence　entirely　in　the　people；　whom　there　is　a　necessity　of　managing　with　a　world　of　precaution　because　of　their　natural　diffidence　and　instability。　　When　we　came　to　the　House　we　were　saluted　upon　the　stairs　with　〃God　bless　the　Coadjutor！〃　but；　except　those　posted　there　on　purpose；　not　a　soul　cried；　〃God　bless　the　Prince　de　Conti！〃　from　which　I　concluded　that　the　bulk　of　the　people　were　not　yet　cured　of　their　diffidence；　and　therefore　I　was　very　glad　when　I　had　got　the　Prince　into　the　Grand　Chamber。　　The　moment　after；　M。　d'Elbeuf　came　in　with　the　city　guards；　who　attended　him　as　general；　and　with　all　the　people　crying　out；　〃God　bless　his　Highness　M。　d'Elbeuf！〃　But　as　they　cried　at　the　same　time　〃God　save　the　Coadjutor！〃　　I　addressed　myself　to　him　with　a　smile　and　said；　〃This　is　an　echo；　monsieur；　which　does　me　a　great　deal　of　honour。〃〃It　is　very　kind　of　you；〃　said　he；　and；　turning　to　the　guards；　bade　them　stay　at　the　door　of　the　Grand　Chamber。　I　took　the　order　as　given　to　myself；　and　stayed　there　likewise；　with　a　great　number　of　my　friends。　　As　soon　as　the　House　was　formed；　the　Prince　de　Conti　stood　up　and　said　that；　having　been　made　acquainted　at　Saint　Germain　with　the　pernicious　counsels　given　to　the　Queen；　he　thought　himself　obliged；　as　Prince　of　the　blood；　to　oppose　them。　　M。　d'Elbeuf；　who　was　proud　and　insolent；　like　all　weak　men；　because　he　thought　he　had　the　strongest　party；　said　he　knew　the　respect　due　to　the　Prince　de　Conti；　but　that　he　could　not　forbear　telling　them　that　it　was　himself　who　first　broke　the　ice　and　offered　his　service　to　the　Parliament；　who；　having　conferred　the　General's　baton　upon　him；　he　would　never　part　with　it　but　with　his　life。

The　generality　of　the　members；　who　were　as　distrustful　of　the　Prince　de　Conti　as　the　people；　applauded　this　declaration；　and　the　Parliament　passed　a　decree　forbidding　the　troops　on　pain　of　high　treason　to　advance　within　twenty　miles　of　Paris。　　I　saw　that　all　I　could　do　that　day　was　to　reconduct　the　Prince　de　Conti　in　safety　to　the　palace　of　Longueville；　for　the　crowd　was　so　great　that　I　was　fain　to　carry　him；　as　it　were；　in　my　arms　out　of　the　Grand　Chamber。

M。　d'Elbeuf；　who　thought　the　day　was　all　his　own；　hearing　my　name　joined　with　his　in　the　huzzas　of　the　people；　said　to　me　by　way　of　reprisal；　〃This；　monsieur；　is　an　echo　which　does　me　a　great　deal　of　honour；〃　to　which　I　replied；　as　he　did　to　me　before；　〃Monsieur；　it　is　very　kind　of　you。〃　　Meantime　he　was　not　wise　enough　to　improve　the　opportunity；　and　I　foresaw　that　things　would　soon　take　another　turn；　for　reputation　of　long　standing　among　the　people　never　fails　to　blast　the　tender　blossoms　of　public　good…will　which　are　forced　out　of　due　season。

I　had　news　sent　to　me　from　Madame　de　Lesdiguieres　at　Saint　Germain；　that　M。　d'Elbeuf；　an　hour　after　he　heard　of　the　arrival　of　the　Prince　de　Conti　and　M。　de　Longueville　at　Paris；　wrote　a　letter　to　the　Abbe　de　la　Riviere　with　these　words：　〃Tell　the　Queen　and　the　Duc　d'Orleans　that　this　diabolical　Coadjutor　is　the　ruin　of　everything　here；　and　that　in　two　days　I　shall　have　no　power　at　all；　but　that　if　they　will　be　kind　to　me　I　will　make　them　sensible。　　I　am　not　come　hither　with　so　bad　a　design　as　they　imagine。〃　　I　made　a　very　good　use　of　this　advice；　and；　knowing　that　the　people　are　generally　fond　of　everything　that　seems　mysterious；　I　imparted　the　secret　to　four　or　five　hundred　persons。　　I　had　the　pleasure　to　hear　that　the　confidence　which　the　Prince　had　reposed　in　the　people　by　going　about　all　alone　in　my　coach；　without　any　attendance；　had　won　their　hearts。

At　midnight　M。　de　Longueville；　Marechal　de　La　Mothe；　and　myself　went　to　M。　de　Bouillon；　whom　we　found　as　wavering　as　the　state　of　affairs；　but　when　we　showed　him　our　plan；　and　how　easily　it　might　be　executed；　he　joined　us　immediately。　　We　concerted　measures；　and　I　gave　out　orders　to　all　the　colonels　and　captains　of　my　acquaintance。

The　most　dangerous　blow　that　I　gave　to　M。　d'Elbeuf　was　by　making　the　people　believe　that　he　held　correspondence　with　the　King's　troops；　who　on　the　9th；　at　night；　surprised　Charenton。　　I　met　him　on　the　first　report　of　it；　when　he　said；　〃Would　you　think　there　are　people　so　wicked　as　to　say　that　I　had　a　hand　in　the　capture　of　Charenton？〃　I　said　in　answer；　〃Would　you　think　there　are　people　vile　enough　to　report　that　the　Prince　de　Conti　is　come　hither　by　concert　with　the　Prince　de　Conde？〃

