the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第35节

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As　for　the　conferences　for　a　peace　with　the　Court　at　Ruel；　it　was　proposed　on　the　Queen's　part　that　the　Parliament　should　adjourn　their　session　to　Saint　Germain；　just　to　ratify　the　articles　of　the　peace；　and　not　to　meet　afterwards　for　two　or　three　years；　but　the　deputies　of　Parliament　insisted　that　it　was　their　privilege　to　assemble　when　and　where　they　pleased。　　When　these　and　the　like　stories　came　to　the　ears　of　the　Parisians　they　were　so　incensed　that　the　only　talk　of　the　Great　Chamber　was　to　recall　the　deputies；　and　the　generals　seeing　themselves　now　respected　by　the　Court；　who　had　little　regard　for　them　before　the　declaration　of　M。　de　Turenne；　thought　that　the　more　the　Court　was　embarrassed　the　better；　and　therefore　incited　the　Parliament　and　people　to　clamour；　that　the　Cardinal　might　see　that　things　did　not　altogether　depend　upon　the　conference　at　Ruel。　　I；　likewise；　contributed　what　lay　in　my　power　to　moderate　the　precipitation　of　the　First　President　and　President　de　Mesmes　towards　anything　that　looked　like　an　agreement。

On　the　8th　of　March　the　Prince　de　Conti　told　the　Parliament　that　M。　de　Turenne　offered　them　his　services　and　person　against　Cardinal　Mazarin；　the　enemy　of　the　State。　　I　said　that　I　was　informed　a　declaration　had　been　issued　the　night　before　at　Saint　Germain　against　M。　de　Turenne；　as　guilty　of　high　treason。　　The　Parliament　unanimously　passed　a　decree　to　annul　it；　to　authorise　his　taking　arms；　to　enjoin　all　the　King's　subjects　to　give　him　free　passage　and　support；　and　to　raise　the　necessary　funds　for　the　payment　of　his　troops；　lest　the　800；000　livres　sent　from　Court　to　General　d'Erlach　should　corrupt　the　officers　and　soldiers。　　A　severe　edict　was　issued　against　Courcelles；　Lavardin；　and　Amilly；　who　had　levied　troops　for　the　King　in　the　province　of　Maine；　and　the　commonalty　were　permitted　to　meet　at　the　sound　of　the　alarm…bell　and　to　fall　foul　of　all　those　who　had　held　assemblies　without　order　of　Parliament。

On　the　9th　a　decree　was　passed　to　suspend　the　conference　till　all　the　promises　made　by　the　Court　to　allow　the　entry　of　provisions　were　punctually　executed。

The　Prince　de　Conti　informed　the　House　the　same　day　that　he　was　desired　by　M。　de　Longueville　to　assure　them　that　he　would　set　out　from　Rouen　on　the　15th　with　7；000　foot　and　3；000　horse；　and　march　directly　to　Saint　Germain；　the　Parliament　was　incredibly　overjoyed；　and　desired　the　Prince　de　Conti　to　press　him　to　hasten　his　march　as　much　as　possible。

On　the　10th　the　member　for　Normandy　told　the　House　that　the　Parliament　of　Rennes　only　stayed　for　the　Duc　de　la　Tremouille　to　join　against　the　common　enemy。

On　the　11th　an　envoy　from　M。　de　la　Tremouille　offered　the　Parliament；　in　his　master's　name；　8；000　foot　and　2；000　horse；　who　were　in　a　condition　to　march　in　two　days；　provided　the　House　would　permit　his　master　to　seize　on　all　the　public　money　at　Poitiers；　Niort；　and　other　places　whereof　he　was　already　master。　　The　Parliament　thanked　him；　passed　a　decree　with　full　powers　accordingly；　and　desired　him　to　hasten　his　levies　with　all　expedition。

Posterity　will　hardly　believe　that；　notwithstanding　all　this　heat　in　the　party；　which　one　would　have　thought　could　not　have　immediately　evaporated；　a　peace　was　made　and　signed　the　same　day；　but　of　this　more　by　and　by。

While　the　Court；　as　has　been　before　hinted；　was　tampering　with　the　generals；　Madame　de　Montbazon　promised　M。　de　Beaufort's　support　to　the　Queen；　but　her　Majesty　understood　that　it　was　not　to　be　done　if　I　were　not　at　the　market　to　approve　of　the　sale。　　La　Riviere　despised　M。　d'Elbeuf　no　longer。　　M。　de　Bouillon；　since　his　brother's　declaration；　seemed　more　inclined　than　before　to　come　to　an　arrangement　with　the　Court；　but　his　pretentions　ran　very　high；　and　both　the　brothers　were　in　such　a　situation　that　a　little　assistance　would　not　suffice；　and　as　to　the　offers　made　to　myself　by　Madame　de　Lesdiguieres；　I　returned　such　an　answer　as　convinced　the　Court　that　I　was　not　so　easily　to　be　moved。

In　short；　Cardinal　Mazarin　found　all　the　avenues　to　a　negotiation　either　shut　or　impassable。　　This　despair　of　success　in　the　Court　was　eventually　more　to　the　advantage　of　the　Court　than　the　most　refined　politics；　for　it　did　not　hinder　them　from　negotiating；　the　Cardinal's　natural　temper　not　permitting　him　to　do　otherwise；　but；　however；　he　could　not　trust　to　the　carrying　out　of　negotiations；　and　therefore　beguiled　our　generals　with　fair　promises；　while　he　remitted　800；000　livres　to　buy　off　the　army　of　M。　de　Turenne；　and　obliged　the　deputies　at　Ruel　to　sign　a　peace　against　the　orders　of　the　Parliament　that　sent　them。　　The　President　de　Mesmes　assured　me　several　times　since　that　this　peace　was　purely　the　result　of　a　conversation　he　had　with　the　Cardinal　on　the　8th　of　March　at　night；　when　his　Eminence　told　him　he　saw　plainly　that　M。　de　Bouillon　would　not　treat　till　he　had　the　Spaniards　and　M。　de　Turenne　at　the　gates　of　Paris；　that　is；　till　he　saw　himself　in　the　position　to　seize　one…half　of　the　kingdom。　The　President　made　him　this　answer：

〃There　is　no　hope　of　any　security　but　in　making　the　Coadjutor　a　cardinal。〃

To　which　Mazarin　answered：　〃He　is　worse　than　the　other；　who　at　least　seemed　once　inclined　to　treat；　but　he　is　still　for　a　general　peace；　or　for　none　at　all。〃

President　de　Mesmes　replied：　〃If　things　are　come　to　this　pass　we　must　be　the　victims　to　save　the　State　from　perishingwe　must　sign　the　peace。　For　after　what　the　Parliament　has　done　to…day　there　is　no　remedy；　and　perhaps　tomorrow　we　shall　be　recalled；　if　we　are　disowned　in　what　we　do　we　are　ruined；　the　gates　of　Paris　will　be　shut　against　us；　and　we　shall　be　prosecuted　and　treated　as　prevaricators　and　traitors。　　It　is　our　business　and　concern　to　procure　such　conditions　as　will　give　us　good　ground　to　justify　our　proceedings；　and　if　the　terms　are　but　reasonable；　we　know　how　to　improve　them　against　the　factions；　but　make　them　as　you　please　yourself；　I　will　sign　them　all；　and　will　go　this　moment　to　acquaint　the　First　President　that　this　is　the　only　expedient　to　save　the　State。　　If　it　takes　effect　we　have　peace；　if　we　are　disowned　by　the　Parliament　we　still　weaken　the　faction；　and　the　danger　will　fall　upon　none　but　ourselves。〃　　He　added　that　with　much　difficulty　he　had　persuaded　the　First　President。

The　peace　was　signed　by　Cardinal　Mazarin；　as　well　as　by　the　other　deputies；　on　the　part　of　the　King。　　The　substance　of　the　articles　was　that　Parliament　should　just　go　to　Saint　Germain　to　proclaim　the　peace；　and　then　return　to　Paris；　but　hold　no　assembly　that　year；　that　all　their　public　decrees　since　the　6th　of　January　should　be　made　void；　as　likewise　all　ordinances　of　Council；　declarations　and　'lettres　de　cachet'；　that　as　soon　as　the　King　had　withdrawn　his　troops　from　Paris；　all　the　forces　raised　for　the　defence　of　the　city　should　be　disbanded；　and　the　inhabitants　lay　down　their　arms　and　not　take　them　up　again　without　the　King's　order；　that　the　Archduke's　deputy　should　be　dismissed　without　an　answer；　that　there　should　be　a　general　amnesty；　and　that　the　King　should　also　give　a　general　discharge　for　all　the　public　money　made　use　of；　as　also　for　the　movables　sold　and　for　all　the　arms　and　ammunition　taken　out　of　the　arsenal　and　elsewhere。

M。　and　Madame　de　Bouillon　were　extremely　surprised　when　they　heard　that　the　peace　was　signed。　　I　did　not　expect　the　Parliament　would　make　it　so　soon；　but　I　said　frequently　that　it　would　be　a　very　shameful　one　if　we　should　let　them　alone　to　make　it。　　M。　de　Bouillon　owned　that　I　had　foretold　it　often　enough。　　〃I　confess；〃　said　he；　〃that　we　are　entirely　to　blame；〃　which　expression　made　me　respect　him　more　than　ever；　for　I　think　it　a　greater　virtue　for　a　man　to　confess　a　fault　than　not　to　commit　one。　The　Prince　de　Conti；　MM。　d'Elbeuf；　de　Beaufort；　and　de　La　Mothe　were　very　much　surprised；　too；　at　the　signing　of　the　peace；　especially　because　their　agent　at　Saint　Germain　had　assured　them　that　the　Court　was　fully　persuaded　that　the　Parliament　was　but　a　cipher；　and　that　the　generals　were　the　men　with　whom　they　must　negotiate。　　I　confess　that　Cardinal　Mazarin　acted　a　very　wily　part　in　this　juncture；　and　he　is　the　more　to　be　commended　because　he　was　obliged　to　defend　himself；　not　only　against　the　monstrous　impertinences　of　La　Riviere；　but　against　the　violent　passion　of　the　Prince　de　Conde。

We　held　a　council　at　the　Duc　de　Bouillon's；　where　I　persuaded　them　that　as　our　deputies　were　recalled　by　an　order　despatched　from　Parliament　before　the　treaty　was　signed；　it　was　therefore　void；　and　that　we　ought　to　take　no　notice　of　it；　the　rather　because　it　had　not　been　communicated　to　Parliament　in　form；　and；　finally；　that　the　deputies　should　be　charged　to　insist　on　a　general　treaty　of　peace　and　on　the　expulsion　of　Mazarin；　and；　if　they　did　not　succeed；　to　return　forthwith　to　their　seats　in　Parliament。　　But　I　added　that　if　the　deputies　should　have　time　to　return　and　make　their　report；　we　should　be　under　the　necessity　of　protesting；　which　would　so　incense　the　people　against　them　that　we　should　not　be　able　to　keep　them　from　butchering　the　First　President　and　the　President　de　Mesmes；　so　that　we　should　be　reputed　the　authors　of　the　tragedy；　and；　though　formidable　one　day；　should　be　every　whit　as　odious　the　next。　I　concluded　with　offering　to　sa