When　I　saw　the　people　pretty　well　cured　of　their　diffidence；　and　not　so　zealous　as　they　were　for　M。　d'Elbeuf；　I　was　for　mincing　the　matter　no　longer；　and　thought　that　ostentation　would　be　as　proper　to…day　as　reserve　was　yesterday。　　The　Prince　de　Conti　took　M。　de　Longueville　to　the　Parliament　House；　where　he　offered　them　his　services；　together　with　all　Normandy；　and　desired　they　would　accept　of　his　wife；　son；　and　daughter；　and　keep　them　in　the　Hotel　de　Ville　as　pledges　of　his　sincerity。　　He　was　seconded　by　M。　de　Bouillon；　who　said　he　was　exceedingly　glad　to　serve　the　Parliament　under　the　command　of　so　great　a　Prince　as　the　Prince　de　Conti。　M。　d'Elbeuf　was　nettled　at　this　expression；　and　repeated　what　he　had　said　before；　that　he　would　not　part　with　the　General's　staff；　and　he　showed　more　warmth　than　judgment　in　the　whole　debate。　　He　spoke　nothing　to　the　purpose。　　It　was　too　late　to　dispute；　and　he　was　obliged　to　yield；　but　I　have　observed　that　fools　yield　only　when　they　cannot　help　it。　　We　tried　his　patience　a　third　time　by　the　appearance　of　Marechal　de　La　Mothe；　who　passed　the　same　compliment　upon　the　company　as　De　Bouillon　had　done。　　We　had　concerted　beforehand　that　these　personages　should　make　their　appearance　upon　the　theatre　one　after　the　other；　for　we　had　remarked　that　nothing　so　much　affects　the　people；　and　even　the　Parliament；　among　whom　the　people　are　a　majority；　as　a　variety　of　scenes。

I　took　Madame　de　Longueville　and　Madame　de　Bouillon　in　a　coach　by　way　of　triumph　to　the　Hotel　de　Ville。　　They　were　both　of　rare　beauty；　and　appeared　the　more　charming　because　of　a　careless　air；　the　more　becoming　to　both　because　it　was　unaffected。　　Each　held　one　of　her　children；　beautiful　as　the　mother；　in　her　arms。　　The　place　was　so　full　of　people　that　the　very　tops　of　the　houses　were　crowded；　all　the　men　shouted　and　the　women　wept　for　joy　and　affection。　　I　threw　five　hundred　pistoles　out　of　the　window　of　the　Hotel　de　Ville；　and　went　again　to　the　Parliament　House；　accompanied　by　a　vast　number　of　people；　some　with　arms　and　others　without。　　M。　d'Elbeuf's　captain　of　the　guards　told　his　master　that　he　was　ruined　to　all　intents　and　purposes　if　he　did　not　accommodate　himself　to　the　present　position　of　affairs；　which　was　the　reason　that　I　found　him　much　perplexed　and　dejected；　especially　when　M。　de　Bellievre；　who　had　amused　him　hitherto　designedly；　came　in　and　asked　what　meant　the　beating　of　the　drums。　　I　answered　that　he　would　hear　more　very　soon；　and　that　all　honest　men　were　quite　out　of　patience　with　those　that　sowed　divisions　among　the　people。　　I　saw　then　that　wisdom　in　affairs　of　moment　is　nothing　without　courage。　　M。　d'Elbeuf　had　little　courage　at　this　juncture；　made　a　ridiculous　explanation　of　what　he　had　said　before；　and　granted　more　than　he　was　desired　to　do；　and　it　was　owing　to　the　civility　and　good　sense　of　M。　de　Bouillon　that　he　retained　the　title　of　General　and　the　precedence　of　M。　de　Bouillon　and　M。　de　La　Mothe；　who　were　equally　Generals　with　himself　under　the　Prince　de　Conti；　who　was　from　that　instant　declared　Generalissimo　of　the　King's　forces　under　the　direction　of　the　Parliament。

There　happened　at　this　time　a　comical　scene　in　the　Hotel　de　Ville；　which　I　mention　more　particularly　because　of　its　consequence。　　De　Noirmoutier；　who　the　night　before　was　made　lieutenant…general；　returning　by　the　Hotel　de　Ville　from　a　sally　which　he　had　made　into　the　suburbs　to　drive　away　Mazarin's　skirmishers；　as　they　were　called；　entered　with　three　officers　in　armour　into　the　chamber　of　Madame　de　Longueville；　which　was　full　of　ladies；　the　mixture　of　blue　scarfs；　ladies；　cuirassiers；　fiddlers；　and　trumpeters　in　and　about　the　hall　was　such　a　sight　as　is　seldom　met　with　but　in　romances。　　De　Noirmoutier；　who　was　a　great　admirer　of　Astrea；　said　he　imagined　that　we　were　besieged　in　Marcilli。　　〃Well　you　may；〃　said　I；　〃Madame　de　Longueville　is　as　fair　as　Galatea；　but　Marsillac　（son　of　M。　de　La　Rochefoucault）　is　not　a　man　of　so　much　honour　as　Lindamore。〃　　I　fancy　I　was　overheard　by　one　in　a　neighbouring　window；　who　might　have　told　M。　de　La　Rochefoucault；　for　otherwise　I　cannot　guess　at　the　first　cause　of　the　hatred　which　he　afterwards　bore　me。

Before　I　proceed　to　give　you　the　detail　of　the　civil　